We’re 85 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Each and every day, we’re going to profile one player on the Bengals’ 90-man roster right before it gets trimmed for the season. Check out previous player profiles here.

We’ve finally arrived at a drafted player in the series, and if given a fair chance, he could build a strong case to crack the 53-man roster.

Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. Player Profile

Age: 24
Year: 1
Position: Linebacker
College: Virginia Tech
Jersey Number: 56

Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. was originally drafted with the No. 209 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played three years of college football at Florida from 2020-22 before transferring to Virginia Tech and playing two years for the Hokies from 2023-24. The transfer paid off as his production exploded at VT. He recorded 96 pressures, 33.5 tackles for loss, and 25.5 sacks in 25 games.

Philly waived Powell-Ryland during final cuts last year. The Eagles added him to the practice squad, but then released him days later before the season began. He re-signed a month later, but was released a month after that. The Bengals finally signed him to their practice squad on Nov. 10, where he would stay for the rest of the season.

Contract details

Powell-Ryland signed a futures deal to remain with Cincinnati during the 2026 offseason. His contract, a one-year, $885,000 deal, is the minimum for a player with his level of experience. His cash figure and cap hit are both the $885,000 amount.

Roster outlook

Among the several midseason practice squad additions Cincy made last year, Powell-Ryland stands out in an obvious way. He’s listed as a linebacker, but has a promising history of pass rushing production.

How the Bengals deploy Powell-Ryland will impact the chances of him making the team instead of earning another practice squad spot.

Cincinnati’s defense is fully embracing EDGE players who are traditionally classified as 3-4 outside linebackers. Boye Mafe and Cashius Howell are definitive proof of it. Ryland-Powell makes a ton of sense as a backup for them, and should get ample preseason snaps to prove it. If he’s deprived of pass rushing looks and sticks to traditional LB snaps, his effectiveness may be neutered.

Roster odds: 20%