The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of issues to solve this offseason, but one big fear amongst Who Dey Heads is that they'll deny a certain glaring weakness.
Look, you can't expect every rookie to hit the ground running in the NFL. There's a learning curve for everyone that hits harder for some than others. Certain prospects are drafted for traits and upside over established production as well.
A big bummer, though? In the 2025 NFL Draft, Duke Tobin and the front office appear to have lit a second-round pick on fire for the fourth time in five years.
Bengals 2nd-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. turns 26 in July, is a scrub by NFL standards
After barely playing for four years at Georgia Tech, Demetrius Knight Jr. transferred and shined at Charlotte in 2023 before one solid season at South Carolina the following year.
Knight had life experience, the wisdom that comes with age, and a nice finish to his college career in the SEC on his pre-draft resume. The Bengals bet big on him with the 49th overall pick as an unchallenged Week 1 starter, and it blew up in their faces.
Several culprits are most responsible for how atrocious Cincinnati's defense was in 2025. Few are more to blame than Knight and fellow rookie linebacker Barrett Carter. They both played better in the last two games against the backups of the cellar-dwelling Cardinals and Browns, but how much stock should we really take in those performances?
To keep the focus on Knight, he was my 56th-ranked prospect — not far behind first-rounder Shemar Stewart (52). That's an embarrassingly high mark in retrospect. Still, guys I had ahead of Knight at the Bengals' positions of need who were still on the board in Round 2 include Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker (43) and Falcons safety Xavier Watts (51) among others.
A longtime NFL DB by the name of Logan Ryan said in Week 18 that Knight deserved recognition as a top Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. Umm...sir?
“Demetrius Knight isn’t gonna win rookie of the year but he’s up there” - Logan Ryan
— Andrew Russell (@Andrew_Russell7) January 4, 2026
Me: pic.twitter.com/mruN9hLoS5
“Demetrius Knight isn’t DROY but he’s up there” pic.twitter.com/OYUCHBrDHt
— Chris (@PickedbyGinkel) January 4, 2026
If you're going to draft a player so early at a non-premium position, who's advanced in football age, he had better be at least an average starter right out of the gates. Knight wasn't.
Now Bengals fans are clinging to hope that Knight can be something in the future. Whereas Carter is a fourth-round pick and could justifiably be relegated to situational roles on defense and special teams, putting Knight in that category would make him an unmitigated bust.
I'm so tired of talking about how bad this dude is. I'm just hoping for better in the second round this coming draft. Here are some prospects to keep an eye on:
- Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
- Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
- Lee Hunter, DL, Texas Tech