The Bengals will be without one of their rookies for the entirety of the 2021 season. Defensive end Wyatt Hubert is set to miss the year after tearing a pectoral muscle, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby tweets.
Cincinnati selected Hubert in the seventh round out of Kansas State. Hubert is one of three D-linemen the Bengals chose on Day 3, following fourth-round defensive end Cameron Sample and fourth-round D-tackle Tyler Shelvin. Third-round pick Joseph Ossai also compiled 10.5 sacks from his linebacker position over the past two seasons.
Hubert is coming off a strong junior year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic reducing the college football season, Hubert registered a career-high 8.5 sacks — third-most in the Big 12 — and 13 tackles for loss. He posted seven sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore in 2019.
Cincy has reshuffled its defensive line over the past several months, trading Carlos Dunlap and cutting Geno Atkins. The team also did not use its franchise tag on Carl Lawson, who joined the Jets. The Bengals extended Sam Hubbard on Sunday, however, and signed breakout Saints pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to start alongside him. Hubert will aim to join this mix in 2022.
He would have had a tough time making the roster either way, but maybe it can be a blessing in disguise. This will allow him a year to get used to the NFL, get into the playbook and understand the scheme better, and then he can make another go at it next season.
He definitely has some promise, even if it is just as a situational pass rusher at first, but hopefully he can get healthy and find his footing
I agree with everything you said. The Bengals generally get some kind of production from their 7th rounders and Clinton McDonald has logged 121 games showing it’s possible to beat the odds.