The Bengals quietly added a name with a real shot to matter early: Blake Freeland.
Cincinnati rounded out its 16-man practice squad on Tuesday, bringing in three players from outside the organization - offensive tackle Blake Freeland, cornerback Trikweze Bridges, and defensive end Garmon Randolph. Of that group, Freeland looks like the one most likely to work his way onto the 53-man roster soon, especially with the swing tackle spot still up for grabs.
Freeland brings more than just size to the table. He’s 25, came out of BYU, and took a winding path to the offensive line after starting out as a quarterback in high school before moving to tight end as a junior and senior.
Once he got to BYU, he shifted again, this time to the offensive line, and the athletic traits stayed obvious. At the NFL Scouting Combine, he posted a 37” vertical, a mark that still stands as the record for offensive linemen.
Indianapolis took him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and his rookie year gave him a real NFL sample. Freeland played just over 700 snaps in 16 games, starting nine times. Those starts came at both left and right tackle, which is exactly the kind of versatility that catches the eye of Scott Peters and the Bengals offensive staff.
The last two seasons haven’t been as steady. Freeland logged only 23 snaps in his second year with the Colts, then fractured his leg in the preseason before the 2025 season.
Still, he got back on the field this preseason and played 153 snaps. The run game work stood out most, with a 74.5 run-blocking grade from PFF.
His pass protection numbers were much rougher - a 43.1 grade this preseason - though the tape apparently looked better than that number suggests. Even so, there are still questions about how he handles NFL power.
At 302 pounds, his anchor strength remains something to watch. But he does have the traits teams chase: excellent athleticism, nearly 34” arms, and strong leg drive as a run blocker.
At 6’8”, Freeland is hard to miss, and he cleared waivers before landing in Cincinnati. With actual tackle experience in the NFL already on his résumé, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if he eventually becomes the Bengals’ swing tackle once he gets comfortable in the playbook.
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