Why the Bengals need to strongly consider trading up in draft for specific player
The Cincinnati Bengals have the No. 28 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft
The Cincinnati Bengals bolstered their offensive line this past week by signing offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr to a four-year deal.
Brown, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs the last two seasons, is expected to play left tackle for the Bengals.
And that creates a bit of a situation for Cincinnati.
Jonah Williams, the Bengals' first-round draft pick in 2019, was expected to be Cincy's left tackle in 2023.
The addition of Brown, however, seemingly pushes Williams to right tackle.
And he doesn't appear to be on board with that.
The former Alabama standout officially requested a trade last week. Williams is set to be a free agent after the 2023 season and he likely doesn't want to play right tackle in a contract year (it could hurt his market in free agency).
Cincinnati pretty much has to trade Williams. One of the reasons the Bengals have been so successful in recent years is because of the incredible locker room chemistry the team has created. I don't know if Williams' trade request would impact that chemistry, but the last thing the Bengals want is for a disgruntled right tackle to be responsible for blocking for Joe Burrow.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport suggested on Friday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that a trade involving Williams could happen at any time.
If the Bengals are going to trade Williams — and it appears at this point that they will — then they absolutely need to draft a right tackle in the first round of the next month's draft.
A perfect fit for Cincinnati would be Tennessee Vols right tackle Darnell Wright.
Wright played exceptionally well last season, allowing zero sacks while starting all 13 games at right tackle. The former Vol completely shut down Alabama's Will Anderson (a likely top-five pick) and LSU's BJ Ojulari (a potential first-round pick).
Anderson, in fact, said at the combine earlier this month that Wright is the best offensive lineman he played against in college.
Wright, who grew up just a couple of hours away from Cincinnati in nearby Huntington, WV, would be a perfect fit with the Bengals. He's a nasty offensive lineman who plays hard every snap and has extensive starting experience in the SEC.
Wright is likely going to be a 20 pick. If the Bengals want him — and he's exactly what Cincinnati needs — they'll need to trade up. That can of course be risky, but Wright is such an ideal fit that it would be worth it.
The Bengals could roll with Jackson Carman at right tackle to start the season with the idea that Wright is the longterm answer at the position. It's a perfect scenario for Cincinnati (and it could save them some cash, too — especially since they'd get the fifth-year option with Wright).
The Bengals already have a great roster so they can afford to part with some draft picks to land Wright. If the opportunity is there, Cincinnati should strongly consider moving up to land the talented right tackle.
