Demetrius Knight

Cincinnati Bengals

Pos LB

Updated October 8, 2026

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Model Score

77.5 MODEL

2025

76.2

2026

77.5

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

STM Take

Rookie tier 8 (#79) for a 49th overall 2nd-round pick with the 2024 All-SEC honors is below the year-one median for 2nd-round LB prospects on Pro Bowl trajectories. The South Carolina-via-Charlotte transfer pedigree plus the 2nd-round draft slot give him real college foundation. The 2026 question is whether Knight crosses into tier 6-7 territory in his year-two jump or whether the structural rookie tier 8 finish becomes the realistic baseline.

Knight came out of South Carolina as the Cincinnati Bengals' 2nd-round pick (49th overall) in 2025 after transferring from Charlotte and earning 2024 First-Team All-SEC honors. The Bengals installed him in the linebacker rotation as a rookie. His rookie 2025 finish at tier 8 (#79) is below the year-one median for 2nd-round LB prospects.

Strengths

South Carolina-via-Charlotte transfer pedigree plus the 2024 First-Team All-SEC honors plus the 49th overall draft slot gives him real elite college foundation.
Year-one starter snaps for the Bengals at age 22 plus the structural rotation reps gives him the developmental runway.

Concerns

Rookie tier 8 (#79) is below the year-one median for 2nd-round LB prospects on Pro Bowl trajectories.
Cincinnati's broader defensive identity around the Trey Hendrickson contract uncertainty compresses the structural support around Knight.

What to watch: Whether Knight crosses into tier 6 (top 50) in 2026, the standard year-two threshold for 2nd-round LB picks on Pro Bowl trajectories.