One of the quieter names on the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense could end up making some noise at training camp.
Antwaun Powell-Ryland arrives in Cincinnati with a profile that makes him easy to overlook at first glance, but the Bengals didn’t bring him in by accident. He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, and that alone carries some weight given Howie Roseman’s reputation for finding college talent. Powell-Ryland was later a roster cut in Philadelphia, squeezed out by an overloaded defensive line despite being a sixth-round pick.
The Bengals, though, saw enough to take a shot. And the college production is hard to ignore.
After transferring from Florida to Virginia Tech for his final two seasons, Powell-Ryland piled up 83 combined tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 25.5 sacks. He finished with 16 sacks in 2024 alone.
There’s also a wrinkle that makes his situation even more interesting: when Cincinnati signed him to a reserve/futures contract after its 6-11 finish in January, he was listed as a linebacker, not a defensive end. That opens the door to a possible hybrid role, one that could let him contribute both as an edge rusher and as depth at the second level.
That kind of flexibility matters for a Bengals defense that could use help at linebacker. If Powell-Ryland can carve out even a limited subpackage role - lining up at linebacker, shifting before the snap, and coming after the quarterback from different spots - he could give defensive coordinator Al Golden another useful weapon.
The path is steep, though. Cincinnati’s roster is crowded, and Powell-Ryland is fighting for a place on a team so loaded that Joe Burrow compared it to his LSU national championship team from 2019.
Still, the opening is there. Powell-Ryland has the kind of pass-rush juice that can turn a camp body into a real conversation, and if he can translate that college splash-play ability to the NFL, he could push his way onto the 53-man roster.
If not, it would be a rough start to his pro career - though not necessarily a final verdict on what he can do at this level. It may just mean the Bengals were too deep for him to crack.
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