3 available defensive tackles the Bengals could sign to replace Josh Tupou

With Bengals’ defensive tackle Josh Tupou opting-out of the 2020 NFL season, the Cincinnati front office will likely be looking for help at the position.

As NFL training camp approaches, certain players are choosing to opt-out of the upcoming season due to COVID-19. The first Cincinnati Bengal to do this is veteran nose tackle Josh Tupou.

This may not seem like a big deal to some, but Tupou is actually a valuable member of the Bengals’ defensive line. While not actually listed as a starter, the 6’3, 345-pound lineman is a regular in the team’s 3-4 formation, enough so to be essentially a starter in that package.

While the top two Bengals’ defensive tackles are set in Geno Atkins and D.J. Reader, behind Tupou they aren’t very deep at defensive tackle. Renell Wren is the next man up, and while he could still break out, he has not yet shown himself to be a reliable piece on the line.

With a Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 76.6 and an overall grade of 73.8, Tupou’s impact on the line will be missed. Luckily for the Bengals, there are multiple talented free agents still available who could fill the role perfectly.