The Cincinnati Bengals had a quality offseason this year. They added Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, Jonathan Allen, and Kyle Dugger via free agency to the defense. Then, they went and made the huge move to acquire Dexter Lawrence via trade.
During the NFL Draft, they added more pieces to the defense with Cashius Howell, Tacario Davis, and Landon Robinson.
On the offensive side, they drafted offensive linemen Connor Lew and Brian Parker II. They added a big-bodied receiver with under 4.5 speed in Colbie Young.
They also added a tight end that should have never fallen to the seventh round, in Jack Endries from Texas.
After the draft, the Bengals are reported to have added some very intriguing undrafted free agent prospects to the mix. While it would be tough for any of these players to make the 53-man roster, a lot of them will comprise the Bengals’ practice squad this season.
Typically, a few of those guys end up getting called up to the game day roster throughout the season. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting names they are reported to have signed.
Jack Dingle, LB, Cincinnati
The Bengals did not draft a linebacker as most expected they would this year. They moved quickly to add to that room with UDFA signings, starting with Jack Dingle out of Cincinnati. Dingle is a 6’4”, 232-pound backer who was a three-year starter for the Bearcats. He brings extensive special teams experience, a guy who flashed when asked to rush the passer, and posted a 9.82 relative athletic score. Some of those testing numbers included a 4.57 40-yard dash time and a 35.5” vertical jump.
This past season, he had 60 tackles, 18 pressures, and 3 sacks on the season. He will still have an uphill battle trying to beat out guys like Shaka Heyward and Joe Giles Harris at the back end of the linebacker room, but at a minimum, this is a guy you will look to keep around on the practice squad.
Eric Gentry, LB, USC
Gentry is going to be a complete size outlier in multiple ways if he stays at linebacker. He measured in at 6’7” and 221 pounds. He is taller than all the other linebackers, while also being among the thinnest. The most interesting aspect of his game is the ability to sometimes rush off the edge.
I would strongly consider trying to add another 15-20 pounds to his frame over the next year and look to transition him to a full-time edge role. He is long, effective at batting down passes, and had a 72.1 coverage grade in 2025. His 9 career sacks are impressive for a linebacker, and one of many reasons a transition to an edge that could also drop into coverage intrigues me.
Either way, this is a player that I thought could be a late-round draft pick. If he doesn’t make the 53-man roster, he will be a prime candidate to develop on the practice squad.
Ceyair Wright, CB, Nebraska
Wright is a 6’0”, 185-pound corner that originally played at USC, prior to transferring to Nebraska for the last two seasons. He was expected to run better than the 4.55 40-yard dash time he ended up running. That is likely one of the reasons he didn’t get drafted.
The Space Jam 2 actor became known as a team leader for the Cornhuskers. He has good hip fluidity, which allows him to easily redirect in coverage. He finished the season with a very impressive 54.8% completion rate allowed against him on the year. He needs to clean up the missed tackles, but another player who should be able to earn a spot on the practice squad.
Christian Jones, OT, San Diego State
Jones received one of the higher amounts of guaranteed money from the Bengals, receiving a $50,000 signing bonus. After not drafting a true offensive tackle for the next level during the draft, they quickly went into adding Jones as an UDFA. Jones is 6’9” tall and weighs in at 349 pounds. He has mammoth length with 36 3/4” arms, and an 88 7/8” wingspan.
He is still very raw as a prospect, but the Bengals love the humongous offensive tackles. Getting to learn from Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims could help him develop down on the practice squad for at least a year.
Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech
The Bengals didn’t add a running back during the draft, but they signed a couple after it was over. One being Kentrel Bullock from South Alabama. The other being Jamal Haynes from Georgia Tech. Haynes is a converted wide receiver who is 5’7” and 195 pounds. He had a down season rushing this year, with just 531 yards on the year.
However, he ran for 1,059 yards in 2023 and another 944 yards in 2024. He has an explosive burst, as shown by his 1.45 10-yard split time. He brings that short-area burst, lateral agility, and a legitimate threat to catch passes out of the backfield to the running back position. Another player who will be battling for a spot on the practice squad, most likely to begin with.
Isaiah Nwokobia, S, SMU
Nwokobia was once considered a potential mid-round type of safety prospect. A down season in coverage during the 2025 season pushed him completely out of the draft. There is still a lot to like with this addition for the Bengals. His coverage grade back in 2024 was 88.3 (down to 60.1 in 2025), he had an 80.0 run defense grade in 2025, was a team captain, and he has 11 career interceptions.
While he isn’t the most athletic player, he can make up for it a lot of times with his instincts. He’s a player who is most likely to start on the practice squad, but if he impresses during camp and preseason, maybe he can push for a spot on the back end of the 53 this year.
Corey Robinson II, OT, Arkansas
Another offensive tackle the Bengals are reported to be adding is Corey Robinson II. Robinson is much smaller than Jones, measuring in at 6’5” and 311 pounds. He does have impressive 34 1/2” arm length. This is an experienced player who has logged over 2,400 career snaps. He had a 70.0 pass blocking grade in 2025 and wasn’t listed with allowing a sack in the past 3 seasons. He was charted with 28 pressures allowed during this past year.
Another player who will be competing for a spot on the practice squad.
Kentrel Bullock, RB, South Alabama
Bullock is a 5’10”, 196-pound running back. He ran just a 4.53 40-yard dash time, but was highly productive this year with over 1,000 yards rushing. He was originally at Ole Miss for two seasons, but saw limited playing time. He spent the last 3 years with South Alabama. I can see Bullock competing with Haynes for who gets a spot on the practice squad.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Bullock finds a way to come out on top in that competition.
Josh Kattus, TE, Kentucky
Josh Kattus is a tight end from Kentucky. At 6’4” and 247 pounds, he isn’t the biggest tight end, but he has been a good blocker for the Wildcats. He had a 77.5 pass blocking grade and a 71.0 run blocking grade in 2025. He has just 505 receiving yards over the past 4 seasons. The blocking is what will give him a shot to compete for a practice squad spot.
Noah Thomas, WR, Georgia
Noah Thomas is another big receiver, similar to Colbie Young in a variety of ways. Both have tremendous size, and both were Georgia Bulldogs this past season. He had only 254 receiving yards this year, but he did have 4 touchdowns. He was more productive in 2024 with Texas A&M, recording 574 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns on the season.
The Bengals certainly prioritized size again; Thomas is listed at 6’5” and 205 pounds.
What do you think of this UDFA class, and do you think any of these guys have a shot to make the 53-man roster to start the season? Sound off in the comments. Who Dey!!
