The Cincinnati Bengals took a late-round swing on Jack Endries in April.
The first preseason game has given the rookie tight end a chance to make that investment look compelling.
In its ranking of the highest-graded rookies through Week 1 of the preseason, Pro Football Focus placed Jack Endries at No. 8, handing him a 91.4 grade after Cincinnati’s 16-14 win over the Detroit Lions.
Endries caught all three of his targets for 25 yards and a touchdown in his NFL preseason debut.
The box score was modest, but the way he created those yards helped him separate from most of the league’s first-year players.
PFF noted that Endries averaged only 1.0 yard in average depth of target but forced three missed tackles on a 17-yard catch-and-run.
The outlet wrote that he “did most of his damage after the catch,” which could be an great development for a player trying to climb a stiffly-competitive depth chart.
Endries Makes PFF’s Top 10 After One Game
GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – AUGUST 13: Jack Endries #84 of the Cincinnati Bengals jumps over Aamaris Brown #42 of the Detroit Lions during the second half of the preseason gameat Paycor Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Bengals selected Endries with the No. 221 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL draft, handing Cincinnati a developmental option at a position that had substantial competition.
Endries spent his final college season at Texas after two years at California. He started all 39 games he appeared in during his college career and finished with 124 receptions for 1,376 yards and seven touchdowns.
His lone season with the Longhorns produced 33 catches for 346 yards and three scores. Endries had previously led California with 65 receptions and 623 receiving yards in 2024.
Those numbers offered Cincinnati a pass-catching profile to work with, and his first preseason appearance animated that prowess.
Endries’ 17-yard reception against Detroit stood out because so much of the play came after the catch. The Bengals posted video of the rookie making three Lions defenders miss on the gain.
Preseason production can fade quickly once the regular season arrives, but a seventh-round rookie trying to secure his place hopes to deliver a eye-catching impression.
Bengals’ Tight End Room Isn’t a Weakness
GettyORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 07: Mike Gesicki #88 of the Cincinnati Bengals catches a touchdown pass against the Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
The tall task for Endries is finding enough moments to keep stacking prominent plays.
Cincinnati kicked off training camp with five returning tight ends and two newcomers, as veteran Mike Gesicki remains one of the offense’s accepted receiving options, while Drew Sample brings experience and blocking value to the group.
The Bengals’ current depth chart still places Endries deep among a large collection of tight ends, making preseason snaps particularly valuable.
The rookie has shown he can turn a short throw into a bigger gain, an attribute that could help distinguish him when roster decisions arrive.
And although Cincinnati didn’t spend major draft capital to acquire Endries, his debut gave the coaching staff something tangible to evaluate.
Now the goal is sustaining it.
A 91.4 PFF grade through one preseason game won’t cement a role for Endries when Week 1 arrives. It does, however, make him a player worth monitoring as the Bengals sort through one of their deeper position groups.
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