Cameron
Sample.
Cameron
Sample.
Tulane
"A 6'3", 274-pound Tulane four-year starter with 12.5 career sacks, Senior Bowl reps and defensive-line versatility — a Round-4 rotational base-end projection where the motor and inside kick were the argument."Pre-draft read
This defensive end possesses a compact build, tailored for power and hand fighting rather than speed. His get-off is adequate, but his win pattern leans on second-effort rushes, employing a heavy bull rush and a long-arm-to-push-pull counter with relentless motor. He displays active, violent hands, adept at resetting after stalemates and stacking against down-blocks. He anchors effectively at the point of attack with a strong base and grip strength.
When shifted to a 3- or 4i-technique on passing downs, he continues to win with power. His lateral range limits him against pulling guards in space. Not a natural speed-to-power converter, and his edge counter package is thin. He projects as positionally versatile, capable of setting the edge on early downs and rushing from the interior in sub-packages.
4-2-5 nickel attacking front
Immediate early-down base-end contributor with sub-package interior rush value, with upside as a foundational piece in a multiple front.
Pure passive two-gap 3-4 front that asks him to read-and-react into contact instead of attack gaps.
Sample projects as a versatile interior-capable 4-3 strong-side defensive end whose power, hand usage, and motor make him a scheme-versatile Day 3 contributor for most NFL teams.
Tulane DE Cam Sample Highlights
Full college scouting cutup of Sample's Tulane tape — hand use, inside-kick reps and second-effort rush production.
Cam Sample — DL Senior Bowl 2021
Senior Bowl one-on-one reps against Power Five tackles and interior linemen in Mobile, the week that formalized his Day-3 stock.
Cameron Sample with a Sack vs. Cleveland Browns
NFL sample of the projected rotational sub-package role — an interior rush win against a Cleveland front for the Bengals.
This prospect projects as a valuable sub-package interior rusher and base-down edge-setter, offering positional versatility rather than elite speed or bend. A team buying this player is acquiring a blue-collar, high-effort contributor for a defined role.
He was a four-year starter at Tulane, demonstrating consistent development and versatility across the defensive line. He culminated his collegiate career with 165 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks. His strong performance at the Senior Bowl was critical, allowing evaluators to see him translate his power and hand technique against Power Five competition, especially given the absence of a combine.
Evaluators noted a "tweener" frame, specifically measuring 6'3" and 274 pounds, which suggested he was an in-between talent, coupled with average bend and length, and an underdeveloped counter-rush package. He was generally projected as a Day 3 selection, and the Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the fourth round, valuing his multi-alignment capabilities in their defensive scheme.
- 01
Violent Hand Technique
Hands are active and violent, adept at resetting after stalemates and stacking against down-blocks.
- 02
Bull Rush & Long Arm
Win pattern leans on second-effort rushes, employing a heavy bull rush and a long-arm-to-push-pull counter.
- 03
Positional Versatility
Projects as positionally versatile, capable of setting the edge and rushing from the interior in sub-packages.
- 04
Interior Pass Rusher
When shifted to a 3- or 4i-technique, he continues to win with power on passing downs.
- 05
Strong Senior Bowl
Strong performance at the Senior Bowl was critical, validating his power and hand technique against Power Five competition.
- 01
Average Get-Off Speed
Get-off is adequate, but his win pattern leans on second-effort rushes rather than initial burst.
- 02
Lacks Natural Bend
Not a natural speed-to-power converter, and his edge counter package is thin.
- 03
Limited Lateral Range
Lateral range limits him against pulling guards in space, impacting pursuit against outside runs.
- 04
Tweener Frame
Evaluators noted a "tweener" frame measuring 6'3" and 274 pounds, coupled with average length.
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Tulane | 11 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | Tulane | 11 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | Tulane | 13 | 44 | 1.5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2020 | Tulane | 11 | 52 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | — | 46 | 162 | 10.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Career rotational base end and situational inside rusher on contenders, exactly the multi-year contributor arc Sample followed in Cincinnati.
Optimistic ceiling as a positional-flex 4-3 end who moves inside on passing downs — early-round pedigree becomes rotational starter production in the right scheme.
Tweener frame and average bend cap the outcome as a short-run rotational piece who never converts the production into a stable starting job.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Solid rotational hit. Depth Years 1-2, rotational contributor Years 3-4 (~350 snaps/year, 2-3 sacks). Signed a 1-year extension with Tampa in 2024, still on the roster in 2025 as a base-package player.
Pre-draft context. Sample was a four-year starter at Tulane and one of the more productive linemen in the American Athletic Conference: 165 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, with an ascending 2020 and a strong 2021 Senior Bowl week in Mobile that formalized his Day-3 profile. He weighed in officially at 6'3", 274 pounds. The 2021 combine was cancelled due to COVID-19, so all athletic evaluation came from Tulane's pro day and Senior Bowl reps — no verified combine splits exist for this class of prospects, which is why the athletic-testing block for Sample is intentionally left empty in this file rather than filled with unverified numbers.
NFL fit — Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati took Sample at #111 to add a positional-flex piece behind Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard and a young interior rotation. The fit was clean: a base-end who could kick inside on nickel packages, spell on early downs, and contribute on special teams as a rookie without being asked to carry a pass-rush role. The team's multiple front rewarded exactly that kind of tweener body.
Retrospective. Sample stuck as a rotational defensive end/interior rusher for Cincinnati and was part of the roster during the 2021 Super Bowl LVI run and the 2022 AFC Championship team. Production stayed modest by design — a handful of sacks and tackles for loss across three-plus seasons in a rotational role — and his year ended early in Week 18 of 2023 with a season-ending injury against Baltimore. He was released by the Bengals in 2024 and has cycled through camp roster spots since, which lines up cleanly with the fourth-round rotational projection: a useful multi-year contributor on a contender, never a full-time starter.