Jonah Williams is top dog for the Cincinnati Bengals when it comes to the 2019 draft class, both in stature and newsworthiness right now due to his likely season-ending injury.
But looking a bit deeper along a 10-player class, there are a handful of later-round guys who could end up playing a bigger role than expected. These are the players who could end up looking like the biggest steals.
Renell Wren
Wren is a freakish player in the best way. The fourth-round pick is a staggering 6’5″, 318-pound interior prospect who has the potential to start stealing reps next to Geno Atkins right out of the gates. He’s even viewed by some within the organization as the prospect from the class with the most upside. If Wren adapts quickly and shoves aside guys like Ryan Glasgow for snaps, he’s going to have other teams kicking themselves for not drafting him.
Michael Jordan
Everything with the offensive line is in flux after Williams’ injury. Cordy Glenn is going back to left tackle. Presumably, John Miller will start at right guard and Clint Boling at left. But Boling is a massive question mark in his own right so it could be John Jerry or Christian Westerman. But given the mystery here, an open competition could mean the promising rookie Jordan breaks into the mix and doesn’t let go.
Trayveon Williams
Williams has said he wants to have a day one impact — and he just might. Things always seem to be fluid at running back given the nature of the position, so there isn’t a guarantee Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard go into the season as the one-two tandem. That’s the plan, but things happen. Williams is an explosive, versatile talent who would undoubtedly thrive if he’s picked up the offense and adapted to the pros well.
Deshaun Davis
Davis is far from the biggest name considering he fell to the sixth round. But he’s a rock-solid linebacker prospect in his niche who already has drawn some praise from guys like Takeo Spikes. It’s easy to see Davis having a big impact on special teams right away. And if he’s given a chance to get after the running game in the right situations, he could shine early and make training camp battles interesting.
