Cincinnati Bengals rookie Demetrius Knight Jr. has been a breakout for the team already.
Knight, a second-round pick, is an older rookie tasked with likely starting next to Logan Wilson in the rebuilding defense next year.
So far, so good on that front, based on minicamp reviews. The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. just summed up the situation in a leaguewide project looking at lessons learned for each team so far:
“The Bengals found exactly what they were looking for in second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. The linebacker was slotted into the starting spot alongside Logan Wilson immediately and brought stability despite this being his first time on an NFL practice field. He’s older (24) with more experience, which made his addition look and feel more like a free-agent signing than draft pick. Players view him as a future leader of the defense already and with all captains gone from last year’s group, defensive coordinator Al Golden is on the hunt for exactly that.”
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The Bengals cut Germaine Pratt and lost Akeem Davis-Gaither in free agency, so while some fans might bemoan going after an older rookie who might not have as much upside, that stability factor was an obvious key goal of the pick.
Cincinnati also added Oren Burks in free agency and Barrett Carter in the fourth round, but the latter could be more of a Davis-Gaither replacement in the long run.
Knight? He’s the future right now, something already cemented before training camp even starts.
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