The Cincinnati Bengals signed former HBCU defensive star Joshua Pryor on August 7th. The 6’4, 280-pound defensive lineman is a second-year player out of Bowie State who spent his rookie season with the Washington Commanders after wrecking CIAA backfields for Bowie State. This signing gives the Bengals some necessary defensive line depth and allows the former HBCU star to continue making a name for himself.
Pryor joins a Bengals defensive line group which saw a number of changes on Wednesday. Following Pryor’s signing, the Bengals additionally signed defensive end Andre Carter and placed defensive end Cam Sample on injured reserve.
Pryor played in seven games during his rookie season with the Washington Commanders. Pryor earned a tackle and kicked block while appearing on the Commanders special teams unit. He was waived by Washington on May 7th
Despite a challenging start to his career, Pryor is familiar with taking a difficult path to success.
At Bowie State, Pryor earned first-team All-CIAA three times (2018, 2019, 2022), won CIAA Defensive Player of The Year in 2022, twice earned BoxToRow All-American honors (2018,19), and second-team AP All-American. Pryor ended his collegiate career as the Bowie State record-holder in career sacks (32) and tackles-for-loss (77). He also placed second in career total tackles (245) and tallied four forced fumbles, a truly astonishing career.
Pryor’s individual contributions also led to an abundance of team success. The Bowie State Bulldogs won conference championships in 2018 (10-3), 2019 (11-1), and 2021 (12-2).
The defensive star’s impact earned him major recognition. Pryor received an invite to the HBCU Legacy Bowl following in final collegiate season and notched two sacks during the game. He firmly placed himself on NFL scouts radar after showcasing an elite blend of size and athleticism during the week.
Pryor looks to solidify his spot in the NFL as his second season approaches. The Cincinnati Bengals begin their preseason action vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on August 31. The game will be played Paycor Stadium at 7 p.m. est. The preseason battle will be available to stream on NFL+.
