The Cincinnati Bengals angered much of the fanbase last season when, in the midst of major defensive struggles, they traded linebacker and team captain Logan Wilson. Cincinnati thrust rookies Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter into major duty at that position, and hte results were disastrous.
But as rough as that was in the moment, trading Wilson appears to have been the right move. Knight and Carter took their freshman lumps, Wilson retired, and the seventh-round pick acquired from the Dallas Cowboys (221st overall) was used to select Texas tight end Jack Endries.
As we learned in Sunday's 53-man roster reveal, Endries made the Bengals' stacked 2026 team. And he didn't just squeak onto the squad, either.
The Jack Endries-Logan Wilson trade came up roses for Cincinnati
From the jump in the preseason opener, it was clear that Jack Endries belonged on the field in the NFL. It was just a question of whether a numbers game might snuff out his roster spot.
Highest-graded rookie TEs pic.twitter.com/UnYLJY5HhQ
— PFF (@PFF) August 17, 2026
Endries hauled in a 4-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco in that 16-14 preseason over the Detroit Lions, and the stage wasn't too big for him. No surprise there for the guy who caught passes from Fernando Mendoza and Arch Manning in college.
Could Joe Burrow be slinging the rock to Endries as soon as this season? It's not out of the question.
Looking at Cincinnati's tight end room, Drew Sample is the running-joke No. 1 on the depth chart, but he's not a pass-catching threat whatsoever. Mike Gesicki is a TINO (Tight End in Name Only) who aligns as a slot receiver way more often than not.
If Erick All Jr. can stay healthy for once, he should be the all-around TE1 going forward, but Endries and his 8.87 RAS score boast similar physical upside. Endries also had a 66.6 PFF run blocking grade in 2025. That's darn tootin' good, y'all.
Thanks to Dohnte Meyers' rapid rise up the wide receiver depth chart, the Bengals may stick with more 11 personnel packages to keep him, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins on the field all at once. Meyers' snap count could be cut into due to Gesicki's unique skill set, though, which in turn, shrinks the chances Endries might have at seeing a significant role.
I'd bet that Endries works his way into the lineup at some point as a situational player. The Bnegals actually utilized their tight ends last season more than you'd expect in the passing game. Here's the receptions breakdown from '25:
- Noah Fant: 34
- Mike Gesicki: 28
- Tanner Hudson: 19
- Drew Sample: 15
Gesicki should see a steady uptick. The question is whether Endries can unseat Hudson.
Shouldn't be too tall of a task, but even if he can't, Endries will be in prime position to be at least the TE3/de facto TE2 behind Gesicki and All in 2027. Hudson and Sample aren't under contract beyond this season.
But with All's injury history and Gesicki looming as a potential cap casualty next offseason, don't sleep on Endries delivering even more value sooner than expected from the modest seventh-round selection Cincinnati received in the Wilson trade.
Not a bad return or trajectory for someone the Bengals got for a little-did-they-know soon retiring player. I was so wrong about the Wilson trade at the time, and am happy to be!
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