The Bengals signed three draft picks Saturday, leaving only four unsigned.
Second-round safety Jessie Bates, fourth-round halfback Mark Walton and fifth-round cornerback Darius Phillips now are under contract with four-year deals. Of the Bengals’ 11 draft choices, only first-round center Billy Price, third-round defensive end Sam Hubbard, third-round linebacker Malik Jefferson and seventh-round receiver Auden Tate remain without deals.
Bates made 179 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, with six interceptions and nine pass breakups in two years at Wake Forest.
Walton played three seasons at Miami, seeing action in 30 games. He gained 2,930 total yards and scored 28 total touchdowns.
Phillips was a three-time all-conference selection in four seasons at Western Michigan. He finished huis career ranked sixth in FBS history in kickoff return yards (3,145) and returned four kickoffs at least 100 yards. He scored 14 career touchdowns in five different ways -- five kickoff returns, one punt return, five interceptions, one fumble return and two receiving.