5 ways the Bengals can build upon an already-strong offseason

4. Add a young tight end in the draft

With Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Joe Mixon, the stripes have one of the best groups of offensive weapons in the NFL. Surrounding franchise quarterback Joe Burrow with upper-echelon talent to pass and hand the ball off to has been a focal point for the Bengals’ front office since drafting him.

However, their top tight end Hayden Hurst, who was recently acquired in free agency, is a solid if unspectacular talent and is only under contract for one year. While Hurst can get them by for this next season and provide quality snaps, the Bengals should look to the draft for a young tight end talent to groom behind the veteran.

The tight end position is notoriously difficult for young players to succeed at in the NFL. Rookies at the position rarely have success and some players at the position don’t hit their stride until their second contracts.

That being said, the Bengals look to be the perfect situation for a young tight end to develop. Any tight end the Bengals draft would likely start his career as the sixth-option in Zac Taylor’s offense, so there would not be pressure to succeed right away.

On Day 2 of the draft, players like Trey McBride, Greg Dulcich, and Jelani Woods are intriguing options for the Bengals. If they decide to wait until Day 3 to address the position, Jeremy Ruckert, Charlie Kolar and Grant Calcaterra are worth fliers in the fourth or fifth rounds.

Any of the aforementioned prospects would be great options to join the tight end room alongside Hurst and Drew Sample.