The Bengals believe Hakeem Adeniji can help solve their offensive line issues
There are plenty of questions surrounding the Bengals' offensive line heading into the 2020 season.
Will former first-round pick Jonah Williams be an upgrade at left tackle? Can Michael Jordan take a few steps forward in his development at left guard?
In a move questioned by many, the Bengals waited until the sixth-round to address the offensive line in the draft. They selected Hakeem Adeniji, an offensive tackle from Kansas. The Bengals believe he could help solve their issues in the trenches.
Offensive line coach Jim Turner loved what he saw from Adeniji prior to going to Mobile for the Senior Bowl in January.
"When I got on the plane, I had already watched tape of him, loved him and when they handed the roster to me he was on our team and I was very happy," Turner told Bengals.com. "When we landed, I found out they put him on the other team and I wasn't very happy. He was the best tackle in that game and separated himself from everyone there. No question."
That final comment is interesting. The Bengals passed on Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones in rounds two and three. Most analysts thought Jones would be an early day two pick at the very worst. Instead, the Cardinals took him in round three.
Turner calling Adeniji "the best tackle in that game" says a lot about how the Bengals felt about Jones. Both Jones and Adeniji played in the Senior Bowl for the North team.
“He’s extremely athletic. He’s physical – he’s kind of a pure offensive lineman in that regard," offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said after the Bengals drafted Adeniji. "He played the best against the best teams, and they played against Baylor and Oklahoma in that conference. He’s got some quickness to the second level, and you can tell his intelligence. There’s a lot of things to like about him.”
Adeniji played guard at the Senior Bowl due to the number of tackles that were in attendance. He was a four-year starter at Kansas, which included 40 starts at left tackle and eight starts at right tackle.
"Talk about character and toughness. When I talked to him at the Senior Bowl, he was no BS," Turner said. "He never hesitated answering a question. A lot of guys, you can see the script in their heads. He's no phony. All about playing ball. You can tell he was raised right. He'll make an impact here. I can feel it."
