Ryan Rehkow and Maema Njongmeta were the most impressive rookies this week.
The Cincinnati Bengals are a team of contradictions, and not in a good way.
On paper, they have an explosive offense, but where was it in Week 1?
Twelve rookies made the final roster, but where are they?
First-round selection Amarius Mims was injured and did not play.
Second-round pick Kris Jenkins… ditto.
Third-round pick Jermaine Burton was active but saw little action and no targets.
Fellow 3rd round pick Jackson McKinley is on the IR.
Ay Caramba!
While rookies like Daijahn Anthony and Josh Newton saw some action, the only rookie to record a stat was undrafted punter Ryan Rehkow.
Rehkow set team and league records in his debut. His 64.5-yard average is the highest in NFL history, and his 80-yard boomer was the longest punt in Bengals history. The Bengals may have finally found their man.
The other most impactful rookie was the team’s other UDFA, linebacker Maema Njongmeta, who didn’t see any action on defense but played a whopping 90% of snaps on special teams.
Among the drafted rookies, Erick All was the most impressive in this game. He played twelve offensive snaps and made a few impressive blocks.
If the Bengals are going to invest so much in these young players, they need to get something out of them on Sundays.
