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The Cincinnati Bengals appear to have an obvious solution in front of them to their woes along the offensive line — Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell in the 2021 NFL draft.
But Sewell has to make it to Cincinnati’s No. 5 pick — unless they pull a stunner of a trade.
Count ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. as one who wouldn’t mind seeing the Bengals make such a splash. He recently appeared on the First Draft podcast and declared Sewell the second-best prospect in the class while chatting about a trade up for the Bengals:
“It’s Penei Sewell, the tackle from Oregon. If you go back freshman year – flawless. He missed some games that year with a high-ankle sprain. In 2019, doesn’t allow a sack, only allows one or two quarterback hits. He hasn’t been perfect but I would say close to it.
“When you look at him – okay would he look good in a Jet uniform? Sure. Mekhi Becton too? Great, bookends. But the Cincinnati Bengals desperately need Penei Sewell for Joe Burrow to keep him upright and healthy coming off that knee.”
Such a trade — swapping with the Jets at No. 2 — would work for both parties if the Jets truly intend on sticking with Sam Darnold instead of drafting his replacement.
And maybe Kiper is on to something. Todd McShay’s first mock of the offseason had the Bengals missing on Sewell and settling for a different offensive tackle.
Granted, any trade would be very costly. The Bengals would have to weigh if Sewell’s talent alone would fix enough to sacrifice a drove of draft assets to move up.
For now, it’s one of many possibilities to keep in mind as draft season gears up.
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