Bengals attended Oregon State pro day to scout running back Ryan Nall

The Bengals seem determined to bring in some competition behind Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard at the running back position. They have already met with several late-round running backs, and the most recent is Oregon State’s Ryan Nall.

The Bengals were in attendance as Nall improved his 40-yard dash time and vertical leap from the Scouting Combine totals he put up. They also reportedly had their running backs coach Kyle Caskey meet with Nall one-on-one, according to Danny Moran of Oregon Live.

Nall isn’t viewed as merely just a running back prospect though. Some scouts view him as a possible tight end or even fullback. Nall understands the reality of his situation and isn’t afraid to be labeled as something other than running back.

That is the kind of mindset that gets you on a roster. Nothing is more true for a fringe player in the NFL than the more you can do means a better chance of sticking around.

Nall’s value really comes in that versatility. He doesn’t have incredible size for a tight end at 6’2”, but it is enough to get by as a mix and match player. He is the kind of player you can have on the field for three straight plays and he lines up at a different spot every time. That is something that can really confuse a defense.

His greatest strength as a running back is his ability to be part of the passing game. That also mixes in with the fullback and tight end position obviously, but he doesn’t offer much at the running back position otherwise. He is a decisive downhill runner, but he isn’t going to create that much more than the offensive line gives him. He could provide some utility as a short-yardage runner if need be as well.

Right now, whether Nall gets drafted is up in the air, but I’d be willing to bet the Bengals use one of their three seventh round picks on a running back with the way they’ve kept their eyes on these guys. He could also end up being an undrafted free agent who gets picked up very quickly.

Nall is pretty much a dream player for the Bengals with the amount of positions he is capable of playing, but there is a question of if there would be room on the roster or even practice squad for him.

Ryan Hewitt is a similar player, and he still has two-years left on his deal. The team also brought in Cethan Carter last season who they labeled as a tight end/ h-back as well.

Nall could push for a roster spot, and he could prove to have a higher ceiling than Hewitt or Carter, but he would have to show it early in order to get a spot on the 53-man roster.