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[Cincinnati Bengals]

2025 NFL Draft Profile: North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton

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The Bengals may not be in the market for a back early in the draft, but if he’s available later than most think, a guy.

When it comes to the second round, the Cincinnati Bengals have a track record not only of drafting running backs on whom they rely heavily but also of netting productive players. Ickey Woods, Harold Green, Corey Dillon, Kenny Irons, Giovani Bernard, and Joe Mixon were all picks made in this round, with varying degrees of success.

The Bengals are looking for a back to complement Chase Brown, who had a solid 2024 campaign, and the prevailing thought is that they will wait until the later rounds of the draft to address that need. Still, given their penchant for grabbing players with immense talent in the second round, they may be inclined to pounce on a BPA.

The idea of taking a back early in the draft isn’t an indictment of Brown, by any means, but rather an implementation of past Bengals strategies and a recognition of past successes. With uncertainty surrounding Zack Moss after his gruesome neck injury, Cincinnati will likely need a bigger, capable back for the coming year.

Enter North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, who has an impressive resume and has drawn comparisons to Mixon. Looking back to 2023, there were flashes of the Mixon/Brown duo being effective, and Cincinnati could look to recreate that this spring.

Omarion Hampton​

• Height: 5’11 1/2”
• Weight: 221
• Age: 22
• Year: Junior
• School: North Carolina
• Hometown: Forest City, North Carolina
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.48
• RAS:

Background​

Hampton was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class, coming off winning North Carolina Football Player of the Year during his senior year of high school. He immediately saw starting time at UNC, taking over as the full-time starter in 2023.

He amassed 3,164 rushing yards, 30 rushing touchdowns, along with 67 receptions for 595 yards and three receiving touchdowns over the past two seasons. This earned him First-Team All-ACC and First-Team All-American honors in 2023-2024.

As mentioned earlier, his running style and size have drawn comparisons to Le’Veon Bell and Mixon. Given his production and tape, Hampton is projected to be a fringe first-round to early second-round pick in this year’s class.

Strengths and Weaknesses​

Some comparisons of Hampton have him resembling Mixon (his wearing of jersey No. 28 with the Tar Heels also helps), and there are also some Le’Veon Bell-esque qualities on film. He shows patience at the line, waiting for the crease, often leading to explosive plays.

Unlike Mixon, however, Hampton doesn’t always run so upright, which comes with both pros and cons. Still, he is frequently seen breaking tackles, particularly escaping arm wrap-up attempts around his feet and breaking off big plays.

His RAS profile shows he is a high-end athlete, and his sub-4.5 40-yard dash time is impressive for someone weighing 221 pounds. On film, his long speed looks good but not elite, as he is occasionally seen getting chased down on big plays.

The shuttle time noted on the RAS is concerning, but as a bigger back, that can sometimes come with the territory. Hampton is also an effective receiver, often breaking off big gains on screens and shovel passes. However, his route tree wasn’t overly expansive at UNC, though he can contribute in multiple ways, to be sure.

Outlook​

Hampton is a consensus top-five back in this class, with many pundits ranking him at No. 2 behind Ashton Jeanty. While it’s hard to predict exactly where he’ll land, No. 49 seems like a long shot. Still, stranger things have happened in past drafts.

The Bengals choosing a running back early may not sit well with everyone, but a backfield featuring Hampton alongside Brown would be a formidable duo—particularly now that Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are signed long-term. It also offers flexibility, with some formations utilizing Hampton in the backfield while Brown splits out in the slot to confuse defenses.

PFF has some small worries that Hampton could be “a boom-or-bust prospect, depending on his offensive line,” but the talent is undeniable. We’ll see when he is available and if the Bengals get tempted by his abilities.

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Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/2025/4/...t-profile-north-carolina-running-back-bengals

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

Bengals bringing Quinshon Judkins in for pre-draft visit

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Thoughts on this, Bengals fans?

We’re less than a month away from the 2025 NFL Draft, and teams are doing their research and creating draft boards to help fill out their rosters. This includes bringing incoming rookies for pre-draft visits.

One such visit, according to Jordan Schultz, for the Cincinnati Bengals is Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins.

Judkins was part of a one-two punch for the National Champion Buckeyes. He spent two seasons with Ole Miss before transferring to OSU for a single season. In those three seasons, Judkins rushed for 3,785 yards and scored 45 touchdowns. He and TreVeyon Henderson formed an incredible one-two punch that helped the Buckeyes win the first expanded playoff national championship.

Lance Zierlien compares Judkins to former Bengals running back Joe Mixon and says he’s “wired and built for a heavier carry count and short-yardage success.” Pairing him with the explosive Chase Brown could give an already top-tier offense an extra dimension. He’s 51st on ESPN’s big board and is their No. 4 running back in this year’s draft class behind Henderson, who is No. 3.

PFF also ranks Judkins as the fourth-best running back in this year’s draft class (53 overall) but has him ahead of Henderson.

