Cincinnati Bengals Meet With Virginia Tech Star Bhayshul Tuten Ahead of 2025 NFL Draft

The Bengals met with Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten at his Pro Day according to NFL insider Tony Pauline.

Tuten ran a 4.15 short shuttle according to Pauline and excelled during position drills. He ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine last month.

The Bengals could certainly use another running back on their roster and Tuten is projected to be a day three draft pick. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com believes he could develop into a three-down starting running back. He compared him to Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco.

"If you spend too much time focusing on the small inconsistencies of Tuten’s college game, you run the risk of overlooking the match he is for the pro game," Zierlein wrote. "He’s an explosive athlete with average size but a compact frame. He has elite straight-line speed and easy hips to make sudden cuts and turns. He’s fairly average at reading the front and running with early decisiveness but creates with wiggle, power and speed. Drops and fumbles are a concern, but runners with his contact balance, power and home run speed put tremendous stress on defenses over four quarters. Tuten could become a starting-caliber back with three-down value."

Tuten needs to improve in pass protection, which is common for running backs entering the NFL. He also has to get more comfortable catching passes out of the backfield on a consistent basis.

The Bengals are doing their due diligence on running backs and for good reason. Adding another back to a room that includes Chase Brown and Samaje Perine is a must. They need to have at least one more player in that backfield that they can trust with 10-15 carries on any given week.

Check out some more numbers on Tuten below: