One of the most important aspects of the preseason is watching how rookies have been developing in training camp and how they handle their first taste of true NFL game action.
So how did some of the Cincinnati Bengals rookies look in the preseason debut against the Kansas City Chiefs? Let’s take a look.
OT Jonah Williams — N/A
As we know, Williams will miss a vast majority, if not the entire season with a shoulder injury. The hope is he can return near the end of the season. If not, we’ll look forward to watching him in 2020.
TE Drew Sample — C
Sample just seemed to be there. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t all that great, either. He ran a few routes and had a catch, but not really a lot of go off of.
LB Germaine Pratt — B
Pratt still has some developing to do but he looks like he is starting to get a handle on taking on NFL blocks and dropping back into coverage at the next level. He moved well and had a nose for the ball. He needs to improve his tackling. He had Darwin Thompson in his arms on a play early in the second quarter and Thompson was able to slip away. But Pratt showed flashes and there are positives to build on.
QB Ryan Finley — B
In all honesty, Finley wasn’t all that bad. His interception late in the game did look bad, as the ball really sailed on him and landed right in the hands of the defender. But other than that, Finley stood in the pocket and took what the defense gave him. Nothing spectacular, but we never expected anything major out of Finley out of the gate. He won’t blow you away by any stretch of the imagination. But he showed promise for his first NFL game and will continue to learn as the No. 3 quarterback. And who knows, the Bengals could cut Jeff Driskel and make Finley the No. 2.
OG Michael Jordan — C-
Jordan seemed a bit overwhelmed against the Chiefs. On a few occasions, the defender was easily beating Jordan on hand usage. Jordan couldn’t create a lot of push and got pushed back himself at times in pass protection. He’s at least showing versatility, as he worked at both left and right guard.
DT Renell Wren — N/A
Wren did not see action against the Chiefs. Here’s hoping he finds the field soon because he can be fun to watch.
RB Trayveon Williams — A
Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard got the night off, giving Williams a chance to get first-team reps. Williams showed excellent speed running the ball and showed a willingness to block in pass protection. He was stuffed on his first goal-line attempt but the Bengals went right back to him on second down and he punched it in for the touchdown. Williams had about as good of a preseason debut as you can ask for. The early returns are that he’ll be an excellent No. 3 running back this season and could very well eventually make Bernard expendable.
LB Deshaun Davis — C-
Davis wasn’t much of anything. He wasn’t terrible, but you get the sense his small frame is going to be a hindrance. The hope is to see more of him later in the preseason to see how he can overcome his small stature when it comes to tackling and covering.
CB Jordan Brown — INC
Brown didn’t get much of an opportunity on defense, though he did see reps on special teams. He wasn’t challenged much, but he did have a tackling opportunity and couldn’t make the tackle, allowing the Chiefs to score late in the game.
As far as some of the undrafted rookies go, running back Jordan Ellis had himself a nice day. He was quick, caught the ball out of the backfield and scored a touchdown. Ellis may not make the final roster, but the Bengals would love to stash him on their practice squad. But if he keeps this play up, he may be claimed before the Bengals get that opportunity.
Reserve offensive tackle O’Shea Dugas also showed some flashes at left tackle. The Bengals need all the depth they can get now that Jonah Williams is out and Cordy Glenn had to move back outside. Perhaps Dugas can be an extra tackle.
