After several years on the opposite side of the spectrum, the Cincinnati Bengals have recently taken great interest in the character of the players on the roster. In the mid-2000s, the organization was unfortunately known for a handful of players that landed in legal trouble. Now, the team is typically renowned for being above board and for being solid role models in the community.
Cincinnati Bengals Bring in Collegiate Team Captain for Draft Visit
After all of that drama from past years (and an unfortunate relapse with the Joe Mixon saga of last year), Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor puts heavy emphasis on the leadership traits of his roster. He continued this trend when he brought in Arkansas edge rusher Trajan Jeffcoat for a team visit on Thursday afternoon. Jeffcoat is a solid player but his biggest asset is that he was a team captain for the Razorbacks last while just joining the team in 2023.
Jeffcoat played for the University of Missouri from 2018 to 2022 when he decided to transfer to the University of Arkansas for his final season. He was able to play for such a long collegiate career due to the additional year of eligibility that college players gained during the quarantine season.
On paper, Jeffcoat looks like a fairly average athlete with relatively quick speed but average technique. While he did manage a 4.69 second time on the 40-yard dash, his game film isn’t necessarily spectacular. He has a tendency to attempt to win with power too much on the perimeter even though he doesn’t have a size advantage against many offensive linemen. He has excellent hand speed but doesn’t show that skill set often enough.
While he has excellent leadership abilities, Jeffcoat would likely be a long-term project that would spend the first year or two of his career either as a depth piece or a practice squad player. Another goal for Taylor might be to have Jeffcoat work with elite defensive end Trey Hendrickson: Hendrickson has arguably the best hands in the NFL as a pass rusher and would be able to maximize Jeffcoat’s greatest asset.
The defensive end position seems fairly set but after winning big on pass rusher Carl Lawson with a fourth-round pick in 2017, Cincinnati is trying to regenerate some of that same luck on the outside of the line. At the very least, Jeffcoat will likely be a tremendous asset in the locker room which at the end of the day, is just as important as his play on the field. In order to succeed as a football team, the organization has to put in the effort to keep quality leadership abundant in the building.
Jeffcoat may not be a household name but he has had a reputation as an excellent player since he was at Missouri five years ago. It is always possible that the franchise will find another diamond in the rough to help them finally win their first Super Bowl in 2024.
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1 Comment
Katie Blackburn (co-owner) runs the team now. Not Mike Brown. Do some research next time!