Training camp has already started to sort out the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2026 roster, and the rookie undrafted free agents are staring at a steep climb. Joe Burrow has already praised the offseason additions, which only makes the fight for a final 53-man spot tougher.
That doesn’t mean the long-shot names are irrelevant. A few of them could still carve out a place on the practice squad, and maybe more if the right door opens. Among that group, three stand out for very different reasons: one brings a wild backstory, one has rare physical traits, and one has a real shot in a thin competition at tackle.
Ceyair Wright is the kind of camp body who makes you look twice. He’s not just a cornerback with a football résumé; he also has an IMDb page. Wright played in Space Jam: A New Legacy, earned a scholarship to Nebraska, and now gets a chance to impress Cincinnati’s coaching staff.
The Bengals could use help at boundary corner behind DJ Turner, Dax Hill, Josh Newton, and rookie third-round pick Tacario Davis. There may be a spot or two available, but Wright’s route to one is narrow.
He spent more time in the slot in 2025 than ever before and, per PFF, allowed a passer rating of only 84.5 in college. Even so, his clearest path is on special teams, and the Bengals will probably keep D.J.
Ivey as the final corner. If Wright is going to stick, he’ll need cleaner tackling and the same coverage ability that got him here in the first place.
Linebacker Eric Gentry brings a completely different kind of intrigue. The Bengals’ depth behind Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter remains shaky, even after both starters got off to strong training camp starts.
Gentry is a long shot, but he’s hard to ignore at 6'7" and 221 pounds with a sub-4.6 40-yard dash. His 6.76-second 3-cone drill time landed in the 98th percentile among linebackers.
That kind of movement profile makes him an interesting fit for Al Golden’s “Viper” role, a hybrid spot that asks a defender to rush the passer, hold the edge, and also drop into off-ball linebacker duties. The problem is opportunity.
Boye Mafe and second-round pick Cashius Howell are ahead of him for those reps. So the immediate value may come on special teams, with Gentry developing slowly while hanging around as a taxi squad player.
Corey Robinson II might have the cleanest path of the three. He first showed up on the radar thanks to Glenn Adams, and the numbers jump off the page.
At Georgia Tech in 2024, Robinson posted a nation-best 92.1 PFF pass blocking grade as the Yellow Jackets’ left tackle. After transferring to the SEC, he didn’t allow a sack on 445 pass-blocking reps last year.
There are concerns, though. Robinson is listed at 6'4.5" and 311 pounds, but his athletic testing came back with a 3.95 Relative Athletic Score out of 10.
That kind of number might have been easier to overlook in Cincinnati years ago, but the Bengals’ offensive line has gotten more athletic. Cody Ford is the incumbent swing tackle option, though he fits better at guard.
Behind him, the competition includes Andrew Coker and Javon Foster, which doesn’t exactly scream locked-in depth.
That leaves Robinson with a real opening if his pass protection translates. In a pass-heavy offense, that skill set can carry real weight, and he has a chance to make himself useful as a backup down the road.
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