The Bengals’ Revolving Door At Tight End Can Finally Stop
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals have had their share of explosive offensive players, but at tight end? That’s a spot that’s been underwhelming, at best, for their recent history. Over the 21st century, the Bengals’ all-time leading receiver among players at the position is Jermaine Gresham, who totaled 2,722 yards in five seasons. Tyler Eifert, the Bengals’ 2013 first-round pick who totaled 2,152 yards with Cincinnati, showed flashes of being a top tight end in the league before injuries ultimately derailed his career.
In the Joe Burrow era, it’s been even less consistent. Players like CJ Uzomah, Hayden Hurst, and Irv Smith have all gotten their fair share of starts with the Bengals, but ultimately were not brought back to be long-term starters. Last year’s options, Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, and Mitch Wilcox, had limited-to-modest production in Cincinnati. Hell, I’m pretty sure I might even have gotten a few reps out there.
However, the Bengals are looking to finally end their revolving door of tight ends. They are entering 2024 with perhaps the deepest tight end room that they’ve had since they drafted Burrow. Cincinnati re-signed Hudson and Sample, then added Mike Gesicki from the Patriots on a one-year deal. Upon hearing the news of the Gesicki signing, everyone on the face of the earth fired off tweets about how he needs griddy lessons.
Full-on Griddy coverage with Mike Gesicki!
I asked @mikegesicki if his Griddy has developed at all in recent months.
"No."
He said he's open to all advice from Ja'Marr Chase (@Real10jayy__).@WCPO @Bengals pic.twitter.com/IYMQ4oFlvK
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) March 15, 2024
Gesicki has been a solid receiving tight end throughout his career, highlighted by topping 700 receiving yards in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Even though he’s on a one-year deal, Gesicki is in it for the long haul, if he has anything to say about it. “I’m trying to be here for a while,” said Gesicki. “I’m trying to be the player I know I can be, and be on a winning team, a winning organization, and that’s what this place has been in these last couple of years.”
That’s not all. In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bengals did something they had previously yet to do in the Joe Burrow era — they picked a tight end. Twice.
The Bengals got TWO new Tight Ends!
Erick All and Tanner McLachlan Film Review
Episode 80 Bengals On The Brain presented by @Firststarlog
https://t.co/n68Mxesbso— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) May 3, 2024
Despite many Bengals fans offering up their first-born children for the chance to draft Georgia’s Brock Bowers, he didn’t fall to Cincinnati at Pick 18. Still, Zac Taylor believes that Erick All (Round 4) and Tanner McLachlan (Round 6) can be impactful receivers at tight end. In a day and age where the NFL’s best teams have an elite tight end — many of whom were mid-round draft picks — the Bengals clearly want a difference maker who will end the constant stream of mediocre tight ends on one-year deals.
At his NFL Draft press conference, Taylor stated that Erick All would’ve been a much higher draft pick were it not for his injury history. He commended his receiving traits, which he has in common with top tight ends like George Kittle, TJ Hockenson, and Sam LaPorta, who, like All, played for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
“I think he can have true separation as a route runner and [receiver],” Taylor said of All. “You can watch him; you watch a couple [of] those games that stand out where he can run some isolation routes. They used him downfield. He’s got some split out as a receiver, and some down-the-field, play-action stuff. [He also is] involved in the screen game. He can be a point-of-attack blocker. He likes the physicality aspect of that, and he’s willing to do it.”
Taylor later stated in that same interview that McLachlan is a receiving threat like All, and he’s more than capable of turning a short play into a bigger play.
“[McLachlan has] a really good zone awareness,” Taylor said. “He just has that savviness that I think is critical for our tight ends to have. He can be a threat down the middle of [the] field. He’s got good nuance on his routes. I think he’s continued to develop as a blocker. He’s got the body type for it [at] 6’5”. I think he could be up in the high 240 [pounds]. We did a lot of research on these guys. I don’t even know how many times we’ve watched these tight ends, but we really like him.”
Burrow has been able to maximize the potential of his tight ends, despite the lack of high-end talent. In particular, Uzomah and Hurst earned three-year contracts elsewhere after decent production with Cincinnati in 2021 and 2022, respectively. With a deep tight end room, the best offensive line of his career, and a return to full health, there is no reason that Burrow can’t once again make the most of who he has at the tight end position. If one of the rookies, or perhaps even the veteran Gesicki, can emerge as a legitimate threat at tight end, it would be an even bigger positive sign for the long-term prognosis of the Bengals’ passing game.
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