Drew Sample in the NFL
In the NFL. Photo: All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tight end, Washington, 2014–⁠18

Drew Sample

Number
No. 88
Height
6′5″
Weight
261 lb
Class (2018)
Senior
Hometown
Bellevue, WA
Born
Apr 16, 1996

Drew Sample played tight end at Washington (2014–⁠18). The Cincinnati Bengals took Sample in round 2, No. 52 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
245
Receiving yards, 2018 (Washington, 10–⁠4)
Drafted
No. 52
Round 2, 2019 NFL Draft (Cincinnati Bengals)

Team titles: Pac-12 champions, 2016 and 2018

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2015Washington5459.0223
2016Washington910611.8032
2017Washington78412.0031
2018Washington2424510.2333
Career4548010.7533

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2014Washington88TERS
2015Washington88TEFr.
2016Washington88TESo.
2017Washington88TEJr.
2018Washington88TESr.6′5″261

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2015Washington60.78––4.7–
2016Washington101.23––12.3–
2017Washington110.16––1.8–
2018Washington310.7984th (n=497)0.5324.64%

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2018 Washington 12 games, 24 catches, 245 yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 1vs.AuburnL 16–⁠21226016
Sep 8vs.North DakotaW 45–⁠3325011
Sep 15atUtahW 21–⁠7––––
Sep 22vs.Arizona StateW 27–⁠20224017
Sep 29vs.BYUW 35–⁠7537115
Oct 6atUCLAW 31–⁠24––––
Oct 13atOregonL 27–⁠30479033
Oct 27atCaliforniaL 10–⁠121606
Nov 3vs.StanfordW 27–⁠23219111
Nov 17vs.Oregon StateW 42–⁠231404
Nov 30vs.UtahW 10–⁠3224018
Jan 1 ✦vs.Ohio StateL 23–⁠282112
2017 Washington 5 games, 7 catches, 84 yards
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 1atRutgersW 30–⁠14363031
Oct 14atArizona StateL 7–⁠131505
Nov 18vs.UtahW 33–⁠301505
Nov 25vs.Washington StateW 41–⁠141505
Dec 30 ✦vs.Penn StateL 28–⁠351606
2016 Washington 8 games, 9 catches, 106 yards
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 3vs.RutgersW 48–⁠131505
Sep 17vs.Portland StateW 41–⁠3111011
Oct 8atOregonW 70–⁠211404
Oct 29atUtahW 31–⁠24227016
Nov 5atCaliforniaW 66–⁠27132032
Nov 25atWashington StateW 45–⁠17111011
Dec 2vs.ColoradoW 41–⁠101808
Dec 31 ✦vs.AlabamaL 7–⁠241808
2015 Washington 5 games, 5 catches, 45 yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 19vs.Utah StateW 31–⁠171313
Sep 26vs.CaliforniaL 24–⁠30––––
Oct 8atUSCW 17–⁠121303
Nov 7vs.UtahL 23–⁠34224123
Nov 14atArizona StateL 17–⁠27115015

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

Played in the 2019 Senior Bowl (North team, won 34–⁠24).

DrillCombine 2019
Height6′4¾″
Weight255 lb
Arm length33⅜″
Hand size9⅝″
Wingspan79¼″W
40-yard dash4.71 s
10-yard split1.58 sW
Vertical jump33½″
Broad jump9′7″
3-cone drill7.15 s
20-yard shuttle4.31 s

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

8 seasons, 73 games with a stat; latest team: Cincinnati Bengals.

SeasonTeamGRecYdsTD
2019Cincinnati Bengals55300
2020Cincinnati Bengals16403491
2021Cincinnati Bengals1011810
2022Cincinnati Bengals22−20
2023Cincinnati Bengals14221632
2024Cincinnati Bengals11201091
2025Cincinnati Bengals12151061
2026 (so far)Cincinnati Bengals35240
NFL career731208605

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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