2nd and 3rd Day Options To Solve Cincinnati’s TE Coverage Woes
Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
One of the Cincinnati Bengals’ biggest weaknesses in 2023 was covering tight ends. They allowed the second-most yards to tight ends among any team in the NFL with 1,080, and they were tied for allowing the most receptions with 107.
They allowed players such as George Kittle (11 receptions, 149 yards), Evan Engram (nine receptions, 82 yards, TD), and Dalton Schultz and Tyler Higbee (71 yards each) to shred their secondary. In addition, nearly 39% of Pat Freiermuth’s entire 2023 yardage total (120 of his season total of 309 yards) came in Week 12 against the Bengals.
Could the Bengals address this in the upcoming draft? What linebackers could the Bengals look to in order to help improve this issue?
Payton Wilson (North Carolina State)
Projected as a possible Round 2 pick, Payton Wilson is held in high regard by ESPN’s Field Yates.
“Payton Wilson is a maniac on the football field. He is one of the most fearless players that I’ve seen in the entire draft.”
ESPN NFL reporter @FieldYates is extremely high on NC State linebacker @payton_wilson21 in the 2024 #NFLDraft class 👀👀https://t.co/UrQ8In9IYI
— Cory Smith (@RCorySmith) March 8, 2024
Wilson has dealt with his fair share of injuries. However, his ceiling is incredibly high if he stays healthy, as he’s everything a team could possibly look for in a linebacker. He’s a fast, aggressive, strong-tackling, intelligent, and versatile player with an unending work ethic.
Perhaps most importantly for the issue at hand, however, is that he’s elite in coverage (PFF named him their Best In Coverage for their 2024 NFL Draft Linebacker superlatives). He led the nation with 26 coverage stops, didn’t allow a single touchdown, picked off three passes, and allowed QBs to have a meager 47.2 passer rating.
Duke Tobin is no stranger to NC State linebackers, either. Cincinnati selected Germaine Pratt in the third round in the 2019 NFL Draft, where he remains a starter here to this day.
Junior Colson (Michigan)
Another potential option is for the Bengals to talk to the hand.
Michigan #25 Junior Colson has some movement skills in coverage for a 250 pound linebacker. pic.twitter.com/VJwxGsh0Ys
— Jordan Edwards (@babyrhino79) January 22, 2024
(Get it? Because Michigan is shaped like a… well, you get the point.)
Junior Colson is one of the better linebackers in the draft in regards to covering tight ends. He is able to use his speed to cover vertical routes and has a high football IQ, which he uses particularly well in pre-snap communication. In addition to his tight end coverage skills, Colson is a strong run defender who is noted for his ability as a tackler. PFF named him the best tackler in the 2024 draft among linebackers, as he only missed 6% of his tackles over the last few seasons.
He also won the award as Michigan’s toughest player in 2023 and is projected as a potential third-round selection in this year’s draft.
“Unless I can’t physically move, unless I’m in a wheelchair or something, I’m gonna be out there playing the game if I can help my team,” Colson said. “At the end of day, it’s more about what (you are) willing to sacrifice for the bigger goals. You put in all that work. I’m gonna give it all I got until I can’t anymore.”
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