Bengals focus on protecting Burrow in early four-round mock draft

Round 2: Pick 48 – Sean Rhyan, OT, UCLA

Sticking with the offensive line, I have the Bengals selecting UCLA offensive tackle Sean Rhyan in the second round.

This is a deep class of offensive tackles, so this may be a rare year in which the Bengals can find a franchise-level tackle in the second day of the draft. Rhyan would be a first round pick in most drafts, and may still be next year, but the Bengals would be thrilled to see such a talented player fall into the middle of the second round.

Veteran tackle Riley Reiff has been solid for the Bengals in his first season with the team, but the 32-year old could spend just a year with the team before leaving for another city. In that case, Rhyan would be able to step up as a rookie. However, if the Bengals would rather not start two rookies on the line, Reiff could come back for one more year while Rhyan develops.

Either way, investing in the line with their top two picks in the draft could give the Bengals their best offensive line in years. With how lethal the Burrow to Chase connection has been this year, just imagine how good they could be with an elite offensive line, instead of one that is average at best.