Kendric Pryor impressing Zac Taylor

The Cincinnati Bengals still have several spots on the final 53-man roster up for grabs, and wide receiver Kendric Pryor, an undrafted free agent, has been making his claim for one of them.

Pryor has impressed head coach Zac Taylor and put his hard work on display in the Bengals' first preseason game. Despite that being a blowout loss, down 36-9 entering the fourth quarter, Pryor had arguably the most impressive game of any Bengals.

He ended the outing, getting thrown balls by Brandon Allen, Drew Pitt, and Jake Browning, with four receptions, 89 yards, and a touchdown. Pitt went 6-for-6 and had the only Bengals passing touchdown of the evening to Pryor.

“He’s been the most improved player since the springtime. What he did over the summer, I don’t know. Just making the most of his opportunities this training camp,” Taylor said Monday.

The 5-foot-11 receiver was a standout at Wisconsin in six seasons with the Badgers.

Pryor is unfortunately playing a position the Bengals are extremely deep at. Cincinnati arguably has the best three-man receiving trio in the NFL with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

Michael Thomas should be a lock to make the roster as well given his special teams contributions. While Pryor had a great evening and impressed, Trent Taylor did as well. Stanley Morgan is another name to keep an eye on.

However, from what Taylor has said, Pryor seems to be gaining traction with the coaching staff, and his athletic catches in the team’s first preseason outing are a clear reason why he may find himself after final roster cuts are made.