9 hidden-gem prospects Bengals should target on Day 3 of 2022 draft

The proverbial “diamonds in the rough” are available in every draft. This year is no different. Maybe even more so, as this year’s draft contains several hugely underrated potential targets for the Cincinnati Bengals to target.

As it stands now, the Bengals have five picks on day three; They hold the 136th, 174th, 209th, 226th, and 252nd selections.

Here are a few players who may be on the board at 136 and beyond, according to Pro Football Focus and Mock Draft Database Rankings.

Fourth Round

D’Marco Jackson, LB (Appalachian State)

The Appalachian State linebacker is a tackling machine and a violent hitter. D’Marco Jackson is a classic middle linebacker. Watching him makes it easy to understand why he went with number 52 in college.

Jackson accumulated a gaudy 119 tackles this past season, an eye-popping 20 tackles for loss, six sacks, and one interception. He finished his career with 291 tackles, 35 for loss, 11.5 sacks, and three interceptions. Those are outstanding numbers.

On tape, he shows excellent acceleration. He showed off his speed at the NFL combine, running a 4.55 40.

Also, Jackson was a captain for the Mountaineers. Zac Taylor is going to love that.

He didn’t always get to show off his coverage skills in games. However, Jackson flashed his awareness, instincts, speed, and bad intentions whenever he covered running backs in the flats. As a result, his coaching staff felt comfortable in passing situations as he stayed on the field on third downs.

It may no longer be the case to consider Jackson a diamond in the rough. That is because he caught a lot of attention with his performance at the Senior Bowl.

Right now, Mock Draft Database ranks him at 192nd and PFF ranks him 132nd overall; That is just ahead of where the Bengals pick at 136 in the fourth round. Count on Jackson being selected closer to where PFF ranks him than Mock Draft Database.

If Cincinnati does target him, it would have to be with the 136th pick. Do not count on him being there far beyond that point.

Jake Ferguson, TE (Wisconsin)

The Wisconsin Badger tight end Jake Ferguson is one of the most underrated players in the draft, especially for NFL offenses that have a penchant for blocking defensive ends with tight ends.

Ferguson is a great pass blocker who held his own, one-on-one, against the potential first-overall pick in this year’s draft, Aidan Hutchinson. Ferguson even looked better at pass blocking against the Michigan defense than some offensive linemen.

Ferguson is also a reliable receiver. He finished this past season with 46 receptions, 450 yards, and three touchdowns and his college career numbers totaled 145 catches, 1,618 yards, and 13 touchdowns.

Ferguson’s season and career numbers are on par with or better than some tight ends ranked ahead of him. That includes Jeremy Ruckert, Greg Dulchich, Cade Otton, and Jelani Woods.

Currently, Mock Draft Database has Ferguson ranked 152nd. PFF ranks him 206th, which is absurdly low. The Bengals should target Ferguson in the fourth or fifth round if they do not address the tight end position before then and if he is still available.

Zach Tom, OT/C (Wake Forest)

Wake Forest’s offensive tackle Zach Tom is one of the most underappreciated prospects in this draft. He should not be on this list because there is no way he should make it to Day 3 but, alas, here we are.

Tom is a guy on who there is no consensus. PFF ranks Tom 92nd overall and off the board in the third round while Mock Draft Database has him going in the seventh round and rates him 253rd overall. NFL Draft Buzz lists Tom’s average overall rank as 142 according to their all scouts average.

No matter where he ranks, he is underrated.

Tom has an excellent athletic profile. Mock Draftable compares his measurables favorably to those of Rashawn Slater but the comparisons do not end there.

As much as Slater’s performance against Chase Young leading up to last year’s draft, not enough is made of Tom’s performance against Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson. Tom shut out Johnson, who is expected to be a first-round pick.

One of Slater’s selling points was his capability of playing several positions along the offensive line at a high level. Tom was an excellent center in 2019 before moving to left tackle the past two seasons. In 1,003 pass attempts at left tackle, he allowed only four sacks and five quarterback hits. While at center, he allowed zero sacks and only one quarterback hit.

Tom uses his agility and quickness to get to the second level of defenses with ease. He also does an excellent job passing off stunts and twists with the guard.

Oh, yeah, he was also a personal protector on the punt team.

Do not be surprised if a team selects Tom in the third round. The Bengals should grab him if he makes it to them in the fourth round. It should be a no-brainer if he is available to Cincinnati beyond that.

Fifth Round

Cade Mays, OT/G (Tennessee)

Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once famously stated, “… but I know it when I see it.”

Defining what a glass eater is can be a bit tricky but we know it when we see it. Tennessee offensive lineman Cade Mays is it.

According to PFF, Mays gave up one sack and four quarterback hurries on 272 pass blocks. He did it all while manning the right tackle spot. In 2020 and 2019, Mays played most of his snaps at right guard. He also has some experience at left tackle.

He should make for a capable NFL right tackle. That is, if NFL teams allow him to do so. And no, just because he made some snaps at his Pro Day and Senior Bowl practice does not mean that he is a center.

