Throughout their history, the Cincinnati Bengals have certainly not been considered one of the better teams in the league when it comes to drafting talent. That seemed to change in 2020 when one of the most successful drafts in the history of the franchise launched the organization to Super Bowl LVI just one season later.
To paint a more detailed picture, the first four picks of that draft class have become superstars on this roster including first-round pick quarterback Joe Burrow, second-round pick wide receiver Tee Higgins, third-round pick linebacker Logan Wilson, and fourth-round pick linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither. While that draft class launched this organization into a perennial contender, the three subsequent groups have caused the overall talent on the roster to sag quite a bit below the standard. In order to get back to form, this organization will need to put together a complete draft from the first-rounder to the seventh-rounder.
Cincinnati Bengals Bring in Talented Offensive Tackle for Projected Day Three Pick
To properly analyze the significance of the NFL draft, it is important to think of draft picks more in terms of probabilities than certainties. First-round picks (particularly early first-round picks) should be almost guaranteed starters, day two picks should make the team and likely push for a starting spot while day three picks are essentially flyers. The statistical chance of hitting on a day-three pick is so low that the team should really focus on both depth and long-term projects rather than immediate impact.
Cincinnati appears to be focused heavily on the third day already when they brought in University of Missouri offensive tackle Javon Foster for a visit. While I am still committed to the organization taking an offensive tackle in the first round (my personal choice is Alabama right tackle J.C. Latham), the move by Cincinnati shows a surprising amount of foresight for a team with the track record that they have.
To quickly summarize his attributes, Foster is a quality tackle with average athleticism and average technique for the rest of the players coming out of the draft. The biggest red flag for offensive linemen at the NFL level is that Foster struggles with both pad level and footwork but the fascinating thing is that even without much else available on tape, Foster finished First-team All-Conference in the most dominant conference in college football and third-team All-American.
Even without great attributes, Foster manages to find a way to get the job done no matter what. That is the type of player that the organization desperately needs.
As of this moment, Cincinnati has clear starters at the offensive tackle positions in left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and right tackle Trent Brown. While that may be an acceptable pairing for next season, it certainly won’t last much longer than that. Trent is on a prove-it contract that will likely take him to another team in 2025 regardless of whether it is for a major pay bump or after being let go from the organization.
Orlando Brown has struggled to live up to the hype after joining the team from the Kansas City Chiefs last offseason and unless he shows dramatic improvement on last season, he will likely be out before his contract ends after 2026.
While Foster may not be an immediate impact player, he will provide this franchise with depth for years to come. The organization is in desperate need of players who may not make it look pretty but simply get the job done.
More must-reads: