Breakout candidate for each NFL AFC North team in 2020
By JD Bagley
Bengals: Linebacker Germaine Pratt
The linebacker room in Cincinnati was a very weak group a year ago for the Bengals, and rookie Germaine Pratt was forced into action sooner than anticipated. Pratt started nine games and appeared in all 16 for the Bengals, recording 76 tackles and four tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
With Nick Vigil leaving for the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, Pratt will have the first shot at securing a starting spot on the Bengals defense in 2020. Cincinnati drafted two linebackers in consecutive rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, but with Pratt having a year of experience he should get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to playing time early on.
Logan Wilson (Wyoming) and Akeem Davis-Gaither (Appalachian State) both had great college careers at lower level programs and have bright futures in the NFL, but Pratt’s pedigree to this point gives him the edge.
Near the end of the 2019 season, head coach saw the growth in Pratt, leading many to believe his future is bright:
"“We see a lot of the qualities that we thought we were going to get when we took him. It’s good that he’s been getting to play a ton of snaps in the last half of the season. He has to continue to correct the mistakes. There’s a lot to grow on, but there are certainly a lot of positives that we’re excited about” (via BengalsWire)."
With the advantage of playing behind Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, Carl Lawson, and more, Pratt may see a good deal of single blocks, and may have a clear shot at the ball carrier with great frequency in 2020. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the former NC State linebacker surpass 120 total tackles this year as he continues to become more comfortable playing linebacker in the NFL.