Bengals sign seven of 10 draft picks, free agent wide receiver

The team also signed veteran free agent wide receiver Trent Taylor, a former 49ers slot receiver who can also help returning punts. Taylor, a fifth-year player out of Louisiana Tech, participated in Friday’s rookie minicamp as a tryout player. He originally was a fifth-round draft pick of San Francisco in 2017 and spent all four of his previous NFL seasons with the 49ers, appearing in 41 games and totaling 79 catches of 731 yards and three touchdowns as well as 49 punt returns for 471 yards and a 9.61-yard average.

Sample, Shelvin and Smith were all fourth-round picks. Sample played in 44 career games (36 starts) for Tulane and recorded 162 career tackles, including 22 for losses and 11.5 sacks, along with eight PDs, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Shelvin played in 21 career games (14 starts) for the LSU Tigers, totaling 48 career tackles, including 4.5 for losses and one sack, and Smith had 33 career games with 30 starts for East Carolina, seeing action at both guard and tackle before settling in at the latter position toward the end of his college career.

McPherson, the team’s fifth-round pick, played in 37 career games for Florida and finished his career with 302 points, converting 51 of 60 FGs (85 percent) and 149 of 150 PATs.

Hill and Evans were both sixth-round picks out of Georgia and Michigan, respectively. Hill played 36 career games (26 starts), seeing action at guard early in his career before becoming the starting center for his final two seasons. Evans made only six starts in 42 career games for the Wolverines and had limited production toward the end of his career but rushed 320 times for 1,795 yards (5.6-yard average) and 15 touchdowns. He also caught 49 passes for 479 yards and two touchdowns.

Hubert, a seventh-round pick out of Kansas State, played in 34 career games (29 starts) for the Wildcats and recorded 94 tackles, including 34 for losses and 20 sacks, along with an interception, three passes defended and three forced fumbles.

Of the team’s 10 draft picks, only first-round pick Ja’Marr Chase, second-round pick Jackson Carman and third-round pick Joseph Ossai have not signed.