Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Cordell Volson is one of those players facing a critical season in 2024.
For Volson, Year 2 of starting between Orlando Brown Jr. and Ted Karras will make or break whether he’s the long-term starter at left guard.
That’s something spotlighted by Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon in a column outlining every team’s biggest bust:
Last season, Cordell Volson had a rough time. But, hey, he’s still a young player and will be 26 years old in 2024. More experience can lead to improvement. However, the reality is we’ve seen Cincinnati’s offensive line annually underperform in front of Joe Burrow, and that’s a concerning sign for someone who already struggled mightily.
To be fair to Volson, there aren’t many major bust candidates in starting roles on a contention-ready Bengals roster. Former first-round pick Dax Hill might be the most notable as he makes the move to corner, but he’d simply lose the spot to DJ Turner.
As for Volson, the former fourth-round pick indeed faces a key season as an important piece of an interior that isn’t getting any younger as the line seeks to help Joe Burrow stay healthy.
If this bust prediction comes true, the draft process next offseason might be as predictable as the one that led to the team taking first-round tackle Amarius Mims this year.