What a Difference a Year Makes: Members of Bengals 2024 Draft Class Reflect on 12 Months of Growth

CINCINNATI – For a lot of people, the passage of a year can be marked by a few extra gray hairs, wrinkles or other subtle changes in appearance.

For NFL players a year removed from their rookie season, the changes are less seen and more felt.

As the Cincinnati Bengals offseason program nears its end with next week’s mandatory minicamp, we went around the locker room to ask members of the 2024 draft class one question:

How is (insert name) different on June 3, 2025, than he was on June 3, 2024?

Of the 10 draft picks in last year’s class, five of them played at least 100 snaps on their side of the ball.

None of those five needed more than a second to formulate their answer.

Growth and maturity are things they’ve found themselves thinking about recently as they have navigated their second spring as professionals.

Below are their responses, edited slightly for clarity and brevity.

Amarius Mims, offensive tackle, first round

“Man, I'm a lot different. Just a whole year of growth, a whole year of knowledge about the game of football, a year of taking coaching better, a year of processing information better, a year of just understanding the player I am. Coming in as a rookie and a first-round pick, there's high expectations and sometimes it gets a little stressful. But now with a year up under my belt and the guys I'm playing with, it's just so much different. I can just feel it. The confidence level has gone up 10 times.”

Kris Jenkins, defensive tackle, second round

"Confidence. Yes, definitely confidence. I think a year in the league makes a huge difference. I know for some people it can just hit at once, but for me, the more I started figuring out, the more I'm gaining more confidence. When it comes to all of the other stuff, I've been trying to work on everything as a whole. At the end of the day, everything needs work. I'm not a finished project.

Jermaine Burton, wide receiver, third round

“I would say the routine. Coming up to the facility, doing different things on your off time. It could be something little, but as long as you continue to do something, staying in the playbook, talking over things with your teammates, your coaches, I feel like it puts you in a better head space. I'm a lot more comfortable. I'm more comfortable with my teammates and have created a lot of bonds and relationships with these guys, whether it's going out to eat, playing a game, talkin' ball in here, laughing, joking, rehabbing together. I feel like I've really got closer with the guys.”

McKinnley Jackson, defensive tackle, fourth round

“I would say my knowledge of how the NFL actually works and then taking the next step to simplify the game for myself. From watching film, being here early, being accountable to myself and to my team, those are all areas where I've grown. I think about it all the time, what I was thinking, what I was doing a year ago at this time. I realize the mistakes I made and how I can get better from them. I've been taught my whole life that you never want to stay in the same place. You always try to get better and try to grow in some area. I'm trying to grow in all of them. I focus on one at a time, but I'm trying to make sure every area is on the rise.”

Josh Newton, cornerback, fifth round

“Everything that's happened in the last year has given me a lot of confidence. I mean, last year is obviously over. But you can still refer back to the good things that you did and keep doing that. But it's important to look at what you didn't do well, too, and start doing that well. I learned so much from Mike (Hilton). Mike had great years here and he was a great reference. He instilled a lot of confidence in me, and the main thing was just at the end of the day, be a dog. Be yourself. He saw something in me early, and that really encouraged me. So I feel like I've grown a lot, but it's still Year 2. There's still a lot of work to do.”