On Thursday, the Cincinnati Bengals used their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft on Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart to improve their 26th-ranked pass rush from last year.
Then, on Friday, Cincinnati used their second-round selection (No. 49 overall) on South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. The 25-year-old started his collegiate career at Georgia Tech, spending four seasons with the Yellow Jackets before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After one season with the 49ers, Knight transferred again to South Carolina.
Over six collegiate seasons, Knight appeared in 61 games, recording 229 tackles (17 for a loss), seven passes defended, 4.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four interceptions and one fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus gave him an 82.8 overall grade for his performance in his lone season with the Gamecocks.
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Not only is Knight a strong athlete, but he also shares some impressive genes with some talented people, as NFL Network's Tom Pelissero revealed that the linebacker is a cousin of R&B legends Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin, as well as former NFL defensive back DeAngelo Hall.
Gladys Knight and Franklin are considered two of the greatest singers of all time, with Knight winning five Grammys and Franklin selling over 75 million records worldwide. Hall was a first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2004. He spent 14 years in the NFL (also playing with Washington and the Oakland Raiders) and made three Pro Bowls. He served as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Carolina Panthers for the last two seasons.
The Bengals lost Akeem Davis-Gaither and Joe Bachie this offseason, so they needed help in the linebacker room, and this draft selection could certainly help a defensive front that desperately needs to catch up to the offense if they want to make it over the hump.
Knight has a lot of work to do to live up to his family name and legacy, but with his genes and the right amount of work, it's certainly possible.
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