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Bengals 2025 Roster Breakdown: Eric Gregory transitioning from top UDFA target to dark horse roster candidate
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Bengals roster breakdown is back! During the 99 days leading up to Cincinnati's regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns, the player with the matching jersey number as days remaining will become the day's highlighted player.

94 days remain until the Bengals' first game of the 2025 season, which brings us to another undrafted free agent in No. 94 Eric Gregory.

Eric Gregory

  • Age: 24
  • Year: Rookie
  • Position: Defensive tackle
  • College: Arkansas
  • Previous Teams: None
  • Jersey Number: 94

Gregory enters his first season in the NFL after going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. He played six years at Arkansas and appeared in 61 games, starting 44 of them from 2020-24. He totaled 135 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks.

Arkansas turned to Gregory to start during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and kept him in the rotation and starting lineup for years to come. He played all over the defensive line for the Razorbacks but was mainly aligned in the B-gap. His most productive season was his last in 2024 when he netted 42 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks. Pro Football Focus graded him out at 75.3 overall and 82.3 in run defense for that season. 

Contract Details

Gregory signed a three-year, $2.995 million college free agent deal in May following the draft. He earned a $30,000 signing bonus, tied for the largest out of the team's 14 UDFAs, and can earn a non-guaranteed $840,000 base salary this season. 

Gregory's salary cap hit for the season is $850,000 and he can earn $860,000 in cash this year. Should the Bengals waive Gregory sometime this offseason, they'd only be on the hook for his $30,000 signing bonus as dead money.

Roster Outlook

Gregory is one of three defensive tackles Cincinnati signed following the draft, and you could make the case he was the club's top target. A $30k signing bonus isn't too common for Bengals UDFAs. Not drafting a defensive tackle likely spurred the club's urgency to land a handful of worthwhile targets who fell through the cracks. Enter Gregory, who had a draftable grade attached to his profile and is now on a roster with minimal depth at his position. 

Cincinnati witnessed last year what happens when injuries pile up in the middle of the d-line. Should another rash of training camp bumps and bruises arise, Gregory will be among the first to be elevated from the reserves to premium practice snaps and preseason exposure. He'll be directly competing with fellow UDFA DTs Howard Cross III and Dante Barnett all for the chance of sneaking on the Week 1 roster if defensive coordinator Al Golden decides to go heavy at the position or if injuries force his hand. 

Whether he stays on the roster or starts off the season on the practice squad, odds point to Gregory appearing in the regular season at some point.

Roster odds: 25%
Projected role: Reserve defensive tackle

Previous Player Profiles

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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