The times may be changing for the Cincinnati Bengals in their Joe Burrow era, but they sure don't make things easy on themselves.
Whether it's self-owning themselves into near-oblivion by refusing to pay their non-Burrow superstars early (see: Hendrickson, Trey), or fielding the smallest scouting department in the NFL, there's a lingering sense that Joey Franchise must save the day by overcoming these obstacles, among others.
So any help that the scouting department can provide via the NFL Draft — you know, selecting players who actually hit — is a major boost that feels more akin to hitting a bullseye blindfolded than anything else.
Suffice it to say, the Bengals faithful will take any crumb of positive news from training camp when it comes to their latest draftees. And my goodness, do we ever have that in spades at the minute, courtesy of a recent report from The MMQB's Albert Breer regarding linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr.
Bengals rookie LB is already looking like a star
That's right. Demetrius Knight Jr., a second-round pick out of South Carolina, is generating a lot of excitement with his play in the early days of Bengals training camp, per Breer:
"Rookies Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter have assimilated quickly—some believe Knight has the potential to be one of the best ’backers the franchise has had in a long time."Albert Breer, The MMQB
Other than a healthy version of Logan Wilson and, to some degree, recent ex-Bengal Germaine Pratt, the best Cincinnati has to show for its linebacker position in recent memory is Vontaze Burfict. Not a great dude.
Me personally? I'd welcome Knight ascending to Pro Bowl-caliber status during his rookie contract whilst maintaining high character — and sans a Burfict-esque penchant for playing dirty.
Now listen, in spite of Breer's self-evident credibility, a skeptic could write off that bit about Knight as typical gassed-up camp fodder. That is, unless you also take into account how none other than Joe Burrow himself singled out Knight in a captivating chat with NFL Media's Tom Pelissero:
"D-Knight has had an unbelievable camp. I think he's gonna be a really good player," Burrow said.
“For myself, I expect to be close to perfect. I think I’m at that level at this point.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 31, 2025
My full interview with Joe Burrow after a spirited #Bengals practice on Inside Training Camp Live @nflnetwork: pic.twitter.com/PjoTpJv9wR
Circling back to some draft-centric talk: I did throw some shade at the Bengals' smaller scouting operation a little earlier, it's worth acknowledging where they've done well in the draft. Pratt and Wilson were third-round selections in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Both proved to be pivotal to the foundation of the teams that went to Super Bowl LVI and the AFC Championship Game the next year.
Alas, ever since Ja'Marr Chase was chosen fifth overall in the 2021 draft, it's been something of a slog for Cincinnati to draft impact players, or at least rookies who hit the ground running. That's a not-insignificant factor as to why the Bengals have whiffed on the playoffs the last two seasons.
Patience is indeed a virtue. It's perhaps a lost art. It's at odds with a modern cultural climate that demands immediate gratification more than ever, and a National Football League that demands swift results.
The draft's second round in particular has been a source of anguish for Cincinnati. Chase's classmate, Jackson Carman, failed to stick at tackle or guard. Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt is a human roller coaster whose inconsistency got him benched in 2024. The light started to come on for DJ Turner before a broken collarbone cut his sophomore campaign short this past year.
And for a team that needs defensive tackles not named BJ Hill to step up, Knight's second-round predecessor Kris Jenkins Jr. has had a negligible impact to date.
To hear the insider skinny on how impressive Knight is, combined with Burrow's public testimony, I can't help but get a little fired up. In case you, reader, are still on the fence, could I interest you in Knight's rationale for playing in South Carolina's bowl game, when he could've easily justified sitting out?
Powerful message from Demetrius Knight Jr. on why he decided to play in the Citrus Bowl with @GamecockFB:
— Julia Westerman (@JuliaWesterman) December 20, 2024
"I have kids. I didn't want my daughter or son to ask me why I didn't play in the last game. I don't want to give them an excuse. If you start it, finish it." pic.twitter.com/s7hTG2oLyC
Now for a bigger-picture view of the Bengals' 2025 outlook, tying together all their latest second-rounders.
Is there a reality where Jenkins makes a Year 2 leap, Turner and CTB hold steady to shore up the secondary, and Knight steps in to start alongside Wilson in Week 1? It's not out of the question. Should that come to fruition, this Bengals defense could be far scarier than most outsiders realize.
What a massive win it'd be for the Bengals if Shemar Stewart can overcome his offseason holdout to play well on the edge opposite Trey Hendrickson, with Knight screaming downhill to make all sorts of tackles.
I'm still not convinced that using two of the first four picks on off-ball linebackers was the savviest of draft strategies, especially considering positional value and the Bengals' acquisition of former Eagle Oren Burks. The guy was massive in Philly's latest Super Bowl run, with 25 total tackles and two forced fumbles in the postseason.
Oh well. If this 2025 draft class lives up to its potential, it won't really matter where Demetrius Knight Jr. or any of the other rooks were picked. It's all about that Lombardi Trophy, baby — and not flushing another year of Burrow's prime, of course.