The Cincinnati Bengals made a couple of noteworthy picks late in the 2021 NFL draft that deserve more attention.
We graded both extremely well as the draft proceeded for good reason — Georgia offensive lineman Trey Hill has a chance to stick around for a long time, if not break out as a starter eventually. And Michigan running back Chris Evans could work his way into the rotation quickly.
This is a topic that just came up with Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com too:
“As for Hill, “yeah”, I think both guys in the sixth round, Georgia center Trey Hill and Michigan running back Chris Evans, are here for a while. Hill had third-roundish tape, but appeared to overpay for a sub-par pro day. Still, good tape and good 320-pound size is attractive. The added extra is he has good football intelligence and can play all three inside spots.”
Indeed, Hill looked great on film over eight games last season before it was revealed he was playing through injuries in both knees. If he can get back to 100 percent and keep on his upward developmental trend, he might just be able to fight for a guard spot down the road.
And then there’s Evans, who had part of his collegiate career dashed with academic issues before the Wolverines staff decided to not use him as much as they probably should. He flashed anyway, and if those flashes are any sign, he could be a big asset in the passing game on third downs.
It’s up to the talent to put in the effort and the coaches to do a great job to make late-round selections succeed as always. But the value of both Hill and Evans picks was superb and the Bengals could be much better for it in the long run.
