These 5 players must become Bengals' next batch of superstars

Orlando Brown Jr.

The Bengals don’t only need the young guys to turn into superstars. They also need Orlando Brown Jr. to be the undoubted answer at left tackle.

The Bengals need an offensive tackle capable of shutting down the elite pass rushers in the division. Myles Garrett, Alex Highsmith, and T.J. Watt have feasted on the Bengals’ subpar pass protection. 

Not protecting Burrow has cost the team in the regular season and the playoffs. Now that Brown is in the building, that is expected to change. As Pro Football Focus’ Datlon Wasserman points out:

"“Burrow is arguably the NFL's best pure passer when he is protected. In fact, his 96.0 passing grade from clean pockets is the best mark in the league since he was drafted in 2020. The problem is that Burrow has faced pressure on almost one-third of his dropbacks since entering the league, and he has taken 153 sacks over that time — 13 more than the next-closest quarterback.” "

- Dalton Wasserman, Pro Football Focus

Also, Brown needs to be effective in the run game. It is not all on Joe Mixon. The offensive line can be better by opening running lanes for the backs.

There is room for improvement in Brown’s game. Fortunately, he still has time to improve as a run blocker and pass protector.

Brown talked a good game about how he is only a left tackle. That is a major part of why he is in stripes today. He wanted to be in a place that would allow him to stay on the left side, and he should be a substantial upgrade over Jonah Williams. As Wasserman writes, “his 76.8 grade in 2022 was far superior to the mark put up by Bengals left tackle (62.8).”

Now, he needs to be a superstar at that spot. Pro Bowl or even All-Pro status would be fantastic. Reaching the top of lists such as PFF's best offensive tackle rankings would leave no doubt that he belongs on the same level as Trent Williams and Andrew Thomas.

Fair or not to the newly acquired offensive tackle, his performance will go a long way in determining how well we grade the offseason moves. Also, it will play a critical role in how the Bengals' offense performs this season. Brown was great for Kansas City. The Bengals need him to be a superstar.

It is greedy to want more players on an already talented roster to develop into superstars but when a team has the talent the Bengals possess, it is easy to imagine a scenario where it comes to fruition. At the premium positions they play, let's hope that Brown Jr., Murphy, Taylor-Britt, Turner II, and Hill can each hit that superstar threshold.