Undrafted Bengals RB Kentrel Bullock is coming for a roster spot

The Cincinnati Bengals signed an ambush of college free agents this offseason. And there are a few who are sure to push some veterans to the brink. That is, the vets who are expendable salary-cap-wise. 

One of those players who looks the part on film is former South Alabama running back Kentrel Bullock. 

And when you watch him, Bullock’s game is reminiscent of another severely underrated in the draft Bengals running back, Chase Brown. 

But while Brown has nothing to worry about other than having another career season and increasing his contract value for next offseason, the other running backs should have one eye on the ball and another over their shoulder. 

Kentrel Bullock already possesses a trait Bengals coaches love

One of the most significant areas in which Brown and Bullock share strengths is their ability to run and pass block.

When those who cover Brown speak about his pass protection skills, they will allude to his development as a protector. The truth of the matter is that his pass blocking while at Illinois is what made him one of the best options for the Bengals in 2023. 

Bullock is reminiscent of Brown in that way. He performed admirably in pass blocking, blitz pickup, and even his lead-blocker role on QB dives. Bullock was consistently excellent at effectively picking up blitzes, allowing his quarterback, Bishop Davenport, extra time to find receivers downfield for big plays.

However, while Bullock was good at it in college, he won’t have to worry about being a lead blocker on QB dives so much in Cincinnati. 

Nonetheless, his blocking speaks to unselfishness and a willingness to do whatever it takes to help his team. His ability to do it well, like Brown's, is a plus. 

Oh yeah, Bullock can run too

Something else that will remind fans and coaches of Brown is his ability to break tackles in the backfield and explode for big gains despite the initial hurdles. 

In his best game of the 2025 season, he did most of his damage against the Southern Miss defense from between the tackles. In fact, most of his yards came from runs between the tackles, where he relied on his vision, speed, and tackle-breaking ability to lead South Alabama in rushing last season.

In his final collegiate season, Bullock rushed for 1085 yards, 5.0 yards per attempt, 90.4 yards per game, and 14 touchdowns.

Making final roster difficult mountain to climb, but not impossible

Bullock has a difficult mountain to climb to make the final 53-man roster. However, there are a couple of things working in his favor. 

Behind Chase Brown and Samaje Perine, the role for RB3 is wide open. There is no one on the roster that Bullock should fear not being able to beat out in an open competition, assuming there is one. 

One of the major factors in rookie running backs not being on the field is the coaching staff’s confidence in their pass protection skills. However, as we mentioned earlier, Bullock may have a leg up on his competition in that category. Bullock’s toughest competition for the final RB spot might be Gary Brightwell, given his return ability and experience.

The other contenders include Tahj Brooks and fellow undrafted players Kendall Milton and Jamal Haynes. 

Also, when Bullock hits the field this preseason, we expect him to be one of the better players against other young defenders, allowing him to further showcase his rushing and blocking prowess.

Bullock has an excellent shot at making waves this offseason based on what we saw from him last year at Southern Alabama. Hopefully, he’ll have room to show the coaching staff what he can do on the NFL level. 

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