Four Thoughts on Bengals Potential Tight End Targets After NFL Combine

Cincinnati is in the market for at least one tight end.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Mar 5, 2023 9:30 AM EST

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are in the market for tight end help this offseason. The good news is this draft class is loaded with talent at the position.

There are guys with great tape and production. Others with freakish athleticism and some that appear ready to "do it all" at the next level.

Here are four thoughts on the tight end position following Saturday's workouts and how the Bengals could address it in the 2023 NFL Draft:

The Freak From Georgia

Mar 4, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia tight end Darnell Washington (TE17) participates in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia tight end Darnell Washington stole the show on Saturday when he ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at 6-6, 264 pounds. He also jumped over 10 feet in the broad jump and ran the short shuttle in 4.08 seconds.

All of those marks are elite.

Washington already showed he can be a high-end blocker and looked to be a natural pass catcher during drills at the combine.

The Bengals will have to consider the possibility of taking him in round one, but he might not make it that far.

Another Iowa Stud

Mar 4, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa tight end Sam Laporta (TE07) participates in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Will Sam LaPorta follow in George Kittle's footsteps?

The Iowa product impressed in Indianapolis, running a 4.59-second 40-yard dash and 6.91-second 3-cone drill.

LaPorta's numbers looked eerily similar to Kittle's. He isn't the biggest player at 6-3, 245 pounds, but his athleticism and his ability to catch, run and block certainly captured the Bengals' attention.

LaPorta was productive at Iowa, hauling in 111 passes for 1,327 yards and four touchdowns over the past two seasons. If the Bengals haven't address tight end on day two of the draft, then he'll certainly be in the mix at pick 60 and/or pick 92.

Steady Mayer

Mar 4, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer (TE10) participates in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Mayer is arguably the most complete tight end in a class full of freaks and players with unique traits. The Bengals love his film as a blocker and pass catcher.

Mayer was solid on Saturday and didn't do anything to hurt his stock, but his testing won't surprise anyone that watched him at Notre Dame either.

He ran a 4.7 40-yard dash, which included a 1.66 10-yard split. He has slightly below average size at 6-4, 249 pounds.

Despite posting slightly above average testing numbers, Mayer's a stud on film. He caught 180 passes for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns in three seasons at Notre Dame.

He had 67 or more receptions and topped the 800-yard mark in each of the past two seasons. Combine that with the fact that he was a solid blocker and it's easy to see why the Bengals would want to add him to their roster.

There aren't many "plug-and-play" tight ends anymore, but Mayer has a chance to make an instant impact as a rookie.

Double Dip?

Mar 4, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Old Dominion tight end Zack Kuntz (TE06) participates in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Let's say the Bengals take Mayer, Washington LaPorta or even Luke Musgrave on day one or day two of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Don't cross off that position completely. They could double dip and take a second tight end at some point in rounds 4-7. That's how much talent there is in this tight end class.

South Dakota State's Tucker Kraft was impressive at the combine. Michigan's Luke Schoonmaker tested well and has good enough size to get the Bengals' attention. Cincinnati’s Josh Whyle is another possible mid-round target.

The Bengals double dipped in the 2015 draft when they took Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah in rounds 3 and 5, respectively. This class is deeper and has better athletes, so it wouldn't be shocking to see them address the position twice.

They've done this at multiple positions in team history and triple-dipped at linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft when they took Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither and Markus Bailey in the same class.

It's worth noting that the Bengals met with Washington, Mayer, LaPorta and Dalton Kincaid in Indianapolis.

Bonus

Old Dominion tight end Zack Kuntz impressed scouts by becoming the tallest player ever (6-7) to post a 40-inch vertical leap and run a 4.55 40-yard dash. He was coming off of surgery that repaired a knee cap dislocation according to Ian Rapoport. Kuntz ranks No. 1 among tight ends in the 1,020 that have been ranked from 1987-2023 according to Kent Lee Platte's Relative Athletic Score data.

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