Two Bengals underrated sleepers who could breakout in the 2024 NFL season

Tight ends aren’t the forefront of the Cincinnati Bengals offense, but two underrated sleepers at the position could breakout in the 2024 NFL season.

The Bengals spent big on the position during Day 3 of the NFL Draft. They took Iowa’s Erick All in the fourth round and followed Arizona’s Tanner McLachlan in the sixth. With the door open for a player to step up at the position, All and McLachlan give Bengals fans room for hope.

Tight ends with little depth are not lightning rods for fan excitement. But Joe Burrow’s injury history could bring the position into focus. The elite signal caller could look for more short or intermediate routes to avoid sacks that have ruined his career.

The 6-foot-1, 240-pound McLachlan was a later pick, but his intangibles could play well at the highest level of the sport. He is a former basketball player with impressive hands. And history tells us that a basketball player can become a great tight end. See Antonio Gates.

Bengals TE Tanner McLachlan broke Rob Gronkowski’s record

Mandatory credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not exactly a hotbed for NFL talent, but McLachlan made his way from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, to Cincinnati.

His first four collegiate seasons were at Southern Utah, but in 2022 he transferred to the University of Arizona. He put together a few solid seasons for the Wildcats.

McLachlan broke Rob Gronkowski’s career record for receptions by a tight end. He finished with 79, while Gronk’s total was 75. And if a player finds comparisons to Gates and Gronk, how can he miss?

Some pundits pegged McLachlan as a higher pick than the sixth round, but his measurable attributes — including his short arms (for a tight end) and lack of elite speed — likely caused teams to look elsewhere. Still, McLachlan has a can-do rating and could surpass his draft tag.

For now, McLachlan is behind projected starter Mike Gesicki, who signed with the Bengals in March.

Erick All finds home with Bengals

Unfortunately, All’s injury history is well documented, including life-changing surgery while at Michigan. That means he enters the NFL with question marks.

Iowa’s knee injury occurred late enough in the college football season to jeopardize his NFL rookie season. He could end up on the non-football injury or illness list to start the year.

But if he can shake off the injury tag, All is considered a solid prospect. He has shown the ability to excel at both running and passing, although his blocking ability is not considered elite potential.

As a receiver, his big hands fit his 6-5, 250-pound frame. And he scored high marks in scouting reports for his separation ability.

One thing that will help All’s prospects is his fourth-round selection. The Bengals spent that pick despite his injury history and questionable availability from the start. That means they assessed his athletic makeup and made the choice based on potential.

If he’s healthy, there should be opportunities for everyone. With Gesicki, Drew Sample and Tanner Hudson ahead of him, it’s not hard to see All competing for a starting spot. Gesicki was solid in 2020 and 2021, but gained less than one yard per route in each of the past two seasons.

Hudson hauled in 39 passes for 352 yards last year, while Sample had just 22 catches for 123. They combined for just three touchdowns.

Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for nearly four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to editor-in-chief and began his career as a sportswriter at the Johnson City Press newspaper while still in college. During more than three decades in the press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men’s and women’s basketball, ETSU athletics and high school track and field. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian screenwriter (five features and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.