Which Cincinnati Bengals UDFAs Received Largest Salary Guarantees, Have Best Chance to Make the Roster

Last year 16 players who entered the league undrafted appeared in a combined 143 games for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Six of those players originally signed their UDFA deals with the Bengals, while the other 10 arrived in Cincinnati following a variety of other situations with other teams.

Two weeks ago, the Bengals signed 11 rookies went undrafted last month.

Which of them have the best chance of following in the footsteps of guys such as William Wagner, PJ Jules, Shaka Heyward, Cam Grandy Howard Cross III and Bralyn Lux.

When weighing the chances of each player to make the initial 53-man roster, there are a number of variables to consider, such as the player’s college resume and the reason he went undrafted.

Was there a medical concern or other red flag?

Another big factor is the state of the roster at his position.

Is it overcrowded or thin?

But perhaps the best indicator is one set forth by the team itself. How do we know which UDFAs the Bengals coaching staff and front office think have the best chance of making the roster?

The answer is simple, and a common one.

Follow the money.

The 11 undrafted additions all signed standard UDFA deals, which were for three years and anywhere between $3.1 and $3.2 million dollars, per contract information on Spotrac.com and OverTheCap.com.

The prognosticating clue comes in the form of the guaranteed money, which ranged from $0 to $50,000.

And when you consider the top two awards of guaranteed money went to offensive tackles, it’s worth noting.

Here is how much each UDFA signing received in guarantees.

OT Christian Jones, $50,000

That’s $30,000 more than any other player received.

The guaranteed money isn’t the only thing about Jones that is massive. He stands 6-foot-9 and weights 345 pounds. He played guard and tackle at San Diego State but was solely a left tackle for his final 24 games with the Aztecs.

He will compete with Cody Ford for the swing tackle job, but that won’t be an either/or proposition. There is a chance both players could make the roster if there are injuries elsewhere on the line, where the Bengals return all five starters from last year along with 2025 rookie Jalen Rivers and a pair of 2026 draft picks in Connor Lew and Brian Parker II, who has five-position versatility but is listed as a tackle on the Bengals roster.

OT Corey Robinson II, $20,000

Robinson (6-5, 311) started at left tackle as a redshirt freshman and never relinquished the position.

He will be in the mix for a spot on the roster and should be a strong candidate for the practice squad if he can’t lock down a spot by the end of August.

S Isaiah Nwokobia, $20,000

Nwokobia wasn’t originally on the list of UDFA signings the Bengals announced prior to the start of rookie camp May 9.

It was Friday evening when they made the signing official and stamped Nwokobia as a player to watch with one of the highest guarantees in the class.

The Bengals list Nwokobia as a safety, and there’s certainly a chance for him to make the squad there with the fourth spot behind Bryan Cook, Jordan Battle and Kyle Dugger up for grabs.

But Nwokobia (6-0, 206) brings added value with the ability to play nickel corner, an area where the Bengals are extremely thin.

He also played his entire college career at one school (SMU) and logged 129 of his 725 snaps last year in the slot.

LB Eric Gentry, $15,000

Another position where the Bengals are thin, Gentry will have a chance to compete against former UDFAs Joe Giles-Harris and Shaka Hayward for one of the linebacker spots.

LB Jack Dingle, $15,000

The University of Cincinnati product fits alongside Gentry in the race to win one of the final spots in the linebacker room.

RB Kentrel Bullock, $15,000

It’s pretty wide open behind Chase Brown, Samaje Perine and Tahj Brooks, but you could see a situation where the Bengals go into the regular season with just those three on the 53-man roster.

TE Josh Kattus, $15,000

The health of Erick All Jr. and the development of seventh-round tight end Jack Endries will be variables in Kattus’ bid for a roster spot.

CB Ceyair Wright, $15,000

Wright moved from primarily an outside corner to most lining up in the slot in 2025 at Nebraska. His signing bonus isn’t that high, but his chances of making the roster based on roster construction could be solid.

WR Noah Thomas, $10,000

RB Jamal Haynes, $1,000

G Liam Brown, $0

In case you’re wondering, the highest guarantee the Bengals handed out last year was $30,000 to defensive tackle Eric Gregory, whom the New England Patriots claimed off waivers after the Bengals released him on cutdown day.

Here are the guarantees for the three members of the 2025 UDFA class who are still worth the team:

DT Howard Cross III, $20,000

LS William Wagner, $10,000

CB Bralyn Lux, $0

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