Bengals to host past winner of a major college football award among others at upcoming local pro day
The Cincinnati Bengals will host its annual local college pro day on Tuesday, Aprils 15, just nine days before the 2025 NFL Draft begins. Local pro days are when NFL clubs can invite college players with ties to the city. Usually it features players who grew up close by and oftentimes stayed close to play […]
The Cincinnati Bengals will host its annual local college pro day on Tuesday, Aprils 15, just nine days before the 2025 NFL Draft begins.
Local pro days are when NFL clubs can invite college players with ties to the city. Usually it features players who grew up close by and oftentimes stayed close to play college football.
The full list of this year's invitees for the Bengals has not been disclosed yet, but a few of the names have been reported, including a winner of a major college football award from two years ago.
Per The Draft Network's Justin Melo, Alabama kicker Graham Nicholson, who won the 2023 Lou Groza award, will work out for the Bengals along with Duke linebacker Alex Howard and Northwestern tight end Marshall Lang.
Nicholson, A Cincinnati native who went to Summit Country Day High School, spent his first three seasons in college at Miami University in nearby Oxford, Ohio. He made 60 of his 71 kicks for the Redhawks and went 27-of-28 in 2023 on his way to becoming the first Lou Groza winner in both program and MAC history. He transferred to Bama in 2024 and made eight of his 10 attempts and made all 53 of his PATs.
The Bengals do not need a kicker as Evan McPherson is under contract for the next three seasons, but the former fifth-round pick is coming off his worst season as a professional and also missed the final five games due to injury. It wouldn't be the most shocking move for the Bengals to roster a second kicker during the offseason to lighten McPherson's workload and keep one on the practice squad during the season. Nicholson could be that guy.
Howard attended Mt. Healthy High School in Cincinnati and started his college career at Youngstown State before finishing at Duke. The Bengals have another former Duke linebacker Shaka Heyward already on the team and will be looking to add to the position during and after the draft. another transfer player
Lang actually started and ended his career at Northwestern and attended St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati before then. He hauled in 491 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 48 receptions for the Wildcats. Look for the Bengals to add a couple rookie tight ends this month as the position group will be without Erick All Jr. for the upcoming season.
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