Bengals signing Justin Blazek and Cole Burgess as UDFAs

The Bengals are always looking for talent at every level and added two players with potential from small schools this offseason.

The Cincinnati Bengals are a team that has gotten some solid contributors from unexpected places before and had undrafted free agents make the team multiple times in the past.

While punter Austin McNamara and linebacker Aaron Casey likely have the best chances of making the Bengals’ 2024 roster, they arguably don’t have the best long-term upside.

The guys with the best long-term upside are two Division III players: Wisconsin-Platteville defensive end Justin Blazek and SUNY Cortland wide receiver Cole Burgess. These two players dominated against their competition in Division III and then, in pro days, showcased excellent athleticism.

The main thing holding them back is the jump in competition quality from Division III to the NFL and how loaded the Bengals are at both positions.

First let’s take a look at wide receiver and how Burgess looks to fit with the team long term.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Burgess caught 87 passes for 1,375 yards and 16 touchdowns in his final season of college football. With the Bengals’ addition of Jermaine Burton in the third round, it seems like the wide receiver room is full for 2024.

If the Bengals have space, they could roster a seventh wide receiver, but it seems more likely for Burgess that he tries to make the practice squad for 2024, bulks up and gets NFL reps, and then makes a push for the roster in 2025 when the Bengals could have potentially lost Tee Higgins and Trenton Irwin.

As for Blazek, the 6-foot-5, 244-pound defender racked up 118 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, and 17.5 sacks over his last two seasons (21 games). He’s facing an equally crowded defensive end room and has an even tougher road to the roster as he is likely behind day 3 pick Cedric Johnson, who is not even a lock to make the roster.

However, like wide receiver, it is a position that could have lots of spots open up quickly by 2025. Cam Sample and Joseph Ossai are going to be free agents after 2024, and Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard are only under contract through 2025, with Hendrickson already publicly requesting a trade.

Both of these D3 prospects face an uphill, almost impossible battle to make the roster in 2024, but they should be solid camp bodies. After spending time in an NFL strength program and getting reps against NFL players, they can continue to hone their game and hope to have a chance to fight for a roster spot in 2025.