As of now, Mock Draft Database has Mays at 180 and PFF ranks him at 213. Mays would make an NFL team very happy at 180. At 213, late in the sixth round, draft gurus would start mentioning his name as a “steal of the draft” nominee.

Malcolm Rodriguez, LB (Oklahoma State)

At 5’11″, 232 pounds, the Cowboys’ linebacker is undersized, but he does not play like it. The fifth-year senior finished the 2021 season with an astonishing 129 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, three sacks, and one interception.

Rodriguez does not shy away from contact versus large offensive linemen in the run game. He consistently can shed blockers on his way to the ball carrier.

Rodriguez had the fourth fastest combine time for linebackers. He spent his first three years as a safety, so he is adept at covering tight ends and running backs in the passing game.

The quickest way onto an NFL roster as a late-round selection will be through special teams. A situation in which he could thrive.

PFF ranks Rodriguez 138th, just two spots after the Bengals’ fourth-round selection. Mock Draft Database ranks him 180th. That would put him six spots after the Bengals’ pick in the fifth round.

Sixth Round

Dontario Drummond, WR (Ole Miss)

Dontario Drummond is one of the more underrated wideouts in this class. The Ole Miss senior is on the older side at 24 years old and he ran a 4.65 40.

Nevertheless, Drummond is a sure-handed receiver who consistently got open against SEC competition and that is why he became Matt Corral’s favorite target. Drummond finished his 2021 campaign with 76 catches, 1,028 yards, and eight touchdowns.

Drummond also showed that he could be a reliable punt returner when given the opportunity. Last year he averaged 11.2 yards on punt returns.

Joe Mixon is another reason the Bengals should be interested in the Ole Miss receiver. Drummond is a phenomenal downfield blocker in the run game, capable of making highlight-type blocks.

Player Profiler lists his best comparable as former Bengals star receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Houshmandzadeh comparison is excellent for their college production, athletic profiles, and projected draft positions.

Right now, PFF ranks Drummond 207th overall. Mock Draft Database has him at 225, one spot before the Bengals make their first selection in the seventh round.

Drummond is an excellent target in the sixth round. However, if he makes it to the seventh, we will be talking about him as one of the “steals” of the draft.

Danny Gray, WR (SMU)

SMU wide receiver Danny Gray is a speed threat but unfortunately, he does not have the production that one would hope for from a receiver who clocked in at 4.33 at the combine. That is not just “track” speed.

Gray plays just as fast, which was highlighted in the Senior Bowl when he was timed at 22.01 mph while playing. The fourth-fastest time since the Senior Bowl started measuring on-field analytics.

While Gray was not asked to do it much at SMU, he can return punts and kicks.

As of this moment, Mock Draft Database has Gray ranked at 193rd and PFF ranks him at 197th. Cincinnati has the 174th and 209th picks. They could “reach” in the fifth round or take a chance to get a “steal” in the sixth.

If the Bengals were looking for another receiver with break-away speed, they could do worse than Danny Gray.

Seventh Round

Jerreth Sterns, WR (Western Kentucky)

Jerreth Sterns followed his Houston Baptist University teammate, quarterback Bailey Zappe, to Western Kentucky and they did not miss a beat. In his one season with the Hilltoppers, Sterns caught an unbelievable 150 passes for 1,902 yards and 17 touchdowns! My goodness.

Sterns was a significant part of Zappe’s incredible 2021 season, where he threw for 62 touchdowns and almost 6,000 yards while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. Wow.

While Zappe did not make this list, drafting a backup quarterback in the fourth or fifth round and teaming him up with his college teammate in the seventh would not be a bad move for the Bengals.

Sterns lived behind defenses in the same way that he should live in the minds of NFL scouts. He was also great underneath, working in the middle of the field and off receiver screens and hitches.

Furthermore, he can be a reliable punt returner who should be able to use his run after catch ability in the NFL.

As of now, Mock Draft Database has Sterns ranked 291st. There will be a bidding war for Sterns if he does not get drafted. It would be wise for a team who likes him to spend a seventh-round pick on him.

Tre Williams, EDGE (Arkansas)

Tre Williams will be a bit of a controversial choice. That is because of an off-the-field issue in December. However, the potential is there.

Do not be fooled by the 5.08 40. Willaims plays with incredible strength and suddenness at the snap.

He was so unblockable against Texas A&M that they had to move their best lineman, Kenyon Green, from right guard to left tackle to slow Williams’ onslaught. It did not work.

Williams even caused Mississippi State’s Charles Cross some problems. Cross, a left tackle,  is PFF’s fifth overall ranked player.

Right now, PFF has him as an undrafted free agent and ranks him 346th overall. However, over at Mock Draft Database, Williams is 250th and is going in the seventh round.

If he falls out of the draft, there will be a market for Williams. However, a team might not want to miss out and use a late pick on a guy with some upside.

Williams, a fifth-year senior, finished the season with 28 tackles, six and a half tackles for loss, and six sacks.

The potential is there, but teams may wait until after the draft to attempt to lure him to their squad.

As the great Barbadian enchantress, Rihanna sings, “shine bright like a diamond.” So let’s hope the Bengals can mine the 2022 draft well.

Who Dey?!