Bengals 2024 Combine Watch List: Tight Ends

Could this be the year?

On Friday, March 1st, the tight ends will take the field for the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Which prospects should Cincinnati Bengals fans be keeping a close eye on?

History under Zac Taylor

On a Friday night in 2019, Zac Taylor made Washington tight end Drew Sample his second draft pick as a head coach. Four drafts and 39 picks later, he has yet to select another tight end. This includes sitting out two highly touted classes of tight ends in 2022 and 2023 despite having a need at the position.

Need

They have none under contract so… total.

Prospects to Watch

Apparently, Georgia has a tight end named (checks notes) Brock Bowser, no, Brock BOWERS. 6’4”, crazy athlete, all-jacked up, does crazy things after the catch, if you are into that sort of thing. Anyway, he’s supposed to be pretty good.

Bowers has been talked about as a generational prospect, whatever that means, and is seen as a top-10 pick, but there seem to be whispers lately that he could slip. It’s probably nothing, and I wouldn’t count on him being an option for the Bengals.

Texas’s Ja’Tavion Sanders and Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott could both be options on Day 2. Each is a versatile, move tight end and an aggressive blocker with the athleticism to be a force in the passing game as well.

Three more prospects to watch who could be mid-round targets are Ohio State’s Cade Stover, Florida State’s Jaheim Bell, and Penn State’s Theo Johnson. Each has shown dynamic ability in the passing game that could project well to the Bengals offense.

Of course, if you are looking for a tight end, look no further than Iowa. Tight ends are not unlike corn in that way. I doubt that Erick All will be participating in the combine after tearing his ACL in mid-October. Keep an eye out for the Bengals potentially holding a meeting with him.