Cincinnati Bengals Draft Options: Who Could Be Some Mid-Round Tight End Targets?

CINCINNATI – At some point, the Cincinnati Bengals have to draft a tight end.

The last time they did so was 2019 when they took Drew Sample in the sixth round.

There have been 71 tight ends drafted since then, with each of the other 31 teams picking at least one. Twenty-three teams have drafted at least two.

Mid-Round Tight End Targets for the Bengals

It feels as though this is the year the drought ends, even with Cincinnati signing Mike Gesicki to a one-year deal in free agency and re-signing Sample (three years) and Tanner Hudson (one year).

Earlier this week we looked at some early-round options at tight end, but the more realistic path for the Bengals is to take one, maybe two, in the fourth round or later.

Before diving into those options, here is a list of the other early-round options for some of the most realistic positions the team will target.

• Cornerback
• Edge
• Defensive tackle
• Wide receiver
• Offensive tackle

The presence of Gesicki, Hudson, and Sample gives whatever rookie tight end(s) the Bengals draft time to develop and move into a bigger role.

Any mid-round tight end with a modicum of upside is going to have a chance to flourish playing with Joe Burrow, who helped C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst land huge raises elsewhere and got Hudson a modest raise heading into this season.

With insight from Pro Football Network’s lead draft analyst Ian Cummings, here are some of the best mid-round options at tight end:

Theo Johnson, Penn State

Johnson never topped 350 receiving yards in a season, but he was hamstrung by poor quarterback play and an unimaginative offense at Penn State.

His 6’6”, 255-pound frame enables him to be a weapon in the red zone, and seven of his 34 catches went for touchdowns in 2023.

MORE: Top TEs in the 2024 NFL Draft

Cummings: “Johnson grades out as an early-to-mid Day 3 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, particularly as a TE2. With seam utility, run-after-catch utility, and versatility as a blocker, he brings plenty to like.

“He’s a smooth, explosive vertical athlete with the speed and curvilinear acceleration to carve up seams and box out defensive backs. Johnson’s pure long-range speed can make him difficult to keep leverage against. When schemed with touches on swings and screens, he can accrue additional yards with his forward-pressing physicality and leg drive.”

Jaheim Bell, Florida State

After spending his first three seasons playing for South Carolina, Bell transferred to Florida State in 2023 and had his best season, catching 39 passes for 503 yards and two touchdowns for a team that won its first 13 games.

Cummings: “Bell grades out as a mid-to-late Day 3 prospect after a strong Senior Bowl showing helped his cause. Bell’s profile as a niche player slightly dilutes his ceiling, but he can be a valuable piece in the modern NFL.

“At 6’2″ and 240 pounds with near-33″ arms, Bell has a frame that affords him great natural leverage, proportional length, and contact balance in RAC situations. He’s also an extremely explosive athlete, with the unique long-strider speed to extend narrow seams.”

ICYMI, @IC_Draft joined @DallasDRobinson and I for an in-depth look not just as the #Bengals first- and second-round options, but he had some great stuff on some all-important sleeper picks on Days 2-3.https://t.co/Oc9mFPHQjk

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) April 5, 2024

Dallin Holker, Colorado State

He’s in the Hudson/Gesicki mold as a tight end who is enticing as a receiving weapon but not one well suited for in-line blocking.

His freshman year at BYU was in 2018, and that was followed by his mission trips. He returned to the Cougars in 2021 and 2022 before transferring to Colorado State in 2023, where he had a breakout season, catching 64 passes for 767 yards and six touchdowns.

In his three seasons at BYU, Holker had a combined 42 catches for 521 yards and three scores.

Cummings: “Playing for the same team that produced Trey McBride a couple of cycles ago, Holker put up near-comparable production in 2023. His consistency is admirable, and his mode of success is largely translatable.

At 6’3″, 241 pounds, play strength in the RAC phase is a fair criticism of Holker, but he’s such a smooth athlete that it often doesn’t matter — his 6.83-second three-cone is proof of this. He effortlessly gathers passes in the short range and has extremely impressive contortion ability and coordination on higher throws.”

Tanner McLachlan, Arizona

The Canadian import (Alberta) was voted second-team All-Pac 12 in 2023 after catching 45 passes for 528 yards and four touchdowns.

McLachlan began his career at Southern Utah before transferring to Arizona in 2022. He caught 34 passes in his first season with the Wildcats, which was the most by an Arizona tight end since Rob Gronkowski had 47 in 2008.

Cummings: “Receiving utility will always be valued from tight end prospects in the modern NFL, and naturally, McLachlan has plenty of that.

“He is a former wide receiver, so his nuance as a separator is no surprise. At 6’5″, 244 pounds, he brings crisp 4.6-second 40-yard dash speed, as well as a good burst in open space made clear by his 35″ vertical. His play strength isn’t quite NFL-caliber, but the framework is there to mold.”

Erick All, Iowa

A Cincinnati native, All played at Fairfield High School before accepting a scholarship to play at Michigan. He suited up for the Wolverines for four seasons before graduating and transferring to Iowa.

He was one of the most productive players on the historically feeble Hawkeyes offense, catching 21 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

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Cummings: “An injury caused All to miss most of the 2022 season after transferring to Iowa, he missed nearly half of the 2023 season with a different injury.

“At 6’4″, 252 pounds, with 33″ arms, All has the physical profile NFL teams crave, and the Iowa TE pipeline was good for him. In his limited 2023 film, he showcased improved route-running chops and solid hands over the middle. If he can stay healthy, he could be a gem in the 2024 class.”