The Cincinnati Bengals used a first-round pick on Dax Hill in 2022 as a long-term move to shore up the secondary on the strong likelihood of Jessie Bates’ departure this offseason.
But were a re-draft to occur, would the Bengals do the same thing again?
Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon set out to answer that very question with a 2022 re-draft and with the 31st pick, has the Bengals actually picking Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer:
“The reworked offensive line in Cincinnati has survived, not necessarily thrived. Jamaree Salyer had experience at multiple spots in college, and he showed off that versatility as the emergency left tackle for the Chargers in 2022. Salyer could have provided the same impact after a knee injury ended Bengals right tackle La’el Collins’ year in December.”
The right side of Cincinnati’s line got destroyed in the AFC title game when the Chiefs lined up Chris Jones on the edge and found other ways to get favorable matchups. So, it’s understandable a re-draft might look at that and go away from Hill.
But realistically, few lines in the NFL are going to survive losing three starters right as the playoffs start. Hill played a few key snaps against tight ends in place of the injured Tre Flowers and will fully take over the safety role when Bates likely leaves via free agency in a few months.
