Cincinnati Bengals get UDFA gem in Ja’Von Rolland-Jones

The Cincinnati Bengals got an undrafted free agent gem in Ja’Von Rolland Jones, a pass rusher out of Arkansas State…

The Cincinnati Bengals set out to upgrade in the trenches this offseason, and they did just that.

In addition to trading for Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Cordy Glenn — who will be the team’s new left tackle — the Bengals used their top pick in this year’s draft on Ohio State center Billy Price.

With Glenn and Price added to the offensive line, the Bengals should be significantly improved on that side of the ball, but they also wanted to get better in the trenches defensively. That’s why they used a third round pick on Ohio State’s Sam Hubbard, a defensive end who can become a full-time starter for them sooner rather than later.

After the 2018 NFL Draft, the Bengals brought in a player that might have a very good chance of cracking the roster.

That player is Ja’Von Rolland-Jones.

Rolland-Jones took some time to talk with us here at NFLMocks.com prior to the Draft. You can read that piece here.

More from NFL Mocks

• NFL Draft: Ranking the top signal callers of the 2024 NFL QB Class
• 2024 NFL Mock Draft Journal: Cardinals, Falcons tank for USC QB Caleb Williams
• Patriots News & Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott talks fun in Foxboro; Mills to Packers?
• Fantasy Football: 5 reasons Colts QB Anthony Richardson can be a top-end option
• Packers’ Lukas Van Ness will make a Lambeau leap into the NFL in 2023

One of the most productive edge players in college football over the past four years, Rolland-Jones racked up 179 total tackles, 63 tackles for loss, 42 sacks, and 10 forced fumbles in his time at Arkansas State.

If anyone deserved to be drafted based on production alone in this year’s class, it was Rolland-Jones.

Despite some perceived lack of athleticism or a poor combination of size and athleticism for the outside rush linebacker position, I think Rolland-Jones can play with his hand in the dirt primarily in the NFL and be a very effective rotational edge rusher immediately, while also providing some versatility to stand up and move around a little bit.

But with this type of player, there’s no need to complicate things. He should be locked, loaded, and fired off the edge and I think we’ll see him be a very productive player in that regard at the next level.

Rolland-Jones has excellent upper-body strength and does a very good job of using a variety of moves to get to the quarterback.

I think the Bengals got a steal here.