Bengals select offensive lineman Hakeem Adeniji in the sixth round
The Bengals drafted Kansas offensive lineman Hakeem Adenji (uh-DEN-UH-gee) in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Adeniji is another player that impressed the Bengals at the Senior Bowl. They like his athleticism and versatility to play multiple positions.
"He fits any scheme. His athleticism is a plus," offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. "Four year starter at tackle. He played some guard at the Senior Bowl. He can flex to both positions."
Adeniji has started every game since 2016. He made 40 starts at left tackle and eight at right tackle. He also took reps at center in practice while he was at Kansas.
"We like him as a tackle," Callahan said. "He could play some guard if he needed to."
Adeniji is another young lineman that offensive line coach Jim Turner can help mold and develop. He has plenty of experience and was a captain at Kansas.
"He's extremely intelligent. That's one of the things we loved about him," Callahan said. "He was accepted to the Air Force Academy. The kid loves football.
"We liked Adeniji. We had him graded pretty high and we're happy we had the chance to take him where we took him," Callahan said. "We liked him in some other spots a little bit higher too. [We're] Excited about his addition. He brings some ability to us that we like."
The Bengals expect him to compete with the other lineman on the roster, including Bobby Hart and Fred Johnson. Adeniji admitted he's most comfortable at left tackle, but is willing to move to the right side if it's best for the team.
"He's extremely athletic. He's physical. He's kind of a pure offensive lineman in that regard," Callahan said. "He was supposed to come down and play tackle at the Senior Bowl and they moved him to guard just because of numbers. He didn't say a word and he did it well. He played his best versus the best teams they played, against Baylor and OU in that conference. So he's got some quickness to the second level, his intelligence. There's a lot of things to like about him."
