The NFL Draft isn't often the Cincinnati Bengals' forte. Although their latest rookie class looks promising as of preseason Week 1, it's too early to cast judgment, and their two linebacker picks from last year, Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter, were awful in 2025.
That's not even to mention Shemar Stewart, the latest in a long line of dubious first-round selections since the no-brainer Joe Burrow-Ja'Marr Chase pairing across 2020 and 2021. Stewart had a bad rookie campaign and is injured in his second Bengals training camp. Not to kick the man while he's down. Just making a point!
Anyway, it's never too early to look ahead — especially if you're the Bengals' still-underfunded scouting department.
Thanks to how good this year's team should be, Cincinnati should be drafting quite late in the 2027 pecking order. Thus, in honor of Bruce Feldman's Freaks List releasing not long ago, I dug into a few prospects who might fit into the Bengals' future plans.
NC State RB Jayden Scott could be an RB2 upgrade and Chase Brown insurance
Do you ever think about what it might've been like to invest early in Amazon stock? Well, this could be your chance to achieve the non-lucrative, pure bragging rights equivalent of that vibe by getting in on the ground floor of NC State running back Jayden Scott's draft stock.
Was an explanation necessary for that? Maybe not. Is an explanation necessary to justify Scott's top placement on this list? Absolutely.
Until Bengals star tailback Chase Brown puts pen to paper on a second contract, it's critical to consider an insurance policy. Scott has only 109 carries and 15 catches for the Wolfpack to date. But again, this young man has all the makings of a true difference-maker in the NFL.
Check out (most of) Feldman's write-up:
"The 5-10, 223-pound sophomore ran all over Georgia Tech, going for 196 yards, and later ran for 94 in the bowl romp over Memphis. It feels like this guy is just getting warmed up with top rusher Hollywood Smothers off to Texas. Scott has packed on 10 more pounds since last year but is still running a 4.35 40 with a 1.42 10-yard split and has upped his vertical jump to 38 1/2 inches. He cleaned 405 pounds this offseason, a huge amount for a running back. In addition, he back-squatted 575 pounds and did 20 reps at 225 pounds on the bench."
That's a whole lot of size, a whole lot of explosiveness, and a whole lot of speed. I've legit never seen a 1.42-second 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash. Brown has great acceleration in his own right; his 1.53s 10y split bests the likes of Ja'Marr (1.59).
It seems unrealistic that a running back with Scott's lacking on-field experience could work his way into the first round in 2027. That could leave the Bengals open to nab him, which would be nice, considering Samaje Perine is a pending free agent and 2025 sixth-rounder Tahj Brooks has shown very little to date.
Oregon standout Devon Jackson's athleticism would be a game-changer for Bengals linebacker corps
I mentioned Knight and Carter before. To be fair to them, they're looking a lot better in the early going of training camp. Nevertheless, I'm over here praying May's waiver-wire acquisition, Swayze Bozeman, can be a stellar LB3. That's the state of the linebacker room right now.
Devon Jackson would change that somewhat ominous outlook right away. Or at least that's what his "Freaks" profile would suggest:
"This is the fastest linebacker in college football. The Omaha, Neb., native made 41 tackles for the Ducks in 2025 after making 47 tackles and three TFLs in 2024. Jackson won the 100- and 200-meter state titles in Nebraska, running 10.54 and 21.63. The 6-2, 235-pounder ran a blistering 24 mph on the GPS this offseason, which is the fastest time The Athletic has heard about from a college football player. Jackson also vertical-jumped 40 inches and did a back squat of 675 pounds."
Jackson's physical tools have solid production to match them. Across 956 defensive snaps at Oregon, by PFF's count, Jackson has missed only eight total tackles. He's only allowed 7.7 yards per catch and no TDs on 47 coverage targets, too.
It's borderline unbelievable that a linebacker hit 24 mph on the GPS. If Jackson is even close to that fast, and is as proficient as he's shown to be to date in coverage and as a tackler, he'd dwarf any sort of standard Knight or Carter could set this coming season, especially in the event that Jackson makes the expected strides in his own developmental arc.
Bray Hubbard could be the Bengals' new Brian Branch (er, plus-sized Mike Hilton)
In honor of the Bengals' most recent opponent, I invoked the name of star Detroit Lions nickelback Brian Branch as a nod to another versatile defensive back prospect from the Alabama Crimson Tide, Bray Hubbard.
Mike Hilton held down the nickelback spot for the Bnegals for quite some time. They have a short-term answer there in veteran Jalen Davis, but they could use an upgrade.
Enter Hubbard, who could play the nickel or either safety spot. He's a ball hawk who has seven interceptions over the last two seasons, with the following snap splits in that span, via PFF:
- 517 snaps as a box safety
- 364 snaps at deep safety
- 315 snaps in the slot
Speaking of Bama, Bengals starting safety Jordan Battle hails from Tuscaloosa. He's in the final year of his contract, and is more of a deep safety coverage specialist than prized free agent Bryan Cook.
Whether Battle stays in the fold or not, Hubbard is a viable No. 3 safety option and potential upgrade as the starting nickel over Davis. Here's what Hubbard's "Freaks" profile shows — a massive size and raw athleticism upgrade in the slot corner role:
"Last year, Hubbard earned second-team All-America honors from the AFCA as part of a superb secondary after he made four interceptions, 79 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and two sacks, plus a team-high six pass breakups and three forced fumbles. At 6-2, 218, Hubbard’s athleticism is impressive. He bench-pressed 430 pounds, squatted 620 and power-cleaned 365. He also vertical-jumped 39 inches, broad-jumped 10-6 and clocked 21.8 mph on the GPS."
If we're going off of PFF's latest big board, which is subject to change drastically in the coming months, Hubbard is the No. 47 overall prospect on there right now. Neither Jayden Scott nor Devon Jackson make the top-75 cut.
So here's what the Bengals' 2027 NFL Draft could look like in due time:
- Round 1, Pick 32 — Bray Hubbard, DB, Alabama
- Round 2, Pick 64 — Devon Jackson, LB, Oregon
- Round 3, Pick 96 — Jayden Scott, RB, NC State
At least as things stand right now, sign me up for these FREAKS!
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