Bengals Draft: 5 reasons why Jake Ferguson is the best TE option

Draft Position

Right now, Pro Football Focus ranks Ferguson 205th overall with an average draft position in mock drafts of 175. Mock Draft Database ranks him 135th overall. NFL Draft Buzz’s “All Scouts Average” has Ferguson off the board at 159.2. If these rankings and predictions hold true, Ferguson should be available to the Bengals in the fourth round with the 136th overall pick.

That would allow the Bengals to concentrate on the defensive backfield and offensive line in the first few rounds. Positions where the options will be more tenuous later in the draft.

The expectations of a fourth-round tight end are not the same as with the drafting of a second-rounder. Just ask Drew Sample.

Speaking of…

Drew Sample

Speaking of Sample, drafting a tight end could threaten him. However, it could also be a good thing for the third-year player. With this being a contract year for Sample, drafting a tight end on Day 3 would allow him a bit more room to make an impact; More so than if the Bengals were to select a tight end in the second round.

Ferguson’s blocking skills would allow Sample to have more of a role in the passing game. Sample was taken in the second round of the 2019 draft and that is significant draft capital for a player regulated to a “blocking tight end” role.

Bringing in another player capable of taking on some of those blocking responsibilities would allow Cincinnati to unshackle Sample from the line of scrimmage. He has shown he is a capable receiver when given the opportunity. Ferguson would enable him to have more opportunities. The selection of a tight end perceived to be more of a receiving threat would only further limit Sample’s targets.

Instant availability

“Go block that guy” is something that the Bengals could say to Ferguson next year. While it takes most tight ends some time to acclimate themselves to the NFL, if Ferguson can block with the effectiveness that he did while at Wisconsin, that should allow him to get on the field sooner while “catching up” with the intricacies of the NFL passing game, especially if he can recognize and pick up blitzes at the next level.

So, while the other tight ends are getting all the hype from the Bengals sphere, Ferguson is the one the Bengals should target.

How would you feel about the Cincinnati Bengals drafting Jake Ferguson?

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