A towering, versatile San Diego State tackle whose pro day workouts at multiple positions earned him a record signing bonus as an undrafted Bengal.
Christian Jones spent his college career protecting quarterbacks at both guard and tackle for San Diego State, logging more than 2,000 career snaps. He went undrafted in 2026, but the Cincinnati Bengals paid him a franchise-record signing bonus for an undrafted rookie, betting on his rare size and positional versatility.
Path to the league
Jones, from San Luis Obispo, California, played more than 2,000 career snaps at both guard and tackle for San Diego State. He went unselected in the 2026 NFL draft and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent, receiving a $50,000 signing bonus, the largest the club had ever given a non-drafted rookie, as part of a three-year contract.
Career highlights
At roughly 6-foot-9 and 330 pounds, Jones is one of the largest offensive linemen in his draft class and showed off that versatility at his pro day by working at multiple line spots. In his junior season in 2024, he started all 12 games and played all 846 offensive snaps available, the most on the San Diego State roster, while allowing just four sacks and 16 hurries across 472 pass-blocking snaps.
2025 season recap
Jones closed out his college career in his senior season at San Diego State, continuing to log heavy snap counts at both tackle and guard for the Aztecs. His combination of size, athletic testing and multi-position experience carried into the pre-draft process and ultimately convinced Cincinnati to make him one of its most well-compensated undrafted signings.
Sources
- A to Z Sports: Bengals show with their wallets how much they wanted to sign hidden gem the NFL forgot to draft
- SI.com: Christian Jones Is Turning NFL Draft Scouts Into Believers Fast
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- San Diego State
- Hometown
- San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
