CINCINNATI – It almost feels like a foregone conclusion the Cincinnati Bengals will select a tackle with the 18th pick in the draft.
They certainly will have plenty to choose from, as this is one of the best draft classes for tackles in a long time, both in terms of top-end talent and depth.
The Bengals signed Trent Brown in free agency, but that in no way impacted how they will approach the draft, particularly the front part of it.
Early-Round OT Targets for the Bengals
Brown is 31 and has started just 38 games over the last four seasons. Even if he beats out whatever rookie the team drafts and plays well, there still is a chance the Bengals will have to turn to the newcomer at some point.
Another variable in the mix is tackle-guard versatility, even with left guard Cordell Volson having started all 33 games the last two seasons, which helped in nearly doubling his salary via the NFL’s Performance-Based Pay program.
The right tackle position was a popular talking point for the Bengals at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
“Yes, we would like to have somebody man the right tackle spot for a number of years,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. “We’d like it to be a young guy that can come in and do that or a veteran that might have the opportunity to rebuild his career. Something. But yes, we would like that to be manned on multiple fronts.”
Added offensive line coach Frank Pollack:
“You’d love to have a guy you could plug in two or three years ago that you know is going to be there for the next 10 years. That’s part of the business, part of the league. Something you know if you sign an older guy (is that) you are hoping to find a young guy to step up and develop as well. We are looking at all those options. We’ll see where this offseason takes us.”
It’s taken them exactly where we thought it would, with signing Brown as a one-year starter or, failing that, a mentor to whomever the Bengals take early in the draft.
Before delving into the tackle options, here are early-round targets for the Bengals at other positions:
Here is a look at the best early-round options for the Bengals at tackle with some insights from Pro Football Network draft analyst Ian Cummings:
Joe Alt, Notre Dame
You can see a scenario where most of the top six tackles are still available for the Bengals, at No. 18, but not with Alt.
It’s hard to envision a scenario where he even makes it out of the top 10. This is one of the best draft classes for tackles in recent memory, and Alt is firmly positioned atop the list.
MORE: NFL Offense Rankings
Cummings: “Heading into the season, Alt was my OT3. But in 2023, he showcased improved play strength and hand usage, hyper-elite mobility, and recovery athleticism. That’s all I needed to see to vault him up to OT1.
“The physical traits are where it starts with Alt. At 6’8″, 315 pounds, he has a towering frame with impressive length, and his tape shows off uncanny athleticism and recovery capacity at that size.”
Olu Fashanu, Penn State
Like Alt, Fashanu is a long shot to be around at 18, or even anywhere in the teens where a team picking, say, 18th might consider trading up to pick him.
We thought we might see him in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he went back to Penn State to get his degree. Despite playing four years for the Nittany Lions, Fashanu won’t turn 22 until December.
Cummings: “Fashanu is a blue-chip prospect and a top-10 talent in the 2024 NFL Draft on my board. In fact, on my board, he would have been the OT1 of the 2023 NFL Draft class over Paris Johnson Jr., Anton Harrison, and Darnell Wright if he had declared.
“At 6’6″, 321 pounds, Fashanu has one of the most complete physical tools and operational utility marriages in the 2024 NFL Draft class.”
Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
The dark-horse candidate many Bengals fans hope will fall to the team at 18, Fuaga (6’6”, 334 pounds) went from a three-star recruit in high school to a near lock as a first-round pick.
With the nasty, glass-eater makeup that the Bengals offensive line coach Pollack craves, Fuaga was Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 run-blocking tackle in 2023 among 2024 draft-eligible players, more than four grading points ahead of Alt.
Taliese Fuaga said teams are asking him to play inside or outside. He's willing to do either. Fuaga described the difference between guard and tackle. pic.twitter.com/09Q57DbxDJ
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) March 2, 2024
And he’s a natural right tackle, having started there in each of the last two seasons for the Beavers.
Cummings: “Fuaga grades out as a blue-chip and top-10 prospect on my 2024 NFL Draft board. He rests alongside Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu, and JC Latham as one of the top tackle prospects in the 2024 class, and he could rival Latham for the title of best right tackle.
“Fuaga’s elite power and elite explosiveness serve as high-ceiling traits, but Fuaga is much more refined and much more actionable as a Day 1 NFL starter than he gets credit for. In the run game, Fuaga maximizes his power component with sharp angle awareness, urgency, smooth hinge flexibility, and a finisher’s mentality.”
JC Latham, Alabama
Another natural right talent, Latham also could play guard — at least temporarily — if he’s unable to beat out Brown and if the Bengals want to see some competition for Volson.
Latham (6’6”, 350 pounds) allowed one sack and nine pressures on 378 pass-blocking snaps in 2023.
Cummings: “Latham grades out as a blue-chip prospect and a top-10 talent in the 2024 NFL Draft class. He’s worth early first-round capital, and especially for teams in need of a natural right tackle with dual-sided pass and run-blocking appeal, he makes a lot of sense.
“As crazy as it may seem, Latham could still be the third-best OT in the 2024 class, even with his blue-chip grade … Latham provides a unique kind of upside with his elite explosiveness, power, and road-grading ability in the run game.”
Amarius Mims, Georgia
An enormous mountain of a man at 6’8” and 340 pounds, Mims fits the template for tackles in the Cincinnati offense, with both Orlando Brown Jr. and Trent Brown standing 6’8”.
