As training camp nears for the Cincinnati Bengals, we're going to take a look at the most intriguing positional battles all over the roster. Whether they're at the top or near the bottom of the depth chart, jobs will be on the line starting this month.

No one can say the Bengals haven't worked towards solving their problems at offensive tackle. With three potential options to bookend left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., there's optimism that the offensive line will finally stabilize into a competent unit.

But an o-line is only as strong as its weakest link, and depth around the league is pretty damn scarce. For Cincinnati, there may only be room for four tackles, which means some familiar faces may end up not making it out of August. These three tackles will be under immense pressure to stick around this year.

Bengals Backup OT Competitors

Hakeem Adeniji

The one who’s been here the longest will be here until the very end of the offseason, that’s for sure. There may not be a player with a greater disparity of fan perception, and coach appreciation than Adeniji, though the latter isn’t that great. The results ultimately have to have some weight. 

Adeniji was a failed project at guard, and while he's more natural at tackle, there's plenty left to be desired. His quick feet is useful against speedy edge rushers, but there's minimal power to his game, which doesn't bode well in a gap-scheme run game. 

He's entering the final year of his rookie deal, which unfortunately makes him easier to cut than ever. 

Cody Ford

While he didn’t sign a lucrative deal by any measure, Ford was still targeted by the Bengals early in free agency. Not even two days passed between Orlando Brown Jr. and Ford reuniting as teammates five years after they last played together at Oklahoma.

Like Brown, Ford carries a good amount of power in his game, as evident by his size. He weighed in at just under 330 pounds this offseason for Cincinnati. At his best, Ford uses that size to his advantage by stunting pass rushers and generating movement in the run game.

He's not a starter in this league anymore, but Ford projects to fit the Bengals' scheme fairly well as a reserve.

D’Ante Smith

As a fourth-round pick back in 2021, Smith was almost entirely potential coming out of East Carolina. He found himself in a rag tag group of right guards competing for the starter’s role as a rookie before settling as an extra lineman in the offense’s jumbo sets. 

The 62 snaps Smith logged in 2021 shrunk to just 15 in 2022, as Smith showed little signs of progression despite the continued need for tackle depth. Now with the position group more crowded than usual, it'll be much harder for him to stick around.  

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That Ford was signed this year indicates there's a plan to keep him around for the season in place, provided he validates it during training camp and the preseason. Adeniji and Smith might ultimately be victims of a numbers game. 

It took far too long for the Bengals to get this comfortable at offensive tackle where players of this caliber aren't looked at as roster locks. Injuries can still get in the way of their vision, but competition here will be more fierce than recent history has seen.

What Orlando Brown Jr. said to Cody Ford before reuniting with Bengals

Two former Oklahoma Sooners are joining up in Cincinnati.

Featured image via © Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK