The Cincinnati Bengals opted not to add a tight end to their roster through the 2022 NFL Draft. How could the position shake out now that the draft is over?
The Bengals took a hit at tight end when C.J. Uzomah signed with the Jets this offseason. While Cincinnati signed Hayden Hurst to replace him, it’s still a position that is considered to be the weakest on the offensive side of the ball.
Cincinnati didn’t address the position during the draft despite fans (myself included) developing “crushes” on some of the prospects. Trey McBride was a popular name amongst Bengals fans but the team spent five of their six picks on defense and the one offensive pick was spent on an offensive lineman.
Uzomah’s departure wasn’t a devastating loss for the team by any means but he was a good leader and that aspect of his presence will certainly be missed. Hurst has put together a better season than any that Uzomah had so some might even say the team upgraded there.
Still, tight end is one of those positions that doesn’t leave fans saying “Wow, that group is stacked” as some of the other spots on the roster do.
Here’s my prediction for the Bengals’ tight end depth chart.
All stats are courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
TE1: Hayden Hurst
This one feels pretty obvious. The Bengals didn’t sign Hayden Hurst to a contract this summer for him to be anything other than the starting tight end.
Hurst was a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2018 but was overshadowed by fellow 2018 pick Mark Andrews, who has flourished in that offense. Hurst eventually was sent to Atlanta in March of 2020 and put together his best NFL season that year.
During that 2020 season, Hurst racked up 56 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns, all of which were career highs for him.
In 2021, however, his production declined due to the Falcons drafting Kyle Pitts fourth overall. Pitts became the go-to in the Falcons’ offense and Hurst’s stock took a dip as a result.
Hurst hasn’t been great during his NFL career but the numbers he put up in 2020 were better than any that Uzomah did during his time in Cincinnati. That makes him a solid fit for this offense because the Bengals have enough talent at receiver that the tight ends don’t have to be superstars.
TE2: Drew Sample
If Drew Sample wasn’t a second-round pick, fans probably wouldn’t be as hard on him as they are. Don’t get me wrong, it was a surprising selection considering that Sample didn’t put up gaudy numbers during his college career at Washington but he did show glimpses of potential in 2020.
During that 2020 season, Uzomah was injured early on, so Sample stepped in and had 40 catches for 349 yards and a touchdown. He was a popular breakout candidate choice entering last season but failed to do much of anything, amassing just 11 catches for 81 yards.
Sample is entering the final year of his rookie contract and he’d have to have an unbelievable season to merit any kind of big contract next offseason. He’ll be the second-string behind Hurst and maybe he’ll have more opportunities to show what he can do.
For the most part, however, Sample has proven to be a better blocking tight end and that’s likely what we’ll see from him again in 2022.
TE3: Mitchell Wilcox
While this is a boring answer, Mitchell Wilcox is probably the one who is going to land the final tight end roster spot. His experience on special teams will help him earn that spot, even if he hasn’t done much offensively (he had three catches for 16 yards last year and appeared in 9% of offensive snaps).
On special teams, however, Wilcox made his presence known, as he appeared in 57% of special teams snaps in 2021. That could be what gets him back on the roster in 2022.
TE4: Thaddeus Moss
This time last year, fans were raving about Thaddeus Moss and how he could potentially be a game-changer at the tight end position. I was definitely included in this bunch, as I felt as though Moss’ relationship with Joe Burrow would help him earn an opportunity to show what he could do. The two played together at LSU and that’s never a bad thing when you’re trying to make it with the Bengals.
Sadly, Moss never appeared in a single game during the 2021 season. I’m past the point of thinking he’ll make any kind of contribution to the team but the practice squad is a possibility for him again this year.
The Rest: Nick Eubanks, Justin Rigg, Scotty Washington
The other three tight ends on the roster will have to put together peak performances this summer to get onto the 53-man roster.
Nick Eubanks and Justin Rigg joined the team this offseason with Eubanks previously spending time with the Cowboys, Eagles, and Lions but never having appeared in a regular-season game yet. Rigg, meanwhile, was an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky who signed with the Bengals.
Scotty Washington has spent his career with the Bengals, mostly appearing on their practice squad. He’s familiar with the organization, which bodes well for him, but it’s going to take a massive preseason performance from him to get him onto the roster.
The tight end position is definitely one of the weakest positions on the roster but it’s not the end of the world for Cincinnati. With how strong their receivers are, the tight ends don’t have to step in and be rockstars so Hayden Hurst will be a fine addition to this team.