CINCINNATI – With free agency mostly in the rearview mirror for the Cincinnati Bengals, the player meet-and-greets at Paycor Stadium are pivoting to the top 30 visits from draft prospects.
The term “top 30” is a misnomer as teams are free to use their 30 on any sort of prospect.
The Bengals tend to use theirs as a way to get to know better some of the players they could be considering in the latter rounds, as was the case in 2023 when the team had University of Miami cornerback DJ Ivey III in for a top 30 visit and selected him in the seventh round.
Who Are the Bengals Bringing In for Top 30 Visit?
And a lot of times when it is a higher-profile player, it’s usually because the team didn’t get a chance to do a formal interview with him at the NFL Combine. Or perhaps an interview did take place and the front office, scouts, and/or coaches have follow-up questions they want to ask.
Teams obviously do not make public the list of players they invite on visits so as not to tip their hand in the draft, but agents sometimes are eager to get the word out when one of their clients is scheduled for a visit.
We’ll keep track in the weeks leading up to the draft to see which players the Bengals are bringing to the facility to get to know better.
In addition to this Cincinnati tracker, you can follow all of the top-30 activity here.
Erick All, Tight End, Iowa
A Cincinnati native, All played with current Bengals offensive lineman Jackson Carman at Fairfield High School.
Despite signing Mike Gesicki in free agency — and re-signing Drew Sample and Tanner Hudson — the Bengals are looking to add long-term depth to the position, and All, who is coming off a knee injury, could be a player whose draft slot doesn’t line up with his athleticism and potential.
Sources: Iowa TE Erick All has Top 30s scheduled with the Dolphins, Bengals and Vikings.
Versatile Y/F with time spent at Michigan & Iowa in his five collegiate campaigns.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 13, 2024
Michael Hiers, Quarterback, Samford
Yes, the Bengals are set for multiple years with Joe Burrow and Jake Browning, who will be a restricted free agent after the 2024 season.
But look for the team to be active in bringing in another arm for OTAs, minicamp, and training camp. The Bengals aren’t likely to use a draft pick on a third-string quarterback, but a player such as Hiers could be on the radar after the draft, and establishing a connection early in the process can help secure that agreement in the post-draft signing frenzy.
Samford @SamfordFootball quarterback Michael Hiers displayed arm talent and accuracy at Pro Day (Samford) with 30 #NFL teams, throwing football from different arm angles and hitting deep balls. Visited with over 10 teams, including #Broncos #Raiders #Bengals #Jets #Chargers… pic.twitter.com/elKn7gw1hK
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 22, 2024
Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
A two-year starter for the Huskies, Fautanu has starting experience at guard and tackle. He is listed as a tackle, but Pro Football Network lead draft analyst Ian Cummings thinks Fautanu can starter in the NFL at either spot.
He’s projected to be a late first round or early second round pick.
Washington LT Troy Fautanu is on a top 30 visit with the #Bengals today, per source.@MoveTheSticks has Fautanu ranked as the NFL Draft’s 12th-best player. pic.twitter.com/jBGRmSlt02
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 2, 2024
Xavier Thomas, Edge, Clemson
Could the Bengals tap into the Clemson pipeline for the third year in a row after selecting Carman in the second round in 2022 and edge rusher Myles Murphy in the first round last year?
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin spoke at the Combine in Indianapolis about how he can never have enough offensive or defensive linemen. The Bengals are counting on Joseph Ossai to make a big jump in his contract year to join Murphy in adding some juice to the pass rush alongside starters Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson.
Thomas played six seasons at Clemson and recorded 18 sacks and 33 tackles for loss. He’ll turn 25 in December.
#Clemson DE Xavier Thomas joins @TheDraftNetwork for an extremely honest Interview + evaluation of his career to date.
The Cincinnati Bengals will soon host Thomas on a Top 30 Visit.@atxlete performed at @ClemsonFB's Pro Day today:https://t.co/qhL4ScXKGT,
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 14, 2024
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Maason Smith, , Defensive Tackle, LSU
It’s their biggest area of need, so expect to see the Bengals bring in multiple defensive tackles this month.
He rebounded from a season-ending ACL injury in 2022 to have a solid 2023 and impress at the Combine, running a 5.01 40-yard dash and a 7.62 three-cone. His raw athleticism makes him an intriguing project.
Maason Smith is in Cincinnati. Presumably 30 visit with Bengals pic.twitter.com/GVANzeoAI3
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) April 1, 2024
Daijahn Anthony, Safety, Mississippi
He’s a late Day 3 prospect who could add depth to the safety position or, possibly, as a future slot corner.
Anthony posted to Instagram from Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse on Monday.
The 🐐 @BillyM_91 with the heads up – Bengals may have a few prospects in tonight
Ole Miss DB Daijahn Anthony (and others?) here along with the Maason Smith visit noted earlier tonight pic.twitter.com/Od3sLyFqIj
— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) April 2, 2024
Justin Rogers, Defensive Tackle, Auburn
Rogers is the type of run-stopping specialist the Bengals are looking for after losing DJ Reader in free agency.
The 6’2 1/3″, 330-pound run stuffer didn’t run at the Combine, but his tape shows a player capable of gumming up the middle of the field to help keep his teammates along the defensive line clean.
#Auburn DL Justin Rogers: In-person visit with the #Bengals. Recent virtuals include #Jaguars, #Seahawks, #Jets.
Rogers is an extremely physical defensive linemen prospect.@AllAmerican52JR on @TheDraftNetwork:https://t.co/InAq2cOC5H
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 2, 2024
Julius Wood, Safety, Eastern Carolina
Another late Day 3 prospect, Wood is more of a thumping, in-the-box safety, but the three-year starter for the Pirates had four interceptions.
Wood was on the list of Combine snubs.
From ECU’s pro day — Julius Wood told me he spoke with about 20 NFL teams, & has top-30 visits with the #Chargers, #Bengals & #Raiders so far 📈
The majority of Chargers coaches saw Wood live Week 1 at Michigan, a game he had 9 tackles in ⚡️@4thqtrWoodpic.twitter.com/UA90C6QFa1
— Zavier Gussett (@CallTheHuddle) March 26, 2024
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