The Cincinnati Bengals‘ rookies made their first appearance in Bengals gear on Friday as they signed their contracts and kicked off rookie minicamp. While this class is seen by many as one for the future, some of these rookies could make a splash from the jump. Which draft pick is most likely to make a Day 1 impact for Cincinnati?
Myles Murphy Leads the Way on Defense
Myles Murphy, the 28th overall pick from Clemson, did not necessarily fill an immediate need, considering the Bengals employ Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard, but Cincy was not going to pass up on his talent. According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, the Bengals had several trade offers on the table, “but the match with Murphy was too strong.”
While he may be behind the aforementioned duo on the edge, that doesn’t mean he can’t be an important piece of the puzzle for defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
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On key third downs last season, the Bengals would employ a package of Hendrickson and Hubbard on the edge and throw Joseph Ossai inside to rush from the 3-tech.
Now with Murphy in the fold, Anarumo could put both Murphy and Ossai on the interior to give the Bengals a true “NASCAR” package. Murphy could also replace Hubbard off the edge and kick the bigger-bodied defender inside.
Murphy won’t be expected to be a three-down EDGE early in his career, but he will certainly have a massive impact on passing downs from his first game onward.
Day 3 Picks To Surprise on Offense?
After three straight picks on the defensive side of the ball, Cincinnati turned to offense on the final day of the draft. They started with Purdue wide receiver Charlie Jones in the fourth round.
While talking to the press on Friday, head coach Zac Taylor called Jones an “efficient player,” and that may be understating it. Jones hauled in 110 receptions for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Boilermakers in 2023.
While he is an older rookie at nearly 25 years old, Cincinnati found his production too hard to pass up. Jones is a bit undersized, but his vertical speed, alongside his inside/outside versatility, will help him earn snaps in his rookie season. He’ll likely be featured as the Bengals’ return man and Tyler Boyd’s backup but will fight Trenton Irwin for WR4 snaps.
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Chase Brown, a running back from Illinois, was selected by the Bengals in the fifth round. Brown was a bell-cow running back for the Fighting Illini, toting the ball 328 times for 1,643 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. But Cincinnati will not expect that kind of workload for Brown early in his career.
After losing Samaje Perine in free agency, along with questions about Joe Mixon’s status on the team, Brown is expected to compete for the No. 2 RB job alongside Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans. Brown will have to develop as a blocker and as a pass catcher out of the backfield after hauling in just 27 receptions in his final year at Illinois.
Both Jones and Brown will play key rotational snaps early on for the Bengals, but if their college production carries over into their NFL careers, they’ll be impact players sooner rather than later.