Bengals Host Indiana RB After Grueling Travel for Final Pre-Draft Visit

The Cincinnati Bengals are wrapping up their pre-draft evaluations with a clear emphasis on adding competition and depth across the roster. One position that appears to be of importance to Cincinnati is running back, where Chase Brown carried much of the load as the primary back last season. 

With the No. 10 overall pick and multiple mid-round selections available, the team is targeting a top RB talent who can also provide special-teams value and pass-protection reliability. On Wednesday the Bengals hosted former Indiana running back Kaelon Black for a top-30 pre-draft visit, his 12th and final stop of the process.

However, Black’s journey to Cincinnati proved unusually demanding, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.  After meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday, he flew to Chicago for a connecting flight that was canceled at O’Hare International Airport.

Black reportedly spent the night sleeping in the terminal before the Bengals arranged an Uber to drive him the 316-mile trip from Chicago to Cincinnati early Wednesday morning.

Black, a 5-10, 211-pound redshirt senior from Virginia Beach, Virginia, transferred from James Madison and delivered a career year in 2025 for the Hoosiers. He carried the ball 186 times for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry while adding four receptions for 36 yards.

He appeared in all 16 games, including Indiana’s run to the national championship, and posted multiple 100-yard efforts, including 110 yards and a touchdown against Maryland and 99 yards with a score versus Alabama in the playoff. His vision, contact balance and ability to grind out yards after first contact stood out in a physical Big Ten offense.

Black is a compact, one-cut runner with a low pad level, strong base and relentless motor. He excels in pass protection with sound technique and leverage, and his pro-day numbers, a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, 37.5-inch vertical and 27 bench-press reps, show enough athleticism to handle third-down duties. While he lacks elite long-speed or breakaway burst, his toughness between the tackles and willingness to finish runs make him a projected Day 3 or priority undrafted free-agent target who could develop into a reliable rotational piece.

Black offers a potential complement to Chase Brown’s explosive style. Cincinnati’s backfield already includes veterans like Samaje Perine and Tahj Brooks. However, adding a physical, scheme-versatile option like Black would provide insurance, short-yardage reliability and special-teams contributions without overcommitting early-round capital.