Latest news with #DemetriusKnightJr
Associated Press
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Bengals 1st-round pick Stewart doesn't take part in rookie minicamp after not signing contract
CINCINNATI (AP) — Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart did not participate in on-field work during Cincinnati's rookie minicamp on Friday because the edge rusher remains unsigned. Unsigned draft picks usually sign an agreement that protects them in case of an injury so they can do on-field work during minicamp or offseason workouts, but Stewart told reporters: 'I just decided not to sign those papers.' Stewart — who was taken with the 17th overall pick — said he was hoping to sign his contract early next week. He took part in team meetings, but was watching on the field as defensive linemen went through drills. 'I hate to be on the sideline just looking at everyone else doing work, especially on the first day. It was kind of tough on me,' he said. Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr., a second-round selection, is also unsigned and didn't do any on-field work. Cincinnati's other four draft picks signed contracts on Friday. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals Cutting $20 Million Star Would Mean Huge Request of Rookie
The Cincinnati Bengals are reportedly likely to be cutting star linebacker Germaine Pratt in the near future, so the team will need someone to come in and fill the hole he leaves behind. The team might have gotten that guy in the 2025 NFL Draft. Advertisement In a recent article by PFF's Trevor Sikkema, he outlines his favorite draft pick that every team made. For the Bengals, the players he lists is former South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr., who the team got with the No. 47 pick in the second round. "When the Bengals defense was at its best — in the team's 2021 season — it had top-tier linebacker play. The unit lacked playmakers around middle linebacker Logan Wilson heading into the draft, and that's where Knight fills a big hole," Sikkema writes. "He can use his speed as an ideal weakside linebacker next to Wilson." Pratt (who is playing on a $20 million total contract) was one of the best tackles in the NFL in 2024 with 143, and Knight - lofty though the goal seems to be - could be that kind of guy for the Bengals. He finished his one and only season at South Carolina with 82 total tackles, with eight of them being for a loss. He was also able to show his versatility by getting to the quarterback and recording two sacks, as well as snagging an interception. Advertisement The Bengals defense has been disappointing the past several seasons, and Knight be will be looking to help the team turn it around. Related: Bengals Destroyed for Questionable NFL Draft Picks Related: Mel Kiper Jr. Destroys 'Ho-Hum' Bengals For 'Worst NFL Draft'
