Bengals: Zac Taylor believes that Jonah Williams is answer at left tackle
The Cincinnati Bengals spent the No. 11 pick on Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams in 2019 and so far, the results have been disappointing. Williams missed his entire rookie season due to injury and then missed another six games in 2020.
Even with all of that in mind, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor still believes that Williams is the right man for the job at left tackle.
In his press conference on Tuesday, Taylor was asked about Williams and why he still believed he was the best choice to play left tackle. Taylor responded that Williams had“Really good tape” and that he’s a “really smart player” while also noting that he’s yet to play in a full season.
Zac Taylor speaks with the media after the first day of Week 2 of OTAs. https://t.co/mf2G320GYy
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) June 1, 2021
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor believes in Jonah Williams.
The Bengals offensive line is going to be the talk of the town this offseason because of what happened to Joe Burrow last season. Williams was active in the game where Burrow was injured but he was returning from an injury that sidelined him for two weeks.
If the Bengals’ o-line is going to get better this year, Williams has to take the biggest leap out of anybody. The team passed on the opportunity to take Penei Sewell with the No. 5 overall pick and Williams has to prove that they made the right decision in doing so.
Williams knows what’s at stake and he made sure everyone knew that when he spoke to the media on Tuesday.
Bengals OT Jonah Williams on the team’s decision to keep him at left tackle this season.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) June 1, 2021
"I take that very seriously. I want to prove the team right and do what it takes to be a great left tackle."
It would have been easy for the Bengals to draft Sewell and then move Williams inside to guard but they opted not to do that even after two less than stellar years with the organization. This shows that the team believes in him enough to keep him at left tackle and protect Burrow’s blindside.
The injury bug has bitten Williams frequently so far but 2021 is a new year for him. Here’s to hoping that third time really is a charm and that the Bengals left tackle can emerge as one of the better left tackles in the league.
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If Williams can improve on his play from a season ago while also appearing in all 17 games, the Bengals will have a better sample size on him and know if he will be the guy at left tackle moving forward. If he struggles to stay on the field again, this time next year might be a totally different story for Williams.