Five Position Battles to Watch During Bengals Training Camp
By Rory Daniels
4. Germaine Pratt vs. Jordan Evans
Missing out on Devin White and Devin Bush was seen as a blow by many Bengals fans. They had to wait until the third round to bolster the weakest area of their defense and did so with NC State product Germaine Pratt. Pratt, a former safety, showed ability as a downhill thumper and can cover tight ends. You can see my post draft Twitter breakdown of him below.
NC State LB Germaine Pratt fits the mould of the modern day LB who the Bengals should be looking for. Former safety, who holds up in coverage and athletic playmaker as seen here moving across the field smoothly to prevent the 1st down. #NFLDraft #Bengals #NFL pic.twitter.com/r9gPZ0Z9SQ
— Rory-Joe Daniels (@rjdanielsnfl) January 17, 2019
Adjusting to the NFL is never easy. Pratt missed time through injury in the OTAs. He will need to demonstrate in training camp that he has the ability to jump right into the starting lineup. The lack of depth at the position will help his chances.
Bengals de-facto GM Duke Tobin seemed bullish about the linebacker group in recent interviews suggesting they were comfortable starting the season with the players they had. That bodes well for one of last year’s contributors, Jordan Evans.
The Oklahoma product stepped in as injuries hit, making five starts. His major issues were in coverage. PFF gave him a 38.9 grade against the pass. The opposition regularly targeted the underneath zones exposing Evans.
The Bengals have earmarked Preston Brown (returning from injury) and Nick Vigil as their nickel linebackers who should see the most action. Keeping Evans out of obvious passing downs will be key. He is above average against the run and should start the year as the SAM backer in the 4-3 formation.
Verdict: Pratt may find himself behind Evans on the opening day depth chart. The third linebacker is no longer a starting spot. That helps hide Evans’ deficiencies against the pass. If Pratt can make the most of his opportunities, the Bengals will have the rookie take over that role and potentially replace Brown in the nickel by the end of the season.