Expert Analysis

4/27/23

7 min read

RB Athletic Archetype Guide: Cincinnati Bengals

By Nic Bodiford

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Welcome to The 33rd Team’s Athletic Archetypes series! In these pieces, NFL and fantasy football analyst Nic Bodiford will break down the preferred, position-specific athletic profiles utilized by NFL general managers. The purpose of the series is to help identify team-specific 2023 NFL Draft targets at the running back position.

NFL Combine data will be used whenever possible. Pro Day data will be used in a supplementary capacity if, and when, a player chooses not to participate in an NFL Combine drill or in the event that the NFL Combine data is unavailable. Pro Day data is marked using an asterisk except for arm length and hand length, which is always collected at Pro Days.

NFL Draft Scout is the primary data source with Relative Athletic Score (RAS) used as the preferred backup.

This article focuses on Dick Tobin's athletic archetypes at the running back position.

Other Archetypes: ARZ | ATL | BUF | CAR | CHI | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | KC |  LAC | LAR | LV | MIN | NO | NYG | NYJ | NE | PHI | SF | SEA | TB | WAS

Bengals RB Prototype

Dick Tobin, Cincinnati Bengals (1999-present)

• The Cincinnati Bengals do not have a general manager.
• Tobin has operated as the team’s director of player personnel/de facto general manager since 1999.

The table below reflects Tobin’s preferred athletic archetype for the running back position from 1999 to present.

Body Type 

• Among Tobin’s 17-player sample, 15 stand 5-foot-10-to-6-foot-1.
• Four-of-five 5-foot-10 players weigh more than 210 pounds and two weigh over 220 pounds.
• Four-of-five 5-foot-11 players weigh more than 210 pounds and three weigh 219 pounds or more and two weigh 227 pounds or more. 
• All five players weighing 6-foot to 6-foot-1 weigh more than 210 pounds, three weigh 219 pounds or more and two weigh 228 pounds or more.
• The two 5-foot-8 players weigh 202-206 pounds. 
• Body mass index is unimportant.

Speed, Agility and Spring

• Straight-line speed is unimportant.
• Diminutive players with a passing-game focus such as Giovani Bernard, Rex Burkhead, Kenny Irons and Chris Evans have run sub-4.20-second short-shuttle times (7.95 relative athletic score (RAS)) and 7.00 seconds or faster in the three-cone drill (7.47 RAS).
• The ideal broad jump is 9-foot-10 or better (5.92 RAS), though four players weighing 210-to-233 pounds jumped as shallow as 9-foot-5 (2.81 RAS). Three of the latter four players weighed 227 pounds or more.
• The ideal high jump is 33 inches or higher (4.32 RAS), though four players failed to hit that threshold. 
• Eight players jumped 34 inches or higher (5.63 RAS) and five jumped 37 inches or higher (8.63 RAS).

Strength

• Among 16 bench-press participants, 13 produced 19 repetitions or more (6.37 RAS), 10 produced 20 repetitions or more 7.12 (RAS) and four produced 24 repetitions or more (9.16 RAS). 
• Samaje Perine's 30 bench-press repetitions register a 9.94 RAS. 

Team Needs

• Cincinnati’s front office has made a habit of acquiring players with off-field issues; Joe Mixon, Jeremy Hill and Cedric Benson, among others. 
• Mixon was recharged with aggravated menacing in early February. The front office has been noncommittal as to whether he will be on the roster for the 2023 NFL season. 
• Perine, was allowed to walk in free agency after handling No. 2/passing-down duties behind Mixon. 
• Passing-down specialists Trayveon Williams and Evans makeup the rest of the current backfield.
• Both Mixon and Evans are only signed through 2024, while Williams is on a one-year contract.
• In the event that Cincinnati drafts Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, he will be used as the passing-down specialist. They may still look for a Mixon replacement later on. 

