Bengals meeting with Ohio State defensive lineman Sam Hubbard

With the NFL Draft now under two weeks away, the Bengals continue to meet with some of this year’s most promising prospects.

The latest is Ohio State defensive lineman Sam Hubbard. According to Ian Rapoport, Cincinnati is hosting Hubbard for a pre-draft visit this week.

Weighing in at 6’5” and 265 pounds, Hubbard is regarded as one of the top edge defenders in this year’s draft. He first gained a full-time starting role in 2016, when he registered racking up 46 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two pass break-ups.

Last season, Hubbard recorded 42 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles. He’s a little undersized to be a full-time defensive end right away in a 4-3 defense, but that’s the position he’d have in Cincinnati.

NFL.com gives Hubbard a Round 2 grade, so perhaps he’ll be in play for the Bengals at pick No. 46. This isn’t viewed as an immediate need, but it could be next year when Carlos Dunlap becomes a free agent. The Bengals would be wise to take a defensive end at some point in this draft, so Hubbard could be a name to watch for. With that said, the Bengals’ hope is to re-sign Dunlap this offseason.

Hubbard actually grew up a Bengals fan and even met with the team at the NFL Scouting Combine: