Bengals Rookie Report Card: Jermaine Burton's door shut quickly, Josh Newton's plate filling up

Key Stat: 96.3 Pass Blocking Efficiency (Third out of 11 qualifying rookie OTs). Mims' PBE hasn't changed from our first update, though the competition has been ticked up. Incoming Micah Parsons and two more matchups against Garrett and Watt. 

Kris Jenkins Jr.

- Second-round pick (49th overall)
- Current Role: Starting defensive tackle
- Grade: C-

It's not a great time to be a part of the Bengals' defense. Jenkins at least has the benefit of being a rookie and some bright spots he can refer to like posting two pressures and three stops against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9. He's emerged as a starter while Sheldon Rankins is still away from the team with a viral illness. Unfortunately, like Rankins when healthy, Jenkins isn't providing much of a consistent boost against the pass. That was never his forte at Michigan and the switch sure hasn't been flipped through 10 games as a rookie. 

Key Stat: 3.1% pass rush win rate (Seventh out of nine qualifying rookie DTs). It's objectively good that Jenkins is seeing plenty of reps, but Cincinnati needs much more than what Jenkins can realistically give them considering who he was as a prospect.

Jermaine Burton

- Third-round pick (80th overall)
- Current Role: Backup wide receiver
- Grade: D-

The last time the Bengals won a game, Burton was the story for not playing in it. Cincinnati made him a healthy scratch after missing walkthrough leading up to the Raiders game in Week 9, the day he was to be featured as a starter for the first time with Tee Higgins sidelined. Burton got his chances at redemption in Weeks 10 and 11 and caught just two of his nine targets. He ran a combined 46 routes against the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers. He ran just two against the Steelers, concluding his brief rise and expedited fall from grace.

Key Stat: 28.6% of targets caught (21st out of 21 qualifying rookies). Many of the concerns surrounding Burton have been legitimized this season. The less playing time he earns, the more pressure will be on him this offseason with Tee Higgins being a virtual certainty to leave. 

McKinnley Jackson

- Third-round pick (97th overall)
- Current Role: Rotational defensive tackle
- Grade: D

Jenkins has been firmly ahead of his fellow rookie along the interior. Jackson's flashes have few and far between as the third defensive tackle in the current rotation with Rankins out. He hasn't provided much of any pass rushing boost, and it's asking a lot for him to stand up to combo blocks. He wouldn't see much of the field as part of a stronger rotation, so it's been trial by fire for him.

Key Stat: Averaging 17.5 snaps per game. Injuries have opened potential doors for Jackson to assert himself along with Jenkins, but he's just not reliable enough to let him out there for extended periods of time. 

Erick All Jr.

- Fourth-round pick (115th overall)
- Current Role: Injured Reserve
- Grade: A-

15 snaps into his ninth game, All re-tore the same ACL he tore last year at Iowa. It was a devastating way for his promising rookie season to end, and the only somewhat positive is that he's taken on this recovery before. Can he make it in less time than the first go around? He'll need to in order to make training camp next year. He finished the season with 20 receptions for 158 yards along with 109 snaps in run blocking where he made his impact truly count.

Key Stat: 43 out of 231 offensive snaps were as a fullback. Cincinnati's run game has been spotty at best without All spearheading efforts as a lead blocker. Once he gets healthy next year, his role will expand even further.

Josh Newton

- Fifth-round pick (149th overall)
- Current Role: Starting cornerback
- Grade: C

Cam Taylor-Britt's second benching in Week 11 left Newton as the next man up at cornerback for Cincinnati. They now make up the new starting tandem with DJ Turner II out for the year along with Dax Hill. Newton impressed for most of the Chargers game, but he quickly came back down to Earth against the Steelers. 96 yards were allowed in coverage by the rookie, with a good chunk coming from getting beat on a cover zero call. 

Key Stat: 94.0 passer rating allowed (t-10th among 20 qualifying rookie CBs. Newton playing on the boundary is likely a temporary situation. With Mike Hilton set to become a free agent, Newton's true path to staying on the field is taking over in the slot. The Bengals are just learning more about him for the time being. 

Tanner McLachlan

- Sixth-round pick (194th overall)
- Current Role: Backup tight end
- Grade: Incomplete

McLachlan has yet to appear in a game this season despite All's injury. Practice squad tight end Cam Grandy has essentially taken his role while McLachlan watches in street clothes every week. 

Key Stat: 0 games played. The redshirt season continues.

Cedric Johnson

- Sixth-round pick (214th overall)
- Current Role: Backup edge defender
- Grade: C-

Johnson has only played in two of the last four games and has almost exclusively played special teams during them. He saw a little action late in the Raiders game with the win having been secured. 

Key Stat: Zero pressures on 30 pass rushing snaps. The Bengals don't have many answers for their lackluster pass rush. You'd think Johnson would get more of a chance to contribute because of that. 

Daijahn Anthony

- Seventh-round pick (224th overall)
- Current Role: Backup safety
- Grade: C-

Anthony hasn't seen the field on defense since Week 7, though he's racking up special teams snaps in the meantime. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is unwilling to turn to wither him or Tycen Anderson at safety despite Geno Stone's inadequacies.

Key Stat: 118 special teams snaps. Anthony can't seem to get a shot amid all the turmoil in the secondary. Maybe that changes in the final five weeks, but I'm not holding my breath.

Matt Lee

- Seventh-round pick (237th overall)
- Current Role: Sixth offensive lineman
- Grade: B-

The domino effect of Orlando Brown Jr.'s injury led to Lee becoming the eligible offensive lineman in heavy run packages. He's held up surprisingly well considering he's never played on the edge of the line before. He's been called on 14 times since Week 7 and will continue to hold that role while Cody Ford starts.

Key Stat: Career-high six snaps in Week 9 against Raiders. Lee is too talented and athletic to not see the field in some capacity. This is an unconventional way of making that happen, but we'll take it.

Ryan Rehkow

- Undrafted free agent (Signed in July)
- Current Role: Punter
- Grade: B+

Rehkow's yards per punt is right under 50 yards at 49.9 and his net average is exactly 44.0. Both are tops among two other rookie punters around the league and his net average ranks seventh among all punters. He's been a non-story in this regard. His involvement in the field goal operation has been a more pressing topic as Evan McPherson's season came to and end with him making just six of 12 attempts from 40 yards and beyond. Whether or not Rehkow's holds have had a part to play in that, the unit as a whole has been under scrutiny.

Key Stat: Long of 80 yards ranks second in the NFL. Rehkow still has a cannon for a right leg. We'll see how he holds for a new kicker in Cade York to close the season out. 

Cam Grandy

- Undrafted free agent
- Current Role: Backup tight end
- Grade: B

Grandy was elevated off the practice squad for the first time in Week 10 and impressed so much he got signed to the active roster a week later. His prowess as a downhill blocker made him a nice replacement for All, though his snaps have still been limited through three games. He's got a role nonetheless now to finish the year. 

Key Stat: Caught his first target for zero yards. Grandy won't do much in the pass game, but he can level the playing field on the ground. A nice find for a UDFA.

Maema Njongmeta

- Undrafted free agent
- Current Role: Backup linebacker
- Grade: B-

We'll see if Logan Wilson going to Injured Reserve allows Njongmeta to see the field more, but with the Bengals needing speed over anything else on defense, that's unlikely. He's still one of the prominent special teamers on the team.

Key Stat: Five special teams tackles (t-2nd among all rookies). Njongmeta's 276 special teams snaps is tied for the most on the Bengals with special teams captain Akeem Davis-Gaither. Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons may've found ADG's long-term replacement here.