Bengals Roster Breakdown: Drew Sample's niche role transcends the draft status he's already broken free from

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.Today, credit is due for […]

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
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Drew Sample
© Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.

Today, credit is due for tight end Drew Sample. One of the more surprising second-round picks in recent memory, Sample has managed to carve out a niche role in Cincinnati as he enters his sixth season. He's one of most trustworthy and reliable players in the locker room, and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Drew Sample

  • Age: 28
  • Year: 6th
  • Position: Tight end
  • College: Washington
  • Previous Teams: None
  • Jersey Number: 89

Sample was drafted by the Bengals with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent five years at Washington and played for four after redshirting as a true freshman in 2014. He started seven games in 2015 and earned Earle T. Glant Tough Husky Award from the team. He played in 13 games (7 starts) mostly in the run game as a blocker. He posted five receptions for 45 yards, and two of his catches were touchdowns. His role remained the same the following two years before finally seeing more action in the passing game as a senior in 2018. He logged career highs in receptions (25), yards (252), and touchdowns (3) in 14 starts and was named All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the second time in three years. 

Nearly 60% of Sample's snaps in college was him blocking. The scouting report on him was clear, but the Bengals believed he could offer more as a receiver and drafted him far earlier than he was projected. He played in nine games as a rookie as the team's third tight end before a right ankle injury cut his year short. Sample took over the starting job in 2020 after C.J. Uzomah suffered a torn Achilles in Week 2 and had his best year to date, recording 40 receptions for 349 yards and a touchdown. He reverted back to his role as a blocker first when Uzomah came back in 2021.

The final year of Sample's rookie contract was cut short when he tore his ACL in Week 2. He was inactive the following two weeks before being placed on injured reserve. The team re-signed him to a one-year deal in 2023 and he played in all 17 games. Without a reliable pass-blocking running back on the roster, he saw 92 snaps in the backfield to essentially fill that role. He also tripled his career touchdown total from one to three, with both of his scores coming in a four-week span.  

Contract details

Sample signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract with the Bengals this offseason. He will earn a base salary of $2.25 million for the 2024 season. He's already earned a guaranteed $2.35 million roster bonus as well as a $50,000 workout bonus. He can also earn up to $250,000 in per game roster bonuses. His cap hit of $4.9 million matches his cash payout for the season.

Roster outlook

From the moment he became a Bengal, the odds were stacked against Sample turning into a successful draft pick. Being instantly labeled a reach is tough business. The irony of it all is that Sample has never been a bad player. Limited? Absolutely, but he's always had value on the roster. Now that he's shed his draft status, that value is easier to notice. 

Cincinnati attempted to rebuild its tight end room this offseason, and part of that involved locking in Sample for three more years to fulfill the same blocking role he's had for his entire career. It's a role he does well, and that should continue in 2024. 

Projected role: Starting #2 tight end

Previous player breakdowns

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