7 Bengals we hope play well vs Packers in preseason opener

D’Ante Smith

The offensive line is always a topic of conversation in the Queen City. Unfortunately, there are still a few burning questions to be answered about the big men upfront. One question is: who will be the backup right tackle?

We know that Jonah Williams will be the starter this season yet the depth behind him is unsettled. While we have an informed idea of how well Hakeem Adeniji and Jackson Carman will perform if called upon, there is still uncertainty surrounding former fourth-round pick D’Ante Smith. 

Injuries have limited Smith's opportunities in his young career and even when he has been healthy, he has not spent much time on the active game-day roster. He has only appeared in three regular-season games in two seasons. Now going into his third year, Smith has an opportunity to change that. 

The information from Cincinnati's training camp about the former ECU tackle has been positive. He has looked good as he competes for a backup swing tackle job. 

Anxious fans are looking for the best possible options behind Williams and Orlando Brown Jr. With La’el Collins injured and on the PUP list, it would be good to see another player step up along the offensive line to show that they can be counted on to play at a high level during the season. 

If Smith can translate his training camp success over to the preseason games, that will allow fans and coaches to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Smith can live up to the potential that made him the 139th overall pick only two years ago. Healthy and heading into his third season, now is the perfect time for him to seize his opportunity to become one of the primary backup tackles for the Bengals.