The Cincinnati Bengals went an unexpected route in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft with Washington tight end Drew Sample.
Sample, primarily a blocking tight end, was among those surprised he came off the board so early. He projects well in the Bengals’ offense, with most of the backlash coming in the form of perceived value.
Regardless, here are five things to know about the Bengals’ second-round pick.
Don James Perseverance Award winner
Known for his blocking and schematically not involved in the offense at Washinton much, Sample impressed the NFL in other ways.
His junior year, Sample won the Don James Perseverance Award for playing through a leg injury, starting eight of 10 games.
Granted, Sample only caught seven passes for 84 yards that year, but the character element is something Zac Taylor is seeking out as he builds his roster.
Character Matters
Sample fits right in with Zac Taylor’s desire for high character guys, as noted.
He played a ton of snaps last year without much in the way of stats. And as Bengals.com noted, he still classifies as a newlywed: “One great off-the-field fact. Sample got married to Angelina Danylyuk of Puyallup on July 22, 2018 in Woodinville, Wash. Sample met Angelina, a student at Seattle Pacific, five years ago. They decided to get married in summer, before Sample’s final season at UW.”
Rankings and value
On paper, Sample wasn’t flying high in this class at his position for a variety of reasons.
The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Paul Dehner Jr. rounded up a few examples:
Of course, this doesn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things if Sample turns into an elite player after the Bengals coaching staff unlocks his potential.
Elite in one area
The big story with Sample is that he didn’t get a ton of reps in the passing game until his senior season.
There, he caught 25 passes with three scores.
But he came in as an elite blocker, at least:
Sample will certainly find some work as a blocker for the Bengals right out of the gates.
That said, the coaches have bigger ideas for him.
Bengals have big plans
The Bengals envision Sample as something much more than a blocker.
Fletcher Page of the Cincinnati Enquirer caught up with the coaches on the subject:
Cincinnati wants to run a lot and weave in the playaction, so based on where they took Sample, fans can expect to see a lot of him on the field right when the season begins.
