Bengals could take a similar route they went down last year in the first round with talented Ohio State prospect
It wasn't a given that Amarius Mims would fall to the Cincinnati Bengals during last year's NFL Draft, but missing the majority of his final season at Georgia due to injury helped Cincinnati land its right tackle of the future with the 18th overall pick.The Bengals are looking for a new guard of the future […]
It wasn't a given that Amarius Mims would fall to the Cincinnati Bengals during last year's NFL Draft, but missing the majority of his final season at Georgia due to injury helped Cincinnati land its right tackle of the future with the 18th overall pick.
The Bengals are looking for a new guard of the future in this month's draft, and if he can play tackle as well, that makes him all the more valuable in their eyes.
Even if he's also coming off of an injured season.
Ohio State LT Josh Simmons takes local visit with Bengals
Add Simmons to the growing list of Ohio State Buckeyes that have come into town for local pre-draft visits. Jack Sawyer, Ty Hamilton, TreVeyon Henderson, and Quinshon Judkins have all taken stops at Paycor Stadium thus far.
Simmons should be drafted before any of them. The 22-year old San Diego native was originally recruited to play guard for his hometown at San Diego State, but he always had more prominent offers from around the country. The Aztecs redshirted him in 2021 and had him start at right tackle in 2022. He entered the transfer portal and landed on OSU in 2023, becoming the Bucks' left tackle that season and truly asserting himself at that spot in 2024 for six games before a patella injury in his left knee ended his season and college career.
The first 10 picks of the draft was Simmons' future if he played the entire 2024 season. He was playing that well for the eventual National Champions. Now he's projected to go anywhere but the top 10 in the first round as LSU's Will Campbell and Mizzou's Armand Membou have taken the top two tackle spots.
Simmons could very well be the third tackle off the board, but for Cincinnati, one would think he'd start immediately at left or right guard as a rookie. He played left guard in high school and SDSU gave him experience on the right side. That versatility under the surface is what the Bengals are looking for in an early-round pick along the offensive line.
If Simmons is the pick, we'd hear the same reasoning from the Bengals that was used last year when they picked Mims. Without the injury, he would not last 17 picks in the draft. The value was simply too good to pass on. Simmons, ranked 19th on the A to Z Sports Mock Draft Database, is also the highest-ranked o-line prospect to meet with the Bengals. Oregon's Josh Conerly, a fringe first-round name, has also met with the team.
Operation Protect Joe Burrow is always undergoing just like it was this time last year. Drafting another linemen who fell down boards due to injury is certainly in play for a second consecutive year.
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