After prioritizing high-profile positions over the past four NFL Drafts, the Cincinnati Bengals find themselves in a peculiar position just weeks ahead of the NFL Draft. Even though Cincinnati has one of the best quarterbacks in the league and playmakers galore on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, they have severely neglected the gritty positions on the field.
While “gritty” may not be a technical term, I use it to generally describe the positions that may not be announced on every down but make huge impacts on the overall success of your team. That means both the offensive line and the defensive interior. Cincinnati may have splashed some money to bring in defensive end Trey Hendrickson a few seasons ago, their interior is completely made up of 3-techniques that specialize in rushing the passer. While that may be a huge benefit when elite quarterback Joe Burrow puts up a big lead, it is going to be catastrophic against elite rushing teams.
Coincidentally enough, three of the best rushing teams in the entire NFL finished ahead of Cincinnati in the AFC North last season. That means the lack of beef at the defensive tackle position should be of major concern to everyone right about now.
Cincinnati Bengals Expected to Go After Key Defender
Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals finished 31st in the NFL against the rushing attack. While the argument can be made that those numbers are expected when you’re in the same division as Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, shutting down the run against those teams is of the highest importance. On top of that, Cincinnati lost D.J. Reader to the Detroit Lions during the free agency window; when you already struggle against the run, you really don’t want to lose your best run defender.
Cincinnati brought in former Texan’s 3-technique defender Sheldon Rankins to replace him player-for-player but at 305 pounds, Rankins simply isn’t big enough to play the nose tackle position. Without a suitable replacement in the free agency window (which looks virtually impossible at this point with dwindling options), the organization will have to look toward the draft to find another alternative.
On Wednesday, ESPN NFL Insider Mel Kiper Jr. released a new mock draft that forecasted that Cincinnati would select Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II. Murphy was a terrific defensive tackle for the Longhorns last season as he finished last season with 33 quarterback pressures. Kiper goes on to acknowledge that he believes Murphy to be the best 3-technique available in the draft.
If this were a typical year, I would be absolutely thrilled with the organization landing arguably the best defensive tackle in the draft. Unfortunately, Cincinnati isn’t in a normal situation. After signing Rankins, Cincinnati has two defensive tackles on their roster whose salaries exceed $10 million once you remember that the team already has B.J. Hill under contract. Ironically, both of those players are natural 3-techniques with notable weaknesses against the run. Murphy may be a terrific player but he essentially fits that exact same mold.
While I firmly believe that it is important to have depth at the defensive tackle positions, having three expensive players able to fill one roster spot on the defense seems like a poor use of resources. Murphy is a tremendous player and would have fit in perfectly on the defensive front but the team needed to resign Reader rather than bring in Rankins as the alternative 3-technique.
For More Football News:
Follow me on Twitter at @Super_Squatch76. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and NFL news, click here! If there is a topic you’d like me to cover or a question you’d like to ask, feel free to contact me at my email timothy.mcbride76@gmail.com.