Cincinnati Bengals Bring in Final Top 30 Prospect in Unusual, Comedic Fashion

When the Cincinnati Bengals signed safety Bryan Cook and defensive end Boye Mafe to free agent contracts last month, they sent a private jet to pick them up and bring them to Paycor Stadium to sign their deals.

When the Bengals brought running back prospect Kaelon Black in for a Top 30 visit, the team sent an Uber for the five-hour drive from Chicago, as reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Welcome to the NFL,rookie.

There were, of course, extenuating circumstances.

Black was traveling to Cincinnati from Las Vegas, where he had a Top 30 visit with the Raiders.

His connecting flight was canceled, so he spent the night at O’Hare Airport and the Bengals, who were up against the clock given that today was the last day allowed for Top 30 visits and there were no doubt hundreds of other passengers scrambling to find flights after Tuesday’s cancelations, sent the Uber to bring him to town.

Black is the No. 10-ranked running back in the class by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler in The Beast.

Expectations are that the Bengals will draft a running back with starter Chase Brown heading into the final year of his rookie contract and 2025 rookie Tahj Brooks still raw after getting just 17 carries last year.

Brugler has a grade of fifth/sixth round on Black, which puts him in the Cincinnati wheelhouse.

The Bengals haven’t drafted a running back earlier than the fifth round (Brown was a fifth rounder in 2023) during head coach Zac Taylor’s tenure.

Black entered college in 2020, recruited by Curt Cignetti at James Madison.

He followed his coach to Indiana in 2024 and helped the Hoosiers win the national championship last fall, when Black rushed for 1,056 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Here is what Brugler wrote about the 5-foot-9, 211-pound Black in The Beast.

“A short, well-built back, Black runs balanced, low to the ground and consistently finds cracks at the line of scrimmage. Instead of gearing down ahead of impending contact, he bursts to accelerate into flat-footed defenders, and his physical run style helps him maximize each touch. Though mashing the gas pedal helps him produce, he could benefit from added patience to eliminate false-stepping cuts. Overall, Black runs with light feet and punches above his weight class to consistently get more yards than expected. Once in an NFL camp, his ability to prove himself as a pass catcher will be critical to carving out a part-time role.”

Black only had 55 catches during his six seasons in college, including just four in each of his two seasons at IU.

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