Bengals Eye Backfield Reinforcement with Jaydn Ott Visit as Zac Taylor Keeps Focus on Balanced Rebuild

Cincinnati—While head coach Zac Taylor paced the Paycor Stadium sideline late in the Dec. 14 matchup against Baltimore, the Bengals’ front office was already accelerating an off-season plan designed to prevent another 6-11 campaign. The first wave of free-agency has been almost exclusively defensive: Jonathan Allen, Bryan Cook and Boye Mafe are locked in, and the No. 10 overall pick is widely expected to bring either Ohio State safety Caleb Downs or LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane to the secondary.

Yet even with the defensive overhaul grabbing headlines, Taylor’s staff has quietly turned its attention to an offense that finished 16th in total yards (330.4 per game) and 29th in rushing (93.6). Quarterback Joe Burrow’s turf-toe issues were a factor, but the ground game’s inability to establish consistency remains a glaring weakness.

Enter Jaydn Ott. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the former California and Oklahoma running back will visit Cincinnati after meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers. Ott impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl and posted a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, 40.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-11 broad jump at his pro day. Over three seasons with the Golden Bears he amassed 2,597 scrimmage yards and 30 touchdowns, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. A shoulder injury limited him to 21 carries for 68 yards during Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff run, but his burst and pass-catching upside still project to the NFL level.

The Bengals’ current two-deep features rising starter Chase Brown and veteran Samaje Perine. Brown is entering the final year of his deal—his market value already estimated at roughly a third above his $7.3 million cap figure—creating incentive for the club to add affordable depth. Whether Ott is selected on Day 3 or brought in as a priority free agent, the visit signals Taylor and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher want to re-establish balance and protect Burrow by any means necessary.

Cincinnati still owns six more draft picks after Round 1, and multiple selections are expected to remain on the defensive side. Still, the willingness to host a dynamic back like Ott underscores a pragmatic truth inside Paycor Stadium: championships are won in January, but the path back to the postseason starts with fixing every weakness—one interview, one workout, one draft choice at a time.