
The Cincinnati Bengals came into the offseason with holes all over their roster, but all the focus was on the defensive side of the ball. Cincinnati's defense ranked near the bottom of the league again last year and it was set to get even worse with the departures of Trey Hendrickson and Joesph Ossai in free agency.
The Bengals responded with a trio of additions, signing Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, and Jonathan Allen. The three additions will all play a significant role on defense.
The front office has to keep adding. In fact, there are more holes on the roster than just on defense.
One roster hole that's been overlooked this offseason is at tight end.
Tight end is easy to look past because the Bengals have Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, and Ja'Marr Chase on offense.
In the current state of the NFL with loaded defenses all over the league, the Bengals need a solid tight end or two. They need a good offensive line, and they need a capable running back, too.
At tight end, the Bengals lost Noah Fant in free agency and haven't done much to replace him. Mike Gesicki is listed as the starter, but he's more of a receiver than tight end. The Bengals need to find another tight end to help balance out the roster, especially with the question marks surrounding Erick All Jr. All is recovering from a third ACL surgery and missed the entire 2025 season.
One player the Bengals are seemingly looking at is Georgia Bulldogs tight end Oscar Delp.
Bengals tight ends coach James Casey was in attendance for Delp's pro day at Georgia on Wednesday.
He ran an incredible 40-yard dash, with some scouts clocking him sub-4.50. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as his film showed the same burst and speed when he had the ball in his hands. He also showed off his explosiveness with a 10-foot broad jump. The young tight end was impressive across the board at his pro day.
Considering Delp is projected to go around the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Bengals should keep their eyes on him. After a dominant pro day showing like this, there's a chance he climbs up draft boards. Either way, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Bengals stay in pursuit of the intriguing tight end prospect.
More must-reads:
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!