The forgotten position group of the Cincinnati Bengals' prolific offense has the club's longest tenured player, and arguably the X-factor of this year's unit.
It's the absolute dead period of the offseason, and the Cincinnati Bengals are resting up before training camp. We'll be going through the 90-man roster, position-by-position, breaking down the depth chart. Check out previous position breakdowns here.
The forgotten position group of the Bengals' prolific offense has the club's longest tenured player, and arguably the X-factor of this year's unit.
Starters:Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki
Backups:Erick All Jr., Tanner Hudson, Cam Grandy, Jack Endries, Josh Kattus
Two names deserve the title as they both have significant roles to play. Drew Sample is considered the top guy of the group as he's the No. 1 inline option, or "Y" TE. He's been with the team since 2019, longer than any other player on the roster. His receiving production has never been impressive, but he's incredibly valued as an inline blocker. No one has been in the Zac Taylor offense more than him.
Mike Gesicki is the main receiving option of the group. He takes the majority of his snaps detached from the offensive line. He's not so much as a tight end as he is a big slot. There are some games he sees the field before Sample. He joined the club in 2024 and became an instant fit as a big slot option, hauling in 65 receptions for 665 yards and two touchdowns. His production dropped last year due to missing games, but Cincinnati knows what he brings.
Erick All Jr.
is the wild card. He is going to be on the field with Sample in traditional 12 personnel packages with two inline tight ends. He missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL, but was an ascending player as a rookie in 2024. Tanner Hudson is considered the Gesicki backup. He's been with the team since 2023 both on the practice squad and the active roster, and he's developed trust with Joe Burrow. Cam Grandy may as well be the Sample backup, brining quality inline blocking ability.
Jack Endries
, one of two seventh-round picks from this year's NFL Draft, will look to fill behind All. Josh Kattus, the son of former Bengals TE Eric Kattus
, is the UDFA rookie of the group.
The Bengals have kept five TEs before. Will they do it again? It's an interesting choice to make when the offense is built on starting three wide receivers in 11 personnel (one RB, one TE). Cincinnati has good reason to play more 12 personnel to force defenses into populating the box and become more susceptible to explosive plays. The return of All should also make those packages more effective.
If they do keep five, Endries has to have the inside track as a rookie draft pick over a former UDFA in Grandy. Endries could've easily been selected much earlier than No. 221 overall, and would become a likely waiver wire target if he's cut.
Starters:Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki
Backups:Erick All Jr., Tanner Hudson
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Bengals Depth Chart Preview: Drew Sample still leading Cincinnati's fascinating group of tight ends
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