The highlights of the NFL offseason activities are the early wave of free agency and the first round of the NFL draft. For most casual fans, this is where most of their attention is focused on. Unfortunately, that means they might miss some under-the-radar transactions that can be key pieces to a team’s success for the upcoming season.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report listed seven such additions that some folks may have missed but can be interesting players for their teams in 2022. And a Cincinnati Bengals player made the list.
That player was tight end Hayden Hurst, coming in at No. 5 on the list.
“Hurst might be one of the most unlucky players in the NFL. After the Ravens took him in the first round of the 2018 draft, he only caught 13 passes for 163 yards in his first season. By his second year, Mark Andrews had become a bona fide weapon.
Then he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons, where he posted respectable numbers as the team’s top tight end. He drew 88 targets and converted them into 56 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns.”
It is pretty easy to overlook Hurst, as he has effectively been passed over by another tight end on two teams now (Mark Andrews in Baltimore, Kyle Pitts in Atlanta). This time, there is no tight end to overtake him, unless Drew Sample all of a sudden breaks out this season. Hurst has a chance to quietly be a key piece of the Bengals offense as defenses focus on Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins.
