Cincinnati Bengals: Report Card Grades for Every Rookie so Far in Camp

Training camp is in full force, and it's time to start grading the rookies already.  Is it too soon?  I guess that's possible, but still, does it really ever stop us from speculating?

In all seriousness, you can never start marking rookies too early.  You need to know from the start what they need to improve on and what they're already good at.  The more you can learn about them, the better off the team will be with them.

How are the Bengals' rookies performing so far?

Dre Kirkpatrick

Grade: B

Given Dre Kirkpatrick's recent knee injury, I considered not giving him a grade at all.  However, he did get some time in there, so I chose to throw one on him.

Kirkpatrick receives a B because, while he's doing well in camp, he's having a little trouble transitioning from the man-coverage format that he played with at Alabama.  That's completely understandable, as it is a big change for a cornerback.

Had Kirkpatrick received more substantial time to perform in camp, I can guarantee that grade would go up, but for now, the B is a decent start for the Bengals' first pick.

Kevin Zeitler

Grade: A

From what I've read, the entire offensive line is really impressing everyone in camp. 

For Kevin Zeitler though, I think he's been the top performer—he's earned the starting right guard position.  Not to take away from Zeitler, but I doubt he had much competition to start with.

Zeitler was a surprise pick in the first round, as it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Bengals would select David DeCastro at pick 21, or Cordy Glenn.  Of the three, it appears Zeitler is having the smoothest transition to the NFL style.

After a lot of struggles came from the right guard position last year, expect Zeitler to have a huge impact.

Devon Still

Grade: B+

Right now, Devon Still is really capitalizing on the injury to Pat Sims, and he continues to get snaps with the first team.

The only reason he's not getting an A is because he hasn't really done anything to distance himself from the pack as an elite nose tackle. That's the sort of thing it takes to get a higher grade. 

Still can play both tackle and end, which is something else that plays into his favor.  He's shown himself to be incredibly strong and quick for a man his size, and he'll see quite a lot of action on the Bengals' line this year. 

Because of his style of play, he'll fit well into Mike Zimmer's scheme that includes rotating linemen in and out.

Mohamed Sanu

Grade: C+

This may seem like a bit of a harsh grade for Mohamed Sanu, but I can't help but be disappointed by him so far in camp.

While he's still my favorite pick of the draft and camp is really just getting underway, I really expected him to make more of an impact.  The fact that he still is below Brandon Tate on the depth chart is troubling, as I've never thought of Tate as much of a receiver.

Definitely by midseason, I'm expecting Sanu to be the No. 2 guy in Jay Gruden's offense.  For now, though, he needs to step things up to another level and perform the way we all know he can.

Brandon Thompson

Grade: B

The fact that Brandon Thompson was still around in Round 3 of the draft was very lucky.  It was quite a pickup for the Bengals after a couple rounds had already gone by.

Still, I haven't heard much to boast about with Thompson, so I'm stuck giving him a B.  I've not heard anything bad, but nothing all that impressive either.  That doesn't mean I'm not a believer in him though.

The problem for Thompson is that he's fighting for playing time on an already crowded defensive line, and Still appears to be performing pretty well. Do I think Thompson will get time on the field?  Absolutely, but it seems he'll be mostly on downs against the run, as that's where he's best.

Orson Charles

Grade: C

From what I know about Orson Charles, he's got the same style of play as Jermaine Gresham. So there are definite possibilities that these two could eventually form the same kind of duo that has been produced with Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. 

However, his performance in camp so far has earned him third-string duties.  There's plenty of time left to move up the ladder. But for as highly as everyone spoke of Charles, I expected him to at least be able to pass up Colin Cochart or Donald Lee on the depth chart.

He still might, but as of now, Charles needs to start making an impact.

Shaun Prater

Grade: N/A

It appears depth at the cornerback position is going to be a problem again.  Dre Kirkpatrick is hurt, and now rookie Shaun Prater is out for the season.

Hopefully, Prater stays with the team and will be back for 2013, because he's got a lot of upside.

Marvin Jones

Grade: A-

Recent indications are that Jay Gruden really likes what he's seeing from Marvin Jones, and it appears he's definitely going to make the squad.  Not that I ever doubted he would, but with the number of receivers in Cincinnati, there was a lot of speculation.

Jones, a fifth-round pick, is a strong receiver who had a lot more than fifth-round value.  The guy has some really good hands and could wind up being a big steal.

I don't think he'll see a ton of playing time early on, but if he continues to perform this well in camp, you can expect for his opportunities to steadily increase as the season moves along.

George Iloka

Grade: B+

Cincinnati needed a safety to show that they could step up in camp—George Iloka did.  He's showing really good speed early on and is grasping the Bengals' nickel defense really well.

The other thing working in Iloka's favor?  Taylor Mays' struggles last season have been vastly discussed, and you can bet that he's on thin ice in Cincinnati.  Iloka appears to be ready and waiting to take over the duties at the safety position.

Dan Herron

Grade: C-

The biggest disappointment in the draft was that they chose Dan Herron as the rookie running back they were going to go with.  It seemed to be a foregone conclusion that the team would get a running back, but most thought it would come earlier than the sixth round.

I've never really been that impressed with Herron, and he's not really all that impressive in camp—being unable to beat out Cedric Peerman for third string won't draw much attention.

It's possible that Herron won't make the main roster.

Vontaze Burfict

Grade: B+

When you think about the attitude change that Vontaze Burfict seemingly has undergone, he deserves an A.  However, my grading scale demands a lot for that grade.

Burfict is doing well in camp, which is a great turn of events for the undrafted free agent.  If Burfict really has gotten his act together and continues to perform through camp and into the preseason, he may earn himself a fair amount of playing time.

Emmanuel Lamur

Grade: A

Who?  Yeah, that's what I said originally.  However, this Emmanuel Lamur kid out of Kansas State is making a name for himself in training camp.

Lamur, an undrafted rookie linebacker, is said to be learning the defense incredibly well and is exhibiting some great speed on the field.

Two steals after the draft?  This could be the offseason that sets up the next 10 years for the Bengals, as all of these rookies could surprise some people.