7 players Bengals could have drafted instead of Jackson Carman

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Pat Freiermuth (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

Pat Freiermuth could have been Cincy TE but he went to Pittsburgh at No. 55

Last year C.J. Uzomah appeared in just two games before he was injured and missed the rest of the season. Drew Sample played well in his absence but still didn’t prove himself to be a starting tight end.

While Uzomah has been fantastic this season, Sample has been utilized as more of a blocker. Pat Freiermuth would have given Cincinnati another game-changing tight end but instead, he’s doing that for division rival Pittsburgh, as he went nine picks after Carman landed with the Bengals.

Freiermuth has 43 receptions for 353 yards and six touchdowns through 12 games and eight starts. He stepped up in Eric Ebron’s absence and has shown that he can be the tight end of the future for the Steelers.

Had Freiermuth been the Bengals’ pick at No. 46, fans might have been confused considering the depth they had at the position but the pick wouldn’t have looked so bad if he’d been putting up similar numbers in the Queen City. With Uzomah hitting free agency this offseason and Sample not living up to his draft stock, Freiermuth could have been a star for the Bengals.