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NFL Draft: 5 EDGE defenders capable of saving the Bengals’ pass rush

By Hunter Bittinger

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 26: Linebacker Joseph Ossia #46 of the Texas Longhorns runs down the field after a fumble that was later overturned during overtime of the college football game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on September 26, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 26: Linebacker Joseph Ossia #46 of the Texas Longhorns runs down the field after a fumble that was later overturned during overtime of the college football game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on September 26, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Cincinnati Bengals
Hamilcar Rashed Jr. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Bengals EDGE targets: Hamilcar Rashed Jr., Oregon State

Another pass rusher with eye-popping numbers, Hamilcar Rashed Jr. finds himself in first round contention for the 2021 NFL draft. However, as things stand, the Bengals would likely need to trade back or hope that he falls to the second round if he is to find himself in stripes.

The 6’4, 245-pound edge rusher pieced together a jaw-dropping 2019 campaign. When it was all said and done, he found himself with 14 sacks and 22.5 tackles for a loss. His stat line correctly indicates that he’s solid, both in rushing the passer and stopping the run.

Rashed Jr. is off to a slow start this season, but that can be attributed to the PAC 12’s rocky road to beginning the football year. Through two games, he’s only registered five tackles and zero sacks. It will be important to keep an eye on how he produces moving forward to determine if he was a one-year wonder or if he truly is as elite as his 2019 stats indicate.

Either way, Rashed Jr. has already proven what he’s capable of in ideal circumstances and he clearly has the measurables to be an effective pass rusher at the next level. It just comes down to determining if he’s capable of being consistent and a focal point of the pass rush or if he’s just a developmental piece to the puzzle meant to be selected in a later round.