5 surprise cut candidates for the Bengals in 2022

1. Drew Sample

This one would be the biggest potential long shot, but to say Drew Sample hasn’t done much since being drafted would be an understatement. He is an excellent blocker, which is why they drafted him.

Let’s not forget that Sample was an early second-round draft pick. Some second-round picks in the past include Tee Higgins, Jessie Bates, Tyler Boyd, and then guys like Logan Wilson and Sam Hubbard, who were selected in even later rounds.

It is safe to say the Cincinnati Bengals, as of recent years have a good track record of hitting on productive players in second, third, and fourth rounds. Sample had 11 receptions for 81 yards and zero touchdowns last year. In his career with the Bengals (three seasons), he has 56 catches, 460 receiving yards, and only one touchdown.

The production from a receiving point of view has been drastically underwhelming and unless Taylor and the Bengals coaching staff view his blocking as something superior then it doesn’t make much sense to not give a guy like Mitchell Wilcox or Thaddeus Moss a chance in training camp to outplay for him a job.