The Bengals drafted LB Demetrius Knight in the middle of Round 2. Knight joins a defense that still has Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt at the position. Knight's a bit of a curious pick. He's a nice size-speed combo, delivering an 81st-percentile speed score at 6'2, 235 pounds. He also tallied nice production over his final two years. That included 96 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 3 INTs in his lone season at Charlotte (2023); and then 82 tackles, 8 TFLs, and 2 sacks in his only year at South Carolina. Those two seasons followed four years quiet years at Georgia Tech, though. His breakthrough years came at ages 23 and 24, and Knight turned 25 this January.
Pratt was rumored to be a trade candidate early this offseason. That type of move -- or an injury to him or Wilson -- would likely need to happen if Knight's to see meaningful snaps this year.
Otherwise, he's headed for a limited role and fantasy irrelevance in his rookie campaign.
Demetrius Knight's advanced age and slow college breakout also makes him fairly unattractive long-term bet as well.
The draft capital sure seems to signal that the Bengals hope to get him on the field soon. But unless that happens in 2025, you'll need to be patient to draw value out of an older LB.
I think we'll be able to do better.
We'll see if this pick signals an upcoming Pratt move.
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