The Bengals signed DE Sam Hubbard and LB Malik Jefferson, the team’s two third-round draft picks, to four-year contracts.
Hubbard (6-5, 270) played in 40 games (22 starts) over three seasons (2015-17) of action at Ohio State.
He totaled 116 career tackles, including 29.5 for losses and 17 sacks, with one INT, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He is a Cincinnati native and alum of Archbishop Moeller High School, where he earned all-state honors as a safety and helped the Crusaders to back-to-back state titles in 2012 and ’13.
Jefferson (6-2, 236) played three seasons (2014-17) at Texas, seeing action in 34 games (30 starts). For his career, he totaled 233 tackles, including 25.5 for losses and 12 sacks, with six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. As a junior last season, he led the Longhorns with 110 tackles, including 10 for losses and four sacks, and was named Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Big 12, second-team All-American (AP) and a semifinalist for the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker.
The Bengals now have signed all 11 of their 2018 draft picks.