The Cincinnati Bengals' 2025 NFL Draft class was not given tons of universal acclaim across the league, as they did not spend a ton of capital on the secondary before taking an athletic gamble with first-round defensive end Shemar Stewart at No. 17 and athletic linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round.
The Bengals not only took Knight in the second round of the Draft, and their fourth round pick was yet another linebacker in Clemson's Barrett Carter. This is bad news for one of the few external free agents Cincinnati brought into the fold.
After impressing with the Philadelphia Eagles during his time as a backup and fill-in for Nakobe Dean, Oren Burks linked up with the Bengals on a fairly cheap contract. He was slated to be the No. 3 linebacker on the depth chart, but picking both Knight and Carter right after one another could be bad news for his playing time.
Burks may have thought that he had an opportunity to compete for a starting job alongside Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt, but the addition of Knight was not ideal for a player who needed to show the Bengals and the rest of the NFL that he can still be a viable starting player.
Bengals LB Oren Burks on thin ice after 2025 NFL Draft
Even though Pratt has requested a trade in the offseason, and Wilson (while still a solid player) is not someone who is rooted to the ground in Cincinnati, the way in which the Bengals addressed their linebacker room could send Burks as far down as fifth or sixth on the depth chart.
Knight is already 25 years old, which limits the amount of time Cincinnati can spend rooting him to the bench. If one of those two leaves, he will likely be the first call off the bench over Burks. This would, in essence, create an open competition between Burks, Carter, and Maema Njongmeta for the fourth spot.
Njongmeta proved to be too valuable on special teams for the Bengals to get rid of, and Carter's ability to make plays in coverage with ease could help him win out over the more experienced Burks.
Burks may have finally gotten his opportunity to cash in after his playoff performance, but the Bengals seem comfortable burying him on the depth chart after drafting not one, but two different players who could end up surpassing him in relatively short order.