Bengals hold pre-draft meeting with Azur Kamara

The Bengals met with Kansas edge rusher Azur Kamara after coaching him in the Senior Bowl

The Bengals began reshaping their defense in free agency and the changes could continue in the NFL Draft. 

The team held a FaceTime meeting with Kansas linebacker Azur (Uh-Zoor) Kamara this week according to Justin Melo of The Draft Wire. 

The Bengals had a private visit set up with Kamara before the COVID-19 outbreak, but their plans quickly changed after the NFL banned in-person visits. He's also met with the Jets and the Chargers. 

The Bengals' staff coached Kamara in the Senior Bowl, so they should know exactly what they'd be getting if they decided to draft him. 

Kamara's family moved to Arizona from the Ivory Coast of West Africa when he was 10 years old. He grew up playing soccer and didn't concentrate solely on football until his senior year in high school. 

He started in all 12 games for the Jayhawks last season, finishing with 51 tackles and four sacks. He's 6'3," and 245 pounds. Most analysts believe he's a project that could develop into a contributor off the edge. 

Kamara isn't someone the Bengals would target until later in the draft. They may consider him in the sixth or seventh rounds. Their visit with him could also be about building a relationship, just in case he goes undrafted. He worked with the Bengals' staff during Senior Bowl week, which could give him a level of comfort with the team. 

The Bengals are meeting with more players than they have in the past since all of the meetings are done virtually. They're hoping the extra meetings makes up for the lack of pro days, which are generally spent evaluating and talking with specific players.

Head coach Zac Taylor admits that coaching the Senior Bowl was a big advantage for their scouting process. 

"It did force the coaching staff to get a jump start on the scouting process," Taylor said this week. "Instead of maybe starting in early February like most people are used to, we had to start in mid-January to be ready for the Senior Bowl and then we really just jumped right in to the scouting part of it after that. Duke and his staff, they've been doing this all year and they're well prepared. It's just been a matter of the coaching staff catching up, and I feel like we got an earlier start, just because of the Senior Bowl, than we normally would. And that has really helped us with where we're at right now."

The NFL Draft is April 23-25. For more on the Bengals, go here.