The Cincinnati Bengals need so much more than Penei Sewell

The Cincinnati Bengals are going to need a lot more than top offensive tackle prospect Penei Sewell to fix the problems that are plaguing the franchise.

Week 14 wasn’t pretty for the Cincinnati Bengals. The club lost in embarrassing fashion to the Dallas Cowboys, who were thought to be right alongside Zac Taylor’s squad in terms of ineptitude. The offense in particular was difficult to watch, as they only secured a single touchdown against the league’s worst defense.

While they were miles away from notching a victory into the win column, at the very least, they secured a long-term triumph. The organization now has a multi-game lead on the third overall selection, all but guaranteeing they have the opportunity to take the top offensive tackle prospect in the draft, Oregon lineman Penei Sewell.

The idea of Sewell in stripes has the fan base buzzing, and rightfully so. The stellar bookend has already shown flashes of greatness at just 20-years-old. With his combination of size, athleticism, mentality, and potential, he has the chance to be an all-pro type of player.

That certainly bodes well for the long-term protection of star quarterback Joe Burrow and it would be a great step in the right direction. However, the addition of a prospect like Sewell isn’t enough to put Cincinnati’s roster in a competitive position.

The Bengals’ needs extend far beyond a single offensive tackle

Without Joe Burrow, the Bengals are arguably the worst team in the NFL. Even with the star signal-caller, they’re the worst team within their division. In other words, there’s a lot of work to do.

Let’s assume that by the time April rolls around, Sewell indeed finds himself calling the Queen City home. Cincinnati will have two solid starters at tackle, Sewell and Jonah Williams, both with the potential to turn into great players at their position. They’ll also have a good starting center in place, Trey Hopkins.

There aren’t any guards you can feel comfortable about on the roster, however. Michael Jordan hasn’t proven capable of starting reps. Free-agent acquisition Xavier Su’a-Filo hasn’t played up to par in his limited time on the field. Quinton Spain, although an upgrade to what was already on the roster, has struggled at times himself.

The defensive side of the ball is arguably in need of even more reinforcements. The pass rush is non-existent, as the team has only brought opposing quarterbacks to the turf 15 times this season (tied for second-worst). Making matters even worse, Carl Lawson, the only viable pass rusher along the defensive line, is set to become a free agent once the season is up.

Speaking of soon-to-be free agents, William Jackson III, the clear cut number one corner on the roster, is set to hit the open market as well. If he leaves, the only viable outside corner the club has is Trae Waynes, who has missed the entire year to injury and has yet to play a single snap in the orange and black.

Roster deficiencies aside, the coaching staff is in just as much of a mess. At the very least the Bengals will need to find a viable offensive line coach and convince a defensive coordinator to take the reigns, something they weren’t able to do two years ago. But in all reality, they’ll have to secure an entirely new head coach to right the ship.

Sewell is a potentially elite player. However, he alone doesn’t move the needle closer to the Bengals’ championship aspirations. The front office will have to be major players within free agency and the trade market prior to the draft, or they risk being forced to move off the selection in order to acquire the capital required to address their many positions of need.

The current outlook paints a gloomy picture. However, rest assured, the Bengals have the resources required to add plenty of talent before the draft rolls around, allowing them to stay put and select Sewell.

For as dark as the past few seasons have been, a blueprint exists that allows for a much brighter 2021 campaign.