Analyst Believes Bengals' Offensive Line One of the Most Improved in NFL This Offseason

This is great to see!

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
May 3, 2021 3:23 PM EDT

CINCINNATI — The Bengals desperately needed to upgrade their offensive line this offseason. The process began in January when they parted ways with former offensive line coach Jim Turner and signed Frank Pollack to a multi-year deal.

The process continued in free agency when they cut veteran Bobby Hart and signed former Pro Bowler Riley Reiff to play right tackle. They also re-signed guard Quinton Spain.

Cincinnati added three offensive linemen in the 2021 NFL Draft, starting with second rounder Jackson Carman. They followed that up by using their fourth round pick on D'Ante Smith and their sixth rounder on Trey Hill.

Did they make enough moves to keep Joe Burrow upright in 2021? Pro Football Focus analyst Ben Linsley believes Cincinnati's offensive line is the fourth most improved O-line in the league.

^{"Drafting Penei Sewell fifth overall would have probably pushed Cincinnati higher on this list. But it’s tough to fault them for addressing another need by reuniting Ja’Marr Chase with Joe Burrow, adding a No. 1 receiver and a legitimate deep threat to their offense. It looked like the board was setting up perfectly for the Bengals to still get a first-round talent, such as Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins, at the top of Round 2. However, Cincinnati decided to trade down, watching Jenkins, Liam Eichenberg and Walker Little come off the board before they picked in the second round. That led to the Bengals selecting Clemson’s Jackson Carman with pick 46."}
^{"As the PFF Draft Guide notes, Carman carries 330 pounds easily and was playing his best football late in the 2020 season with Clemson. He will likely help solidify the interior early in his career but could be an option at tackle down the line. Part of the reason Carman likely begins his career at guard is that the Bengals addressed the right tackle position in free agency, signing Riley Reiff, who has graded at 67.0 or higher in pass protection every year of his career. He’s not a high-end option, nor is he a long-term one, but his addition does significantly reduce the risk for disastrous play at the position, pushing Cincinnati closer to average in the league-wide picture."}

The Chargers, Chiefs and Vikings were ahead of the Bengals, but Linsley clearly believes Cincinnati should be much better in the trenches this season.

The trade down from pick 38 to pick 46 is going to be discussed for a long time, but Cincinnati didn't have any intention of taking Jenkins, Eichenberg or Little. They were focused on Carman and were comfortable taking him at No. 38 according to multiple sources.

Cincinnati's offensive line isn't perfect, but it's much better than the unit they had last season from a talent and coaching standpoint.

For the latest Bengals news and coverage, bookmark AllBengals and check out some of our other articles below.

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