Bengals hosting pre-draft visit for defensive tackle prospect could be a clever way to catch two fish with one net
Intel is everything leading up to the NFL Draft. Coaches and personnel members can check with as many secondary sources as they can find to learn about the players they're interested in, but they only have a few opportunities to hear directly from the player himself before getting on the clock. That's what Top 30 […]
Intel is everything leading up to the NFL Draft. Coaches and personnel members can check with as many secondary sources as they can find to learn about the players they're interested in, but they only have a few opportunities to hear directly from the player himself before getting on the clock.
That's what Top 30 visits are all about; bringing the player in the stadium he could be calling home for the next four years and finding out who he really is on a personal level.
And if he can provide any anecdotes and insight about a teammate of his, that makes the visit even more valuable. The Cincinnati Bengals may've pulled off this strategy this week.
Bengals meet with two draft prospects from Tennessee this week
Amid the onslaught of pre-draft visits this week, the Bengals are talking to former teammates from Tennessee in James Pearce Jr., and Omarr Norman-Lott. Pearce Jr.'s visit, reported Tuesday, is scheduled for sometime this week, and Norman-Lott's visit was Wednesday.
Norman-Lott is an intriguing player to meet with in his own right. Originally a transfer player from Arizona State, he finished his collegiate career with two years at Tennessee and managed to rack up solid production despite rarely playing starter-level snaps. His pass rush win rate and pass rush grade against true pass sets each rank in the 89th percentile according to Pro Football Focus' 2025 NFL Draft Guide.
There are worthwhile questions about why the Volunteers didn't play Norman-Lott more often, but he did play alongside Pearce during both years and spent ample time in the locker room and practice field with him as well.
Along with asking questions about himself, did the Bengals also gauge Norman-Lott for additional info on his teammate? It's entirely possible.
Pearce is one of the more polarizing prospects in this entire class. He was in the running to go first-overall last fall, and now is pretty much outside the first round when looking at a consensus big board. Concerns about his motor and work ethic seem to be the main factors for his stock falling.
Those are questions for him to answer, but if you can also ask a teammate who sat in meetings with him, that's just another source to utilize.
This can also be flipped around. If the Bengals want to hear from Pearce why Norman-Lott averaged just 230 snaps per season, they can ask him for his perspective as well.
Cincinnati meeting with college teammates is also notable considering the trend they've kept alive for several years. The Bengals have drafted players from the same school in the same draft in four of the last six drafts. Cedric Johnson and Daijahn Anthony became last year's reunion as Day 3 picks from Ole Miss. Pearce and Norman-Lott could be a Day 2 combo if Pearce manages to fall to the 49th overall pick.
If only one becomes a Bengal, they at least have more knowledge on either one to make that decision.
Bengals 2025 Pre-Draft Visits: Tracking all the players Cincinnati is meeting with with leading up to the NFL Draft
A complete list of players visiting Cincinnati leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft.
