Bengals Rookie Report Card: Amarius Mims still settling in and the mystery of Jermaine Burton

12 rookies take up nearly 25% of a team's 53-man roster. That's a lot of space saved for players still learning how to be NFL players, but the Cincinnati Bengals are already seeing the benefits of this risk. 

All 10 of Cincinnati's selections from the 2024 NFL Draft made the Week 1 roster along with two undrafted free agents who came to the team in different ways. Three of them are now starters, at least in the way that should count, and many more are building promising roles for themselves.  

Let's check in on each and every one through the first six weeks of their rookie seasons (key stats are provided by Pro Football Focus).

Amarius Mims

- First-round pick (18th overall)
- Current Role: Starting right tackle

When Trent Brown went down with a season-ending injury in the middle of Week 3 against the Washington Commanders, Mims' career officially began as the Bengals' right tackle. He allowed a sack in his first-ever appearance off the bench but appeared much more settled in a week later in his first-ever start against the Carolina Panthers. Each of Mims' three starts have been similar experiences with quality play mixed with rookie errors like missing the snap and letting New York Giants edge defender Azeez Ojulari blow by him in Week 6. He also had an injury scare in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens, but returned after missing 20 snaps.

Key Stat: 96.3 Pass Blocking Efficiency (3rd out of 11 rookie OT). When his timing in his sets is right, he can pass protect against anyone. That much is for sure. The only rookie tackles with a higher PBE than Mims so far are Joe Alt and JC Latham, two of the four tackles drafted ahead of him. Starting as a rookie offensive lineman can be daunting, but Mims is at a good base level for sustainable growth.  

Kris Jenkins Jr.

- Second-round pick (49th overall)
- Current Role: Rotational defensive tackle

Making it through your first training camp and preseason just to be injured days leading up to your regular season debut is brutal. Fortunately for Jenkins, he only needed to miss two games with his thumb injury and returned with a club on his right hand. He averaged 23 snaps during his first two games and showed out during a needed win over the Panthers. Playing well against his dad's former team earned him praise from head coach Zac Taylor, and his snaps have increased to an average of 42 per game over the last two weeks despite others at the position returning from injury. 

Key Stat: 0 pressures on 67 pass rushing snaps. We're still waiting on Jenkins to show up as a pass rusher, but he's also only played one game without a club. He's showcased power against the run and can even play as a heads up nose. Progress should be seen as his hand usage grows.  

Jermaine Burton

- Third-round pick (80th overall)
- Current Role: Backup wide receiver

Your guess is as good as mine as to why Burton is buried on the depth chart. WR5 is the best placement for him since he's been active more times than Trenton Irwin, but his two targets matches the number of passes that have gone Charlie Jones' way. The talent is obviously there, evidenced by his first target resulting in a 47-yard completion for one of the Bengals' first explosive plays of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. He's been without a target and has taken six offensive snaps since. He was even a healthy scratch against the Giants last week. 

Key Stat: Longest reception of 47 yards ranks t-6th among all rookies. Burton is still in the process of building trust with the coaching staff and offense, which has limited his chances for on-field development. Whatever the reasoning may be, his rookie season is not panning out like many had hoped it would.

McKinnley Jackson

- Third-round pick (97th overall)
- Current Role: Rotational defensive tackle

A knee injury took away most of Jackson's first training camp, all of his first preseason, and the first four regular season games of his rookie year. We have just two weeks of Jackson practicing and playing to observe, but his first game with a notable role was promising. He logged 21 snaps as a part of a full defensive line rotation in New York and registered three pressures as a pass rusher while also causing some disruption against the run. 

Key Stat: 25% pass rush win rate against true pass sets (3rd out of 21 rookie DTs). The sample size is small, but early impressions paint Jackson as the penetrating nose tackle he was at Texas A&M. Cincinnati is in a much better spot along the interior with him now rounding out the group. 

 

Erick All Jr.

- Fourth-round pick (115th overall)
- Current Role: Starting tight end

The star of Cincinnati's rookie class has been All, because what can't he do? He's the multi-purpose tight end this offense has been lacking for the duration of the Burrow-era. All's 152 snaps following his limited Week 1 usage are the most out of any tight end on the roster, and he's had the most balanced usage between blocking and receiving. Whether he's inline or in the backfield for about seven snaps a game lead-blocking for Chase Brown, he's become too useful to hide on the bench behind Drew Sample and Mike Gesicki.

