So based on my projected first round pick of Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham, the Cincinnati Bengals have shored up a position of need after the expected departure of 2019 eleventh overall pick offensive tackle Jonah Williams. After that pick, Cincinnati will have a complete offensive line again with the continued development of left guard Cordell Volson and another year of the group playing without many dramatic changes up front.
Cincinnati Bengals fill another Need in the Trenches with a Legacy
After Cincinnati fills the void left by Williams, the greatest need will be filling the massive void left by the likely departure of elite defensive tackle D.J. Reader this offseason. Reader was arguably the best player on the Cincinnati defense in 2023 and Cincinnati doesn’t really have a suitable player to fill his shoes. Defensive tackles B.J. Hill fills the 3-technique position while Josh Tupou simply doesn’t possess the athleticism necessary to fill that void.
The best option for Cincinnati in the second round would be to take defensive tackle Kris Jenkins II out of the University of Michigan. If you recognize that name, it’s because Jenkins’ father of the same name was an All Pro nose tackle with the Panthers and Jets in the 2000s. The younger Jenkins has established himself as a powerful force on the Michigan defensive line as he has established elite strength in the middle.
The profile on Jenkins is that he is a powerful defensive tackle who struggles with flexibility and needs to become a little bit more athletic on the inside. While he might be a bit of a project at nose tackle, Jenkins could put on a few extra pounds and become the new nucleus of the Cincinnati defense. It is common at his age for defensive tackles to need to focus on flexibility and pad level to be able to step in and dominate at the NFL level.
The alternative to this pick would be for Cincinnati to go out and get a nose tackle in the free agent market. Upon reviewing the market, former Texans and Titans nose tackle Teair Tart would be a good fit on the defensive front of Cincinnati. While he may not be as established of a playmaker as Reader has been, Tart is four years younger and would be able to plug the middle to allow for the established linebackers on the roster to make a tackle.
If you look at the Cincinnati depth chart on paper, you would think that they were solid against the run but this past season, the team was a complete disaster. Some of that blame belongs on the defensive coaching staff but the defensive line was pushed around most of last season. If Cincinnati brings in Jenkins or another solid option at the defensive tackle position, the defense will improve and the front seven may get back on track after a disappointing 2023 season.
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