One concern about Mims is his lack of experience, having played just 673 snaps during his time at Georgia.
Amarius Mims with a 5.07u in his first run 🔥@amarius_mims #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/DaFShAt9rI
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) March 3, 2024
Cummings: “He doesn’t grade quite as highly as blue-chip OTs like Alt and Fashanu, but he’s in the next tier. Physically, Mims has one of the highest ceilings in the 2024 NFL Draft’s OT crop. He’s a dominating specimen with high-end athleticism both in space and in short areas, and he has suffocating strength and deadly power capacity.
“As one might expect, Mims is still relatively raw, but there are a few soft skills at tackle that he already performs well. For his size, he’s already fairly natural at acquiring and maintaining leverage, getting depth on his kick, and properly aligning his base.”
Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
If the Bengals are drafting Guyton, it likely means there has been a big run on tackles in the first 17 picks, which is not out of the question.
Guyton (6’8”, 322 pounds) is similar to Mims in that he lacks starting experience, but he doesn’t have the same athletically freaky nature to his game.
Cummings: “Guyton grades out as a top-75 prospect on my 2024 NFL Draft board. He’s worthy of Day 2 capital and could be an impact NFL starter if given time to further his development and keep honing his skills.
“Guyton only has one full year of starting experience at right tackle, and that does show at times. Elements like pad level, hand usage, recovery footwork, and synergy all need further improvement. But for a high school DT with three years of collegiate playing experience at tackle, Guyton shows immense promise.”
Troy Fautanu, Washington
He has starting experience at both tackle and guard, but he is a bit more of a project than a certain plug-and-play starter.
Fautanu (6’4”, 317 pounds) has the flash but lacks consistency. But his versatility keeps him on the fringe of first-round consideration.
MORE: NFL Post-Free Agency Power Rankings
Cummings: “Troy Fautanu grades out as a top-50 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft on my board, and he is one of the top interior offensive line candidates in the class. He could feasibly command late-Round 1 billing and would be an exceptional value pick in the early-to-mid Day 2 range.
“Fautanu has one of the more unique physical builds in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has exceptional mass and proportional length and moves very well for his size — particularly as a short-area and lateral mover.”
Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
A five-star recruit and cousin of 2021 first-round pick Penei Sewell, Suamataia could be a surprise first-round selection.
Sewell’s former teammate at Oregon, Suamataia transferred to BYU in 2022. He was the starting right tackle in 2022 before switching to left tackle in 2023.
Cummings: “He could earn late Round 1 consideration from NFL teams. At just 21 years old, Suamataia already has left-right versatility, two years of experience, and an elite physical foundation to build on.
“At 6’6″ and 325 pounds, Suamataia looms over the competition, and his combination of elite explosiveness, mass, and high-end length grants him quantifiably elite power capacity. He can use that power to drive open lanes in the run game and shock rushers with violent punches in pass protection.”
Kiran Amegadjie, Yale
Since the 1970 merger, the highest a Yale player has been drafted was No. 53 (second round) in 1982. Amegadjie has a chance to beat that.
The 6’5”, 323-pounder was dominant against Ivy League competition, moving from right guard in 2021 to left tackle in 2022 and 2023, but a torn quad in October ended his final season early.
Had a chance to connect with @seniorbowl top-graded small school prospect, Yale LT Kiran Amegadjie, these past 24 hours and I immediately became a fan.
He’s the only sub-FBS player our staff felt could legitimately get drafted on Day 2 this year.
Kiran had surgery yesterday to… pic.twitter.com/sY966w6O7Y
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) October 19, 2023
Cummings: “He could be one of the first FCS prospects selected. Amegadjie is still relatively raw from a technical standpoint, but he has one of the highest ceilings in not just the 2024 NFL Draft OT class but the offensive line class as a whole.
“At 6’5″, 323 pounds, and with arms over 36″, Amegadjie has an uncommon power profile. And on top of his size and length, he’s a high-level athlete with searing explosiveness, impressive short-area energy, flexibility, and range as a pulling and moving blocker.”
Roger Rosengarten, Washington
The last look a lot of fans had at Rosengarten featured him struggling against Michigan’s defensive line in the national championship game, but the Wolverines did that to the best of the best.
Rosengarten started at right tackle the last two seasons and could be in the mix in the second round if the Bengals go a different direction in the first round.
Cummings: “He’s worthy of early-to-mid Day 2 consideration and could be a surprise Round 1 pick after testing. In a class filled with rare athletes at OT, Rosengarten is near the top of the list. He’s an effortlessly explosive mover with hyperactive, short-area burst and energy, bristling foot speed, and hyper-elite flexibility and recovery capacity.
GET DRAFTING: Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
“Past his athletic tools, there’s still plenty to like with Rosengarten, too. He is a synergetic pass protector who plays with great knee bend, pad level, and controlled lean. And while his base can be a bit uncontrolled, his flashes of independent hand usage and latch technique are superb.”
Miss football? The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, boss. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s all-new Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls — lone wolf or with your friends!
Listen to the PFN Bengals Podcast
Listen to the PFN Bengals Podcast! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find the PFN Bengals Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Check out the PFN Bengals Podcast on our NFL YouTube channel.