Bengals meet with one of the NFL Draft’s most athletic tight ends

It’s no secret that this year’s NFL Draft class of tight ends is strong. Around a dozen at the position could be drafted before the third round is over.

One of those dozen could be Tucker Kraft out of South Dakota State, who had himself an incredible week at the NFL combine.

Kraft blazed a 4.69 40-yard dash and leaped 10’2” in the broad jump at 254 pounds. That size and speed will get you noticed, but many NFL teams had already spoken to him before his workout.

The Cincinnati Bengals were one of those teams, per Justin Melo of The Draft Network.

Kraft would provide an injection of athleticism for any team’s tight end group, and the Bengals are no exception.

Cincinnati currently has one tight end under contract for the 2023 season in Devin Asiasi, who is a fringe roster player at best this year. They’re expected to try and retain Hayden Hurst in free agency, but that shouldn’t prevent getting younger and more explosive further down on the depth chart.

Kraft’s impressive workout could very well make him a second-round pick when it’s all said and done. The Bengals will be a team to watch when they’re on the clock that Friday evening.