Cincinnati Bengals Take South Carolina Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. With No. 49 Pick in 2025 NFL Draft

This is a surprise.

Jan 29, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; American team linebacker Demetrius Knight II of South Carolina (17) works in drills during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals picked South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. with the 49th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Knight turned 25-years-old in January. He was 120th on Dane Brugler's big board and 109th on Daniel Jeremiah's big board.

"Knight won’t be a true three-down player for some schemes, but he fits the bill for a defense seeking a fast, thumping run stuffer and blitzer with an old-school mentality," Brugler wrote. "He has early-down starting potential and should see immediate reps on special teams."

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared Knight to current Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt in his evaluation. Ironically enough, the rookie may replace Pratt on defense for Cincinnati.

"Passionate linebacker with great size, good instincts and a feel for how to play the position," Zierlein wrote. "Knight is a fluid athlete with average pursuit speed and short-area burst. He uses his eyes and instincts to diagnose quickly and he maneuvers around bodies like a running back. He’s adept at slipping blocks and rarely allows blockers to stick and sustain on the second level. He’s aware and productive in zone but could struggle to stay connected in man coverage. He’s not a twitchy mover but knows how to play the game and has a chance to play on all three downs. Knight’s field demeanor and football character should seal the deal as a future starter at inside ‘backer."

The Bengals likely view him as a plug-and-play starter, which could lead to Pratt being traded or released in the coming days. Knight joins a linebacker room that includes Logan Wilson, Oren Burks and Maema Njongmeta.

The Bengals took Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. They're hoping that Stewart and Knight can give their defense a major boost under new defensive coordinator Al Golden.