The Cincinnati Bengalsmight’ve picked a good year to need offensive linemen while picking near the end of the first round.
Given the leaguewide emphasis on quarterbacks and pressure-creators, there’s always an outside chance one of the draft’s better offensive linemen could fall to the Bengals at No. 31.
That’s just what happens in a new mock draft from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler as the Bengals land Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum:
“No player has a wider variance of where he could be drafted than Linderbaum. Arguably one of the 15 best players in this draft, the former defensive lineman is a center only with below-average length and scheme versatility, which will limit his landing spots in round one. But he would be an absolute steal at this point in the draft for the Bengals.”
This is a solid example of the good fortune the Bengals could have in the first round. While four offensive linemen come off the board in the top 10 of this mock, the fact interior linemen are devalued compared to tackles helps Linderbaum fall.
In fact, Linderbaum is the No. 5 overall ranked player in some places, like CBS Sports. He’s No. 12 at PFF.
And in this sort of scenario, the Bengals would sprint to the podium to get a guy who both looks like an instant starter and a potential core piece for the next handful of years.
