The Cincinnati Bengals have restocked their roster well during the free agency season. Even though the squad didn’t
lose many key players, there were several places that needed to be filled right away. Jonah Williams, the starting
right tackle, was one of the most important players they lost during the previous week. Even though Williams had
served his time in Cincinnati, the team still doesn’t have enough suitable tackles to replace him.
Cincinnati Bengals Presumed First-Round Pick Makes Big Mistake:
Fortunately, Cincinnati was able to resolve the issue on Tuesday with the signing of veteran right tackle Trent Brown.
Brown, who spent the previous season with the New England Patriots playing the finest football of his career, will
probably start right tackle straight away. Given that Brown is only signed for one season, it is clear Cincinnati does
not view him as the offensive line’s long-term answer.
Let’s go ahead and fast-forward approximately one month to the 2024 NFL Draft, where a plethora of offensive
tackles are up for grabs. Specifically, my ideal offensive lineman for Cincinnati is among the six that are anticipated
to be selected in the first round: J.C. Latham is an Alabama right tackle. Latham is an enormous man, standing 6’6″
and weighing 360 pounds. His alignment with offensive line coach Frank Pollack’s size-first mentality is flawless.
Alabama’s football players had the opportunity to showcase themselves to potential NFL teams on Wednesday
during their pro day. Latham was undoubtedly the highlight of the show and looked great during drills despite
weighing 360 pounds and being predicted to compete in the first round. Regretfully, Latham decided against
participating in the shuttle drills and the forty-yard dash as part of the athletic testing.
Although Latham isn’t the first prospect to take that approach, Cincinnati hasn’t had much success selecting
offensive lineman without first seeing an impressive athletic showing. Former Ohio State center Billy Price, former
Clemson offensive lineman Jackson Carman, and their leaving offensive tackle Williams are the final three players
on that list. Surprisingly, Williams is the most successful member of this group despite Price and Carman’s
horrendous collapse out of the starting lineup.
Even though there are players who were successful in the NFL without participating in physical workouts during
their professional careers, it doesn’t give one a sense of confidence, especially for a 360-pound offensive lineman
who is more likely to slack off and gain unhealthful weight. When it comes to pass blocking in the NFL, athleticism is
essential, so Latham may lag behind the other five expected first-round offensive linemen if he isn’t prepared to put
his to the test.
With the 18th pick in the draft, Latham is still my preferred choice for Cincinnati, but this development should
undoubtedly raise some red flags.
