Offensive tackle is one of the runaway favorites for the Cincinnati Bengals in first-round draft projections with right tackle Jonah Williams slated for free agency.
And while nothing is settled on the Williams front just yet, it’s a topic of discussion right now as the team attends the scouting combine.
So what are the Bengals looking for in a deep offensive tackle class? Bengals’ line coach Frank Pollack spoke at length about this during a media session, citing the need to combat the likes of T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett multiple times per year.
“They’ve got to have range, got to have very quick feet. Length helps. Length will help you overcome some of your deficiencies in your feet and your athleticism,” Pollack said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Balance is a big one. Being able to bend is a big one. Out there on the edge in space, you’re going to face the cream of the crop as far as what this league has to offer. Left side, right side is irrelevant these days. I’m sure all the guys that face the Watt kid in Pittsburgh think that they’re facing the elite just as much as everyone faces the other guy in Cleveland on the left side. So, either side is going to be important. It’s not like it what it used to be back in the day. Left side was kind of the premier (tackle) and it’s not that way anymore.”
After athletic testing at the combine, we’ll see which prospects really measure up to what Pollack’s looking for — then it’s a matter of whether those guys will actually be available 18th overall.
But for now, Pollack and the Bengals aren’t exactly shy about what they’re looking for in a prospect — one who might just be their first-round pick this year.
