The Cincinnati Bengals hope they unearthed a steal with their final pick of the 2024 NFL draft.
At No. 237, the Bengals finally hit the interior of the offensive line, adding Miami Hurricanes center Matt Lee.
Lee put a ton of tape up during college, where he started double-digit games for four straight seasons, including earning Second-team nods twice and one First-team All-American Athletic Conference.
The Bengals surely liked what they saw as a result, which probably aligns with what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say:
Lee is a technician with good play strength whose anchor supersedes the number on the scale. He keeps his head on a swivel and was rarely beaten in 2023. He’s not much of a knee-bender, so drive blocking attempts will stall out, creating lane closures inside. Lee is an average athlete with above-average core strength and protection technique, and he might be able to overcome concerns about his size once he makes it into a camp.
Lee mirrors some of the other lower-ceiling picks for the Bengals in the class in that he’s got a ton of experience already, which makes him capable if the team needs him to play as a rookie in place of a starter.
That starter is Ted Karras, who they need to think about for the long-term soon, anyway, given his age. Lee is one possible option, provided he can put what he’s learned to use again pros all summer.
While some might’ve wanted the Bengals to add an interior lineman much earlier in the process, Lee is a fantastic value addition this late.
