Kwamie Lassiter II making a name for himself at Bengals OTAs

The heat is here, and it isn’t slowing down OTAs for the Cincinnati Bengals.

The majority of the team is in town, getting some work in on the practice field and looking to build off of last season’s magical ride. While there aren’t reports of anyone blowing you out of the water in shorts and jerseys, one player has stood out.

Kawmie Lassiter II is entering his first season in the NFL, and it looks like he is making the most out of his opportunity. The undrafted rookie out of Kansas has been one of the players catching the eye of coaches and media alike.

Lassiter II, son of former NFL safety Kwamie Lassiter, is looking to find a place on the team in wide receiver group that is actually fairly thin once you get past Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen an undrafted wideout have success in the summer. In 2019, Damion Willis was the talk of camp. He drew the praise of then first-year head coach Zac Taylor and was actually one of the starting wide receivers the first game of the season. Of course, the buzz from the summer didn’t translate to actual games, with Willis only hauling in nine passes for 82 yards and no touchdowns.

Lassiter, however, may be able to find a roster spot on special teams. Receivers at the bottom of the depth chart are typically used on special teams in some fashion. With the strong showing in camp and if he’s able to stand out in special teams practice, he has a legitimate shot to make the roster.

Another area to watch for is in the return game. With Brandon Wilson less than a year out from a knee injury that ended his 2021 season, Lassiter is primed to compete with Trent Taylor for return duties.

A different No. 18 on the field in September will look odd to us all, but it looks like there is a real chance for it.