Training camp is getting closer with each passing day and the Cincinnati Bengals‘ position with the most eyeballs on it this summer is most definitely the offensive line.
There’s a reason that’s the case, as the offensive line played so poorly last year that it led to Joe Burrow getting injured and missing the final six games of his rookie season. That cannot happen this year. The offensive line has to be better.
The Bengals made moves to improve their offensive line this offseason, but will we see an improvement?
Here’s what the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line depth chart looks like entering training camp.
- Jackson Carman
- Trey Hill
- Trey Hopkins
- Fred Johnson
- Michael Jordan
- Billy Price
- Isaiah Prince
- Riley Reiff
- D’Ante Smith
- Quinton Spain
- Xavier Su’a-Filo
- Keaton Sutherland
- Jonah Williams
It’s worth noting that Hakeem Adeniji is listed on the Bengals’ official roster but he was injured earlier this offseason and could miss the entirety of the 2021 season. This is unfortunate because at the very least, Hakeem Adeniji is a good swing option along the line.
The starting unit is locked up at the two tackle spots with Williams manning the left side of the line and Reiff taking over on the right side. If Hopkins is healthy enough at the start of the season, he’ll be the main man at center. It’s the two guard positions that need to be sorted out in training camp and it’ll come down to Carman, Jordan, Spain, and Su’a-Filo to fill those two spots.
I mentioned above how Williams, Hopkins, and Reiff are the likely starters at left tackle, center, and right tackle respectively, but what happens if one of them gets hurt? Price would be the starting center, as Hill probably isn’t going to be ready to start by that point.
Adeniji would have been one of the backups should Williams or Reiff gotten injured, but he’s no longer an option now unfortunately. Johnson, Prince, Smith, and Sutherland are the depth pieces at tackle should Williams or Reiff go down and miss an extended period of time, unless Cincy signs a veteran tackle before the start of the season.
The offensive line is going to have the most attention as the Bengals enter training camp and they brought that upon themselves with their poor performance last season. While the addition of Reiff to play right tackle was a good one for the Bengals, the guard spots will be the true wild cards. Well, that and the health of Williams, who has struggled to stay healthy during his career.
This is the group the Bengals have to work with on their offensive line during training camp. How do you feel about it, Bengals fans?