Why the Bengals chose Devin Asiasi over O.J. Howard

Bengals fans got pretty excited about the rumors the team was interested in adding O.J. Howard. And that’s completely understood.

Howard was taken nineteenth overall in the 2017 Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And his athletic profile actually suggested he should’ve gone higher. The tight end out of Alabama measured at 6’ 5 3⁄4”, 251 pounds, with a 40-yard dash time of 4.51 seconds. He also had 33 3⁄4” arms and 10” hands.

It was the playing football part that was missing. That’s why he lasted until the nineteenth pick. And it’s why he’s now on his third roster since the end of last season.

While the Bengals showed interest in Howard, it now appears that they preferred Asiasi the entire…