Bengals TE Erick All Jr. passes physical, is cleared to practice

Tight end Erick All Jr., who suffered a torn ACL in October, has passed his physical and has been cleared to practice, per Adam Schefter. The Cincinnati Bengals selected All with the No. 115 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

All went down with his injury in the first quarter of Iowa‘s 15-6 win over Wisconsin on Oct. 14. After hauling in a five-yard reception, All was sandwiched by two Wisconsin defenders. In the collision, All’s right knee bent backward, leaving him grasping his injury on the ground.

Before suffering the season-ending injury, All led the Hawkeyes in receiving yards, boasting 21 receptions for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Before transferring to Iowa ahead of the 2023 campaign, All spent three years at Michigan, where he made 35 appearances and 12 starts.

Now, All will have a chance to shine for his hometown team. All played high school football at Fairfield High School (OH), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 374 overall prospect and No. 15 tight end in the 2019 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

After the Bengals drafted him, Erick All Jr. opened up on what it meant to be drafted by his favorite team from his childhood.

“It is kind of surreal. I’m at my high school stadium Everything kind of came back in a circle. I’m excited,” All said. “Watching the Bengals was like rooting for your hometown team. The Bengals are a crazy good team now, and I’m just ready to be a part of it and compete and win a Super Bowl.”

Despite All’s medical history, NFL experts seem to believe he could find a role at the next level. Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein analyzed All’s potential.

“Clearing the medical evaluations will be the first (and most important) hurdle for All on his way to the pros,” Zierlein said. “He suffered an ACL tear in October and had a season-ending back injury in 2022 after just three games. When healthy, he has solid speed to run field-stretching routes, and he has the foot agility to snap off short-area routes with adequate quickness.

“The hands are inconsistent, and he needs to push back against handsy coverage to create route space. His run blocking needs to get better, but there is enough in place to envision him playing with his hand down or as an H-back. If he checks out medically, he has enough talent to compete for a spot as a TE3 on a roster.”