Most believe Judkins will be a second-round pick. The Bengals don’t have extra picks to play around with. In fact, they only have six, and every one of them is extremely important. It will be interesting to see what the Bengals do, considering they have needs at guard and throughout the defense.

Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins has several upcoming visits, including the Texans, Broncos, Bengals, Giants and Browns — while recently completing one with the Cowboys, per sources.

A fast-rising prospect in a deep RB class, one scout told me: “Pretty complete player. Trusts his… pic.twitter.com/v7Qw0D9QYL

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 4, 2025​

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/2025/4/...-draft-visit-ohio-state-buckeyes-football-nfl

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

Monday Discussion: What should the Bengals do with Germaine Pratt?

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Sound off on what the Bengals should do with their starting linebacker.

Greetings, Bengals fans!

For today’s discussion, we’re asking you to let us know what Cincinnati should do with starting linebacker Germaine Pratt. Already a cap casualty candidate, Pratt requested a trade earlier this offseason, so his days in Cincinnati appear to be numbered.

Should the Bengals take the best offer available and send Pratt packing? And if there are no trade offers, should they cut bait now?

Or should the team bring him back in hopes of a resurgence under new defensive coordinator Al Golden?

Let us know your thoughts!

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/2025/4/7/24402770/what-should-bengals-do-with-germaine-pratt

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

A mixed pair of updates on Bengals’ contract talks with Trey Hendrickson: Is a trade still in play?

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Could the Bengals still trade Hendrickson?

This offseason has been busy for the Cincinnati Bengals. They went through a coordinator search and negotiated deals to keep their top two receivers in the Queen City.

Now, they are turning their attention to trying to strike a deal with defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

The last few weeks have been filled with talks of the negotiation stalling, leaving the fanbase and the NFL really trying to figure out where this thing eventually goes.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Bengals are still pushing to sign their best defensive player.

On an appearance with The Pat McAfee Show, Rapoport spoke about the Bengals’ desire to retain Hendrickson.

“Yeah, it’s a little messy,” Rapoport said. ”I believe the Bengals would like to keep him and pay him and make it work. They are not in the business of letting good players go, so even when they granted him permission to seek a trade, I believe their best option was to sign him and pay him. We’ll see if that happens. I still think it is very, very possible. And if that happens, despite all the mess, it’ll be a really, really good offseason in Cincinnati.”

However, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline painted a much different picture in his own Hendrickson update, suggesting a trade was still very much in play if the Bengals spend their first-round pick on an edge rusher.

“Many tell me the Bengals will do exactly that. Take an edge rusher with the 17th pick, and then trade Trey Hendrickson on draft weekend or soon after the seven rounds are completed,” Pauline said.

There seems to still be a long way to go in these talks, but let’s hope the front office can get an extension done and not be forced into trading one of their four best players.

Signing Hendrickson to a long-term extension would put this team in a great position to make a championship run in the coming seasons.

Now we wait and see.

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/2025/4/...-bengals-contract-nfl-draft-rumors-cincinnati

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

Mel Kiper's 2-round mock draft has Bengals landing standouts from Alabama and Ohio State

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The Bengals have had success drafting Ohio State defensive players before.

Every year, many Cincinnati Bengals fans love to think about which Ohio State Buckeyes prospects could be good fits in stripes.

In 2018, the Bengals drafted Sam Hubbard in the third round of the NFL Draft. Hubbard delivered a solid seven-year career, highlighted by “The Hubbard Yard Dash” in the Bengals win over the Ravens in the Playoffs in January of 2023.

More importantly, Hubbard was a big part of the Bengals’ revival and rebranding as an organization and in the city of Cincinnati, with Zac Taylor resetting the culture in the locker room.

In his latest two-round mock draft, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the Bengals drafting Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau 49th overall.

Kiper writes on Tuimoloau: “Regardless of whether Trey Hendrickson stays in Cincinnati, the Bengals have to do something to improve the rest of the pass rush. Tuimoloau — my No. 2 defensive end in the class — had 12.5 sacks and 46 pressures last season.”

Tuimoloau also had 22 tackles for loss last season, playing a key role in the Buckeyes' run to the National Championship. He was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection.

Kiper’s first-round selection for the Bengals is Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Jihaad Campbell. Kiper calls Campbell “a complete football player.”

In 2024, Campbell had 12 tackles, five sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, 16 pressures, 12 run stops, an interception, four pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. Sounds like what you want in a linebacker.

Campbell was First-Team All-SEC last season.

The NFL Draft this year could be a weekend where everything comes to a resolution or crescendos. Will the Bengals come to an agreement with star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson? Could they trade him during the NFL Draft?

There’s also the storyline of what’s going to happen with Germaine Pratt. He also requested a trade this offseason. That’s why Campbell would be a smart draft pick for the Bengals.

Either way, this offseason has no shortage of action and activity.

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Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/2025/4/...2-round-projection-bengals-ohio-state-alabama