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Conventional wisdom says the Cincinnati Bengals will go all-in on the offensive line this offseason, highlighted by taking a lineman in the opening round of the 2022 NFL draft.
It would seem Mel Kiper Jr. at ESPN doesn’t subscribe to such theories though. Instead, in his latest mock draft, he has the Bengals addressing the defense, suggesting that the Bengals shouldn’t force it in the trenches.
Kiper’s mock has the Bengals instead going with Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon:
“Why no offensive linemen here? Because the Bengals shouldn’t force it to try to fill their biggest need. In this scenario, I didn’t have another lineman with a a Round 1 grade; Daniel Faalele (Minnesota) and Tyler Smith (Tulsa) are more likely to go in the first 15 picks in the second round. Cincinnati, which has salary-cap space, could also address the position in free agency.
Instead I went with a corner in Gordon who has the length and physical traits to be a No. 1 guy in the NFL. He had two interceptions last season and showed some high-end coverage traits.”
First, about Gordon — he’s an elite athlete and pretty big at 6’0″. The Bengals will undoubtedly need help at the position if/when they cut Trae Waynes and if they don’t bring Eli Apple back.
Still, skipping on offensive line probably isn’t the best approach for the Bengals. It worked last year, as they were in the top five and couldn’t afford to miss on a high-end prospect like Ja’Marr Chase — and we all know how well that played out.
But with the 31st pick so near the second round anyway, it’s more advisable to hit on need. And they need as much talent as possible along the offensive line, especially as there’s a chance free agency bidding wars mean they don’t reset the three-four spots they need to (before possibly moving Jonah Williams to a new spot, too).
While the Bengals shouldn’t only be looking at one spot in the first round, passing on an offensive lineman might be an even bigger error in this particular draft.
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