Physical Traits The Bengals Will Target

• Height & Weight: 5-foot-10 players over 210 pounds
• Height & Weight: 5-foot-11 players over 210 pounds with a lean toward 220+ pounds
• Height & Weight: 6-foot+ players over 210 pounds with a lean toward 225+ pounds
• Height & Weight: 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-9 running backs weighing 200-to-209 pounds
• Running backs weighing 210 pounds or smaller, likely with a passing-down profile, should run the short shuttle in less than 4.20 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.00 seconds or less.
• Broad jump: 9-foot-10 is the ideal minimum. Running backs weighing 225 or more can perform as poorly as 9-foot-5. 
• Vertical jump: 33 inches is the ideal minimum, though there is slight wiggle room
• Bench press: 15 repetitions is the hard minimum but 19+ repetitions are preferred.

Potential 2023 Day 1 NFL Draft Targets 

Prospects with strong archetype correlation are marked with an asterisk

Pick: No. 28 (Round 1)

• *Bijan Robinson, Texas: 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, 10-foot-4 broad jump and a 37-inch vertical jump. (scouting report)

• *Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama: 5-foot-9, 199 pounds and a 33.5-inch vertical jump. Gibbs' overwhelming pass-catching talent trumps that of Williams and Evans. (scouting report)

Potential Day 2 Targets 

Picks: Nos. 60 (Round 2) & 92 (Round 3)

• *Sean Tucker, Syracuse: 5-foot-9, 207 pounds, 38-inch vertical jump and 29 bench-press repetitions. Tucker’s heart condition is unlikely to scare off Cincinnati’s risky front office. His freakish hops and strength will be enticing. (scouting report)

• Zach Charbonnet, UCLA: 6-foot, 214 pounds, 10-foot-2 broad jump, 37-inch vertical jump and 18 bench-press repetitions. (scouting report)

• *Roschon Johnson, Texas: 6-foot, 219 pounds, 10-foot-2 broad jump and a 31.5-inch vertical jump. (scouting report)

• Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh: 5-foot-10, 216 pounds, 10-foot-8 broad jump and a 41-inch vertical jump. (scouting report)

• Tyjae Spears, Tulane: 5-foot-10, 201 pounds, 10-foot-5 broad jump, 39-inch vertical jump and 18 bench-press repetitions. His shuttle-drill times could be an issue. (scouting report)

• Kendre Miller, TCU: 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds. An MCL injury barred him from pre-NFL Draft workouts. (scouting report)

Potential Day 3 Targets

Picks: Nos. 131 (Round 4), 163 (Round 5), 206 (Round 6) & 246 (Round 6)

• Evan Hull, Northwestern: 5-foot-10, 209 pounds, 6.90-second three-cone drill, 10-foot-3 broad jump, 37-inch vertical jump and 21 bench-press repetitions. (scouting report)

• Chase Brown, Illinois: 5-foot-9.5, 209 pounds, 10-foot-7 broad jump, 40-inch vertical jump and 25 bench-press repetitions. (scouting report)

• Tank Bigsby, Auburn: 6-foot, 210 pounds, 9-foot-11, 32.5-inch vertical jump and 21 bench-press repetitions. (scouting report)

• Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State: 6-foot-1, 217 pounds, 10-foot-1 broad jump, 37-inch vertical jump and 19 bench-press repetitions. (scouting report)

• Deneric Prince: 6-foot, 216 pounds, 10-foot-4 broad jump, 35.5-inch vertical jump and 18 bench-press repetitions. (scouting report)

• Tavion Thomas, Utah: 6-foot, 237 pounds, 9-foot-10 broad jump, 30-inch vertical jump and 19 bench-press repetitions. (scouting report)

The tables below show the raw data used for this running back sample.

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Nic Bodiford

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Nic Bodiford contributes to The 33rd Team's fantasy football department and works elsewhere as an analyst and editor in written, video and audio mediums. These works can be found at Pro Football Focus, 4for4, Nerdball and Fake Teams. Nic moonlights at Legendary Upside by editing Pat Kerrane's weekly article, The Walkthrough.