Bengals sign 7 NFL Draft picks and Trent Taylor

The Cincinnati Bengals today signed seven draft picks — defensive end Cam Sample, defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin, offensive tackle D’Ante Smith, kicker Evan McPherson, offensive lineman Trey Hill, running back Chris Evans, and defensive end Wyatt Hubert.

The Sample and Smith signings were reported earlier today by Aaron Wilson.

In addition, the Bengals also announced the signing of free agent wide receiver Trent Taylor, who took part in last week’s rookie minicamp tryout. This was also reported earlier today by Mike Garafolo.

• Sample (6-3, 267; fourth-round pick out Tulane) played in 44 career games (36 starts) for the Green Wave and recorded 162 career tackles, including 22 for losses and 11.5 sacks, along with eight pass defenses, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
• Shelvin (6-2, 350; fourth-round out of LSU) played in 21 career games (14 starts) for the Tigers. He totaled 48 career tackles, including 4.5 for losses and one sack.
• Smith (6-5, 305; fourth-round via East Carolina), had 33 career games (30 starts) for the Pirates. He saw action at both G and OT early in his career before eventually settling at OT.
• McPherson (5-11, 185; fifth-round via Florida) played in 37 career games for the Gators and finished his career with 302 points, converting 51 of 60 FGs (85%) and 149 of 150 PATs.
• Hill (6-4, 319; sixth-round; Georgia) spent the last three seasons (2018-20) at Georgia. He played in 36 career games (26 starts), seeing action at G early in his career before becoming the starting C for his final two seasons.
• Evans (5-11, 211; sixth-round via Michigan), in 42 career games for the Wolverines with six starts (including one at WR), rushed 320 times for 1795 yards (5.6-yard average) and 15 TDs. He also caught 49 passes for 479 yards and two TDs.
• Hubert (6-3, 258; seventh-round; Kansas State) played in 34 career games (29 starts) for the Wildcats and recorded 94 tackles, including 34 for losses and 20 sacks, along with an INT, three PDs and three FFs.

Of the team’s 10 total draft picks, just three remain unsigned — wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (first round out of LSU), offensive lineman Carman Jackson (second round out Clemson) and defensive end Joseph Ossai (third round out of Texas).

Taylor (5-8, 181), a fifth-year player out of Louisiana Tech University, was originally a fifth-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 and spent all four of his previous NFL seasons with them. He has played in 41 career NFL games (two starts) and has 79 catches for 731 yards and three touchdowns, as well as 49 punt returns for 471 yards (9.61-yard average).

Taylor will seemingly compete for one of the final wide receiver spots along with Stanley Morgan, Mike Thomas, Riley Lees, Scotty Washington and Trenton Irwin.