Can you feel that magic in the air? It's the unbridled optimism teeming throughout the Cincinnati Bengals fanbase as training camp is set to open when rookies report this coming Saturday.
While the Bengals' draft class sports no shortage of intrigue, is there an undrafted free agent among them who could push for a roster spot? How about anyone else from the pool of veterans who are scrapping to make the final 53-man lineup?
This is the definitive trio of sleepers I'll be keeping the closest eye on once camp, at long last, gets underway in earnest in several days.
Bralyn Lux is already a factor at the nickelback position
I've been high on Bralyn Lux ever since last year's camp when he was a mere undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech. That buzz seems well-founded now that we know Lux received some run with the first-team defense during the one minicamp practice the Bengals held.
While I fully expect (hopeful vibes entering the universe) that Jalen Davis is the starter in the slot for Cincinnati's secondary, it's not outlandish to say Lux could give him a strong push.
Lux is sticky in coverage and isn't afraid to take on contact. You don't often see cornerbacks with his physicality, particularly in run support. Not to say any physical nickel is in the mold of Mike Hilton, but Lux does give off some of those "DAWG IN HIM" vibes.
The only roadblock to Lux making the final 53 is the Bengals' signing of Ja'Sir Taylor. If you look at Taylor's coverage numbers, however (a 112.9 career passer rating allowed, per PFF), he could just be a glorified camp body.
Rookie UDFA Jack Dingle is the Bengals' best athlete at linebacker
I've taken a deep dive on Jack Dingle before around these parts. He's a University of Cincinnati product who wanted to play for the Bengals growing up.
What you really need to know, dear reader, is that Dingle has the blend of athleticism and by-virtue versatility that should translate well to the NFL level.
Jack Dingle is a LB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.82 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 65 out of 3460 LB from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/FvjagUF5bb pic.twitter.com/gGoxszCYea
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 6, 2026
Even if he has to grind a la Jalen Davis on special teams in the early going of his career, Dingle could easily work his way into significant defensive snaps. That may seem like a bold statement, or some misguided hometown sentiment. Nope. It's a bit of an indictment on the state of Cincinnati's current linebacker corps.
Short of a trade for someone like, say, Tyrel Dodson, the Bengals will roll into 2026 with Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter needing to rapidly improve, or else risk sabotaging the whole defense.
Not saying Dingle is the answer, or that he'll step into training camp and beat out Knight or Carter for a starting gig. Nevertheless, he's well worth monitoring closely, because we'll take any flicker of hope we can get at such a troubled position on an otherwise stacked roster.
Dingle's physical talent could actually give him a real shot at the "Viper" role in Al Golden's defense. That's a hybrid linebacker/edge player who can do anything from rush the passer, set the edge, or drop in coverage. By PFF's count, Dingle played 173 snaps on the edge over the last three years.
Javon Foster will ideally push Cody Ford for the swing tackle job
No offense to Cody Ford, but an effective NFL offensive tackle he is not. At least in the case of Javon Foster, he was a fourth-round pick by Jacksonville in 2024 and was unambiguously going to play tackle as a pro.
The Bengals did pick up a couple UDFA tackles after the draft in Christian Jones (San Diego State) and Corey Robinson II (Arkansas). I'm not counting on either of them to make a surprise push for the roster.
Try not to laugh at their athletic testing numbers, which I linked to above. Robinson notched a 3.95 out of 10 on the Relative Athletic Score scale, while Jones was at a 2.5.
That ain't gonna get it done in the league, folks.
Meanwhile, Foster managed at least a decent 6.32 RAS coming out of Missouri. He joined the Bengals' practice squad once the Jaguars' new regime decided they'd seen enough from him.
Given Foster's draft status alone, I have at least some faith that he can relegate Ford to backup guard duties where he belongs. Foster managed PFF grades of 80-plus in his last three years at Mizzou. He can't be that bad, right?
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