Key Stat: 1.50 yards per route run (t-8th out of 19 rookie WR/TE with 10 targets). All is posting solid receiving production relative to this rookie class despite an average depth of target of just 1.9 yards (he's 19th out of 19 in that category). He's making the most of his looks in the passing game while being a total asset in the run game. Helluva fourth-round pick thus far. 

Josh Newton

- Fifth-round pick (149th overall)
- Current Role: Backup nickelback

After exclusively playing special teams during the first three weeks, Newton was tasked with cornerback snaps in each of the last three games due to injuries to both Dax Hill and Mike Hilton. He even took a crack at strong safety against the Giants, but 17 of his 28 defensive snaps have come from the slot. 

Key Stat: 28 defensive snaps from Weeks 4-6. The Bengals will continue peppering Newton with slot snaps when the opportunity is there. Should he show more progress, he'll be on track to replace Hilton next year. 

Tanner McLachlan

- Sixth-round pick (194th overall)
- Current Role: Backup tight end

There's been absolutely nothing to report about McLachlan yet. He's been inactive for all six games thus far as he's buried on the five-deep depth chart at tight end. Not even Tanner Hudson sees the field much behind the main trio of All, Sample, and Gesicki.

Key Stat: 0 games played. Until there's an injury (or multiple) in front of him, McLachlan is destined to complete a full redshirt year similar to the one Burton is undergoing.

Cedric Johnson

- Sixth-round pick (214th overall)
- Current Role: Backup edge defender

Johnson made the 53-man roster thanks to a solid preseason and injuries on the edge, but Myles Murphy missing the first four games and Sam Hubbard starting off slow still couldn't get Johnson on the field until Week 3. He played 34 snaps from Weeks 3-4 as the defensive line had major depth issues. He even recorded two tackles in just 10 snaps during his Week 3 debut. 

Key Stat: One defensive stop in 14 run defense snaps. Johnson is firmly EDGE5 as the entire defensive line is back to full strength. He was a healthy scratch last week along with Lawrence Guy Sr. and Jay Tufele. Those decisions could be matchup-based, but it's also an indication of where he falls in the pecking order for playing time. 

Daijahn Anthony

- Seventh-round pick (224th overall)
- Current Role: Backup safety

Anthony has only taken two snaps on defense since his infamous pass interference penalty against the Chiefs in Week 2, but he showcased his value in an unlikely scenario when he broken up a fake punt pass against the Panthers in Week 4. Special teams is where Anthony will continue to build trust as a rookie as Newton, Jordan Battle, and Jalen Davis have all earned larger roles behind the starting defensive backs. 

Key Stat: Six of 10 defensive snaps have come from the slot. It's easy for seventh-round picks to be defined by early mistakes, which makes Anthony's redemption moment two weeks later awesome to see. More turmoil beyond Vonn Bell's regression will have to occur for him to get more chances this year.

Matt Lee

- Seventh-round pick (237th overall)
- Current Role: Backup center

Lee did his job to make the roster over Trey Hill, but he's not seeing the field until an injury gives him an opportunity. Ted Karras remains as durable as ever as the starting center. Lee will continue to develop behind him as a potential future replacement. 

Key Stat: 28 field goal unit snaps played. Lee at least has a role on field goal unit, so there's that. 

 

Ryan Rehkow

- Undrafted free agent (Signed in July)
- Current Role: Punter

Rehkow won the punting job at the start of the season by default thanks to Brad Robbins' hip injury, but he sealed the deal after four weeks by being the most explosive punter in the NFL. His net average of 47.3 yards per punt is tops in the league and gross average of 52.9 is tied for first with Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole. He's flipped the field more times in six games than a Bengals punter has done in years. Look no further than when he pinned the Ravens down at their own one-yard line and the Bengals forced a safety the very next play. 

Key Stat: 5.7 yards per return allowed on nine return attempts (5th out of 32 P). It'd be one thing if Rehkow was booming punts that quickly got to the returner and sizable returns would follow. Rehkow combines abnormal leg strength with an average hang time of 4.55 seconds (sixth in the NFL) and is getting even better at pinning the ball near the end zone. Punters are not only people, they can be weapons.  

Maema Njongmeta

- Undrafted free agent
- Current Role: Backup linebacker

After shining on defense in the preseason, Njongmeta has emerged as one of the busiest rookie special teamers around. Only three other rookies have logged more than his 129 special teams snaps through six weeks. He also got a handful of looks on defense from Weeks 4-5 when defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was emptying the depth chart to find answers. 

Key Stat: Two special teams tackles (t-6th among all rookies). Njongmeta will continue putting good tape out during kickoffs and punts. The more trust he builds, the more likely he'll get playing time at linebacker if injuries pop up.