Former Washington Huskies offensive lineman Jaxson Kirkland spent his first season in the NFL on the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad, and it appears those days could be over.
The three-time All-Pac-12 honoree played primarily at left guard in his final year at Washington following Troy Fautanu’s emergence but has found himself back at left tackle in the preseason, a position he is more than familiar with thanks to his college days.
Kirkland started and took all but 10 snaps at left tackle in the Bengals’ preseason matchup with the Chicago Bears and had a solid performance in pass protection with just 1 pressure and no sacks allowed across 33 dropbacks.
The Bengals have had to revamp their offensive line after their first-round pick, Georgia right tackle Amarius Mims, suffered a strained pectoral muscle, which should keep him out for several weeks.
As practice resumed, the Portland, Oregon native has taken reps with the first-team offense at both left and right tackle to fill the gap left by Mims, and Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack has been very complimentary of Kirkland’s growth.
Looks like Jaxson Kirkland working with the starting OL at RT in 1-on-1 work against the Colts
— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) August 20, 2024
“He’s been playing guard most of the time, and these are his first reps at tackle. Watch the tape and you’ll enjoy watching him, too,” Pollack said. “He’s had a great camp. He’s got to hone some of his technique and be a little bit quicker with his hands at guard, counter moves, and all that kind of stuff with his feet. But he’s working on that stuff, and he’s doing really well.”
“He [doesn’t] take [crap] from anybody. That’s how you’ve got to be. He’s not doing cheap shots, he’s just playing football,” Pollack continued. “What’s typical about defensive guys is they don’t like to be blocked. It doesn’t matter what position they play. That’s typical. I just laugh it off, and those guys are going to defend themselves and not back off from anybody. That’s what you want on the O-Line. I call it the ‘silent intimidators.'”
The former Husky captain will get his final shot to make the 53-man roster in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts before final cuts are made on Tuesday, August 27.