The Cincinnati Bengals added 10 players through the 2021 NFL Draft and also signed a slew of promising UDFAs. Who out of their rookie class has the most to prove to both the Bengals and the rest of the NFL?
Armed with 10 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bengals made sure to hit their weak positions hard, adding depth along the offensive line and on defense as well. The rookies will be expected to come in and contribute ASAP but these three rookies have the most pressure on them for one reason or another.
Let’s take a look at who these rookies are and why they have so much to prove to the Bengals and the rest of the league.
Bengals Rookies With Most to Prove – No. 3: Cameron Sample
With their fourth-round pick, the Bengals drafted Cameron Sample out of Tulane to help out with their pass-rushing needs. The Green Wave defensive end had five sacks last year and had 10.5 through his entire collegiate career.
The reason Sample has a lot to prove is that the Bengals took him to help out with their pass rush, which ranked last in the league in sacks. This won’t do in a division that’s as stacked in the AFC North and with a brutally tough schedule on the horizon.
Sample doesn’t have to be the premier pass rusher for the Bengals, but the team is expecting him to get after the quarterback, just as he did at Tulane. If he can match his five sacks from a season ago, that’d be tremendous, but even 2.5+ would suffice for this unit.