Five Prospects the Bengals Could Target in the Second Round of the 2021 NFL Draft
CINCINNATI — The Bengals took star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase with the fifth pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
The 21-year-old adds explosiveness to an offensive that was in need of more juice.
Now that they have a trio of Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, it's time for the Bengals to build an offensive line that can keep Joe Burrow upright.
Cincinnati has the 38th and 69th overall picks on Friday night. Look for them to target the trenches with both selections. But for the sake of this exercise, let's focus on their second round pick (38th overall).
Here are five players the Bengals could target at No. 38.
Teven Jenkins, OL, Oklahoma State
Jenkins could be the top player on the Bengals' board entering day two. He has great size at 6-6, 315 pounds. He tested well and is one of the strongest players in the draft. Jenkins did 36 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
NFL.com compares him to Joe Thuney, who is arguably the most famous non-Bengals player in Cincinnati history.
Jenkins may end up playing guard in the NFL, partially due to his 33.5-inch arms, but most evaluators believe he can start on day one, which is exactly what the Bengals should be looking for.
Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
Radunz was another guy that some expected to go in the first round. He was the most outstanding offensive player at the Senior Bowl and showed NFL teams that he's capable of having success against elite competition. He has the length that you look for in a tackle, but some teams may view him more as a guard. Either way, he could be at or near the top of the Bengals' board when they're on the clock at 38.
Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
Cosmi could end up playing both tackle and guard at the NFL level. He was a three-year starter at Texas. He showed off his elite athleticism at his pro day finishing with 36 bench press reps, while running 4.87 40-yard dash and a 4.39 second 20-yard shuttle. All three of these linemen—Cosmi, Radunz and Jenkins were in the conversation to be first round picks. Instead, the Bengals could land one of them in round two.
Azeez Ojulari, Edge, Georgia
If Ojulari is available, it's going to be hard to pass on him. He was expected to be a top-20 pick at one point, but there are some medical concerns. If the Bengals' team doctors give the all clear, then Cincinnati could end up landing two of the top-20 talents in this year's class with Chase in round one and Ojulari in round two.
Liam Eichenberg, OL, Notre Dame
Eichenberg likely projects to be a guard in the pros due to his arm length, but he should be a plug-and-play starter early in his career. The Ohio native went to Cleveland St. Ignatius before playing his college ball at Notre Dame. If the Bengals want to fill their starting right guard spot in round, then Eichenberg could be their target.
Other Candidates: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama; Walker Little, OT, Stanford; Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama; Jackson Carman, G, Clemson.
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