Five Offensive Linemen the Cincinnati Bengals could target in 2020

Another player the Cincinnati Bengals could consider at the top of the draft is Tristan Wirfs. It remains to be seen if he is worthy of what will likely be a top 5 pick. Right now he’s being projected to go a little later than that. Still, if they like him over Thomas, they could trade back and gain some draft capital in the pursuit of a quarterback in 2021.

What sticks out most about Wirfs is his hands. As you can see in the video above from @BrandonThornNFL, he does a great job of diffusing different pass-rush techniques. It is easy to see a very technical game rather than simply relying on his physical attributes.

That should make his transition to the NFL much smoother. Many times offensive linemen struggle to begin their careers because they are used to being able to overpower everyone at the college level. That just isn’t going to happen once they reach the NFL. Thankfully, the Iowa big man already seems to know this.

Another interesting note is that he already plays right tackle as his primary position. This makes his fit with the Bengals more evident, as they have Williams slated to play left tackle for them. The right tackle is becoming an increasingly more valuable position. Many opposing teams line up their best pass rushers so they face the right tackle. For example, J.J. Watt and Von Miller almost exclusively line up on that side of the ball. If Wirfs can step in and neutralize guys of that caliber, he’d play a huge role in getting the Bengals offense humming again.

If his sound technique weren’t enough for the Bengals to be sold on him as a prospect, his strength should be. As you can see from the impressive clip above via @ESPNCFB. Wirfs has all the makings of being a premiere tackle at the highest level.