Player of the Day

TE Noah Fant

Another day, another touchdown to a tight end and another example of just how potent the NFL's defending pass champions are with quarterback Joe Burrow at the helm.

In what amounted to Fant's first full practice with the first team Saturday at Bengals training camp, Burrow wasted no time and hit him for a 35-yard touchdown pass during the red zone lock-out drill that the offense won, 21-14.

Burrow clicked on all three drives. Going back 36 hours to the Thursday night preseason opener against the Eagles, that's five straight touchdowns for the No. 1 offense,

Fant, signed 10 days ago, didn't play in Philly. Neither did Mike Gesicki, last year's 65-catch tight end who spiced up things so well he also caught a three-year deal. (He was out Saturday.) But Tanner Hudson did play, and he caught a 12-yard touchdown pass to start the season's scoring.

Burrow's seemingly mystical vision has helped get the well-traveled Hudson a roster spot, multi-mega deals for Gesicki, Hayden Hurst, and C.J. Uzomah and who knows what for Fant? Fant, a former first-round pick who signed a one-year deal is, like Gesicki, one of the 10 most prolific tight ends of the 2020s. During the 90-degree practice, some players wilted. Fant, getting into football shape, fought off the heat came back to go long and cool.

Every day is Tight Ends Day for Joe Lee Burrow.

Hudson goes back to Thursday night, when he not only caught Burrow's ball in the middle of a zone, but he also gave Hudson enough leverage to drag two defenders into the end zone.

"That's Joe reading the coverages quickly. Seeing it quickly," said Hudson, who also caught a 12-yard touchdown from Desmond Ridder to close the opener's scoring. "And to throw it where my body is, still facing towards the end zone where I can make the transition to get in there."

Fant, whose 260 catches are seventh among tight ends this decade, set sail on a vertical route that had three others around his own. When the safeties didn't react, Burrow did and found Fant with a seam ball he snatched at the 10 and ran in.

(The coaches also reacted and later put safety PJ Jules in the first group the play after he picked off second-team quarterback Jake Browning.)

On the next drive, after Burrow and wide receiver Tee Higgins conspired to convert a third-and-14, Fant worked the middle for a seven-yard catch that put the ball at about the 5 to set up All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s touchdown on a swing pass.

"When you have a quarterback like Joe, our first job is to beat our guy and be in the right spot," Hudson said. "We're all trying to be in the right place at the right time and make ourselves available."

Quite a battle is brewing at this spot. Gesicki and Fant have been prolific pass catchers. Drew Sample is viewed as their best blocking tight end, and Cam Grandy has learned from Sample well. Hudson, 30, has 73 NFL catches during seven seasons, three from Tampa Bay's Tom Brady, and 58 here over the last two seasons.

Hudson has run into Fant at Tight End U, a three-day offseason summit.

"We're all very aware of the position we're in," Hudson said of Cincy's tight ends room. "The position is tight across the league. I didn't get to know (Fant), but he's part of the team now. I'll do anything to help with a check or whatever it happens to be."

PLAY OF THE DAY

S PJ Jules

As first-team safety Geno Stone stood on the sidelines Saturday during the red zone lock-out drill with a hamstring issue from Thursday night's first series, Jules told him he wanted to get an interception like Stone has been known to do.

"I said, 'Listen PJ, just do your job and the ball will come to you,'" Stone said. "That's how my career is based on. Next man up when your name is called, just do your job, and the ball will come to you. I told him, 'PJ, don't try to do too much."

So, with Browning throwing a deep corner to wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley and cornerback DJ Ivey steering him to the sidelines, Jules came out of centerfield to dive for the interception.

"He came from back-side quarters (coverage) and made a speed turn and made a read to the ball. A big play in the crucial part of the lock-out drill," said safeties coach Jordan Kovacs. "He's come a long way. He's one of these guys who played all over the field in college but was never truly a safety. So he learned from the ground up. How to backpedal, how to be a safety. And he's still learning. He just loves football."

Jules, who spent his entire rookie year on the practice squad last year after coming out of Southern Illinois undrafted, may have been learning to backpedal at this time last year. But now he's pedaling smack into the Bengals' roster scrum at safety.

On top of his team-leading five tackles in Philly, Saturday's pick, and Stone's "week-to-week," injury, people are taking notice of Jules at the safety backup spots where Kovacs say's they're waiting for somebody, "to take the bull by the horns."

The 6-foot, 203-pound Jules has thrown his hat into the ring where the backup spots to Stone and Jordan Battle are to be decided. Head coach Zac Taylor is clearly looking for more from Daijahn Anthony and Tycen Anderson.

"I think that's a group that we're looking to make sure we're deep enough there," Taylor said. "So they're going to continue to get a lot of opportunities, certainly with Geno being out. So I think it's a good chance to really see where they're at in their development. They've got to contribute on special teams. They've got to prove that they can walk in there and help us on defense as well."

Anthony began Saturday next to Battle in the starting lineup. It ended with Jules next to Battle in the starting lineup, and then Jules teamed with the cornerbacks to knock the ball out of Higgins' hands on the sideline.

"You make a play," Kovacs said. "You get rewarded."

In his five years at Southern Illinois, Jules did everything but star in The Blues Brothers. As a freshman, he played cornerback. Then he basically played nickel linebacker during a 56-game career he racked up 169 solo tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and 29 passes defensed in being named a consensus first-team FCS All-American.

"I'm sure they're aware of the kind of work I've put in behind the scenes," Jules said of Saturday's battlefield promotion. "I put in a lot of work. Day in and day out. It means everything to me. For real."

Real? In his two summer breaks as a pro, Jules never left Cincinnati and continued to work out.

"I didn't go anywhere. These past two years, I haven't gone home," Jules said. "I haven't taken any trips."

That's the kind of guy other players notice.

"I'm happy for him," Stone said. "Since the start of camp, he was here early, and he's showing he can play. He's one of the best communicators on the field when he's out there."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

S PJ Jules on his roster shot:

"Every day is like game day for me in my position. You know how it is … Whatever it is, I'll give it all I got because that's all I got."

SLANTS AND SCREENS

And then there's first-round pick Shemar Stewart, who, like Jules, got a battlefield promotion in the 90-degree heat and played in the red zone lock-out period with the first defense.

Stewart worked in place of Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample, two guys probably being protected for their health coming off a game. It wasn't exactly a surprise like Jules leapfrogging Anthony and Anderson, because Taylor said before practice he'd start working in Stewart with the Ones.

"I think that will happen over time," Taylor said. "It's happened situationally with some of our rush packages, but I think this is the week we can really start being flexible on moving guys around and taking a look at different pairings."

Stewart again played everywhere on Saturday. Both edges. The three-technique on some passing downs. Shoved into a gap on goal line.

"My goal is to be versatile this camp," Stewart said. "Coach, put me anywhere. I'll play safety if you need me."

Jules took care of that …

Not only did Jules play 56 college games in five years, he says he was a special teams starter all of those years. It's a good thing because if he's getting the No. 3 or No. 4 safety spot, he'll have to play teams.

"That's the job description for us at that position. No. 3, No. 4 has to be core special teams," said special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons. "Any core special teams group I've been a part of that's been at the top of the league has had great safety play." …

Plus, Anderson has been among the league's most prolific gunners the past two seasons …

Cam Taylor-Britt, Dax Hill and Marco Wilson, cornerbacks shelved last Thursday night, all practiced Saturday. But Taylor wouldn't say what their status is for the next preseason game in Washington on Aug. 18 (8 p.m.-ESPN) …

Cody Ford, competing with Lucas Patrick for the right guard spot, lined up as the second right tackle on Saturday. He was the primary swing tackle last season, starting five games at left tackle and one at right. Fifth-round pick Jalen Rivers, also seen as a guard-tackle type, was the second left tackle Thursday night …