Bengals Need a Tackle, But Which Ones Are the Best Fit With Guard Versatility?

CINCINNATI – So much of the focus on what the Cincinnati Bengals will do in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft has centered on finding the right tackle of the future, and for good reason.

Trent Brown only signed a one-year deal in free agency, as did backup Cody Ford. And the options after that are bleak.

Best Tackle–Guard Fits for the Cincinnati Bengals

But the Bengals, like most teams, value versatility on the offensive line, and the right tackle of the future and the left guard of the now are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Yes, Cordell Volson has started every game and played every snap during his first two seasons in the league, but he hardly has a stranglehold on that job.

There were 54 guards who played at least 650 snaps last year, and Volson ranked 50th as a pass blocker according to Pro Football Focus.

He was much better as a run blocker, ranking 18th, but given how often the Bengals throw the ball and how much they are paying Joe Burrow, finding a guard who can flip those splits is certainly on the radar.

On this week’s episode of the PFN Bengals Podcast, we had Pro Football Network lead draft analyst Ian Cummings on to talk about several topics about who Cincinnati could target and when.

On the topic of finding a right tackle with guard versatility in the first round, Cummings pointed to a pair of options, with Washington’s Troy Fautanu, who recently made a top 30 visit to Cincinnati, as his top choice.

ICYMI, @IC_Draft joined @DallasDRobinson and I for an in-depth look not just as the #Bengals first- and second-round options, but he had some great stuff on some all-important sleeper picks on Days 2-3.https://t.co/Oc9mFPHQjk

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) April 5, 2024

“Troy Fautanu is probably the best one if you’re looking for a tackle who can play guard right off the bat because he actually has pre-existing experience at guard, and he was very good there,” Cummings said.

“I think his natural leverage at 6’4” plays really well. One thing I look for with guards is, ‘Do you have that natural leverage and knee bend to acquire leverage and also the proportional length to get inside your opponent’s frame while playing with proper pad level?’”

Fautanu has 34 1/2-inch arms, which factors into that evaluation.

“You see that combination working in tandem on tape so often, where he can gather guys inside his frame and just lock out with that length and core strength,” Cummings said. “But he’s also very athletic and very smooth in recovery and very powerful as a run blocker, too.”

Another tackle/guard option is Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, who is scheduled to visit with the Bengals.

“Fuaga is a natural right tackle who can play guard, too,” Cummings said. “He’s got really good upper-lower synergy with his pass protection ability, and he’s a very explosive athlete off the line. He’s really rangy in the run game, too. He projects well if you want to move him to guard.

“That athleticism, that explosiveness, that power drive and physicality, all of those things are there for him,” Cummings continued. “He has the anchor strength to hold strong in pass protection and play square to rushers as well.”

Right guard Alex Cappa has two years remaining on his contract, as does Volson on his rookie deal.

Offensive line coach Frank Pollack admitted at the NFL Combine he had hoped to see more from Volson in 2023, but he pointed out that the improvement wasn’t absent, just late, as the North Dakota State product upped his game in December.

KEEP READING: Cincinnati Bengals Draft Options — Who Could Be Some Early-Round Offensive Tackle Targets?

Having a tackle with guard flexibility comes into play beyond the starting lineup as well. The Bengals had all five offensive linemen start all 17 games last year. Expecting that again this year would be farfetched.

Alabama’s JC Latham is another tackle with guard experience who could be in the mix at 18 if Fuaga and Fautanu are gone.