The Bengals’ top need in the 2027 NFL Draft looks like a strength for the class.
CBS Sports writer Mike Renner rated the offensive tackle class an 8/10 this week as Cincinnati likely searches for a new left tackle of the future next season (or present if Orlando Brown Jr.’s early preseason struggles are an indicator for his future).
“This class has a little bit of everything,” Renner wrote. “It’s got a couple of All-World athletes that would be top-10 picks already if we held the draft tomorrow. It’s got a trio of inexperienced tackles who are a tier below physically, but showed high-end coordination in their limited action. It’s got two prodigiously powerful tackles who throw around SEC defensive ends. And it’s got a couple of incredibly nimble offensive tackles with play strength concerns. By the time next spring rolls around, I would guess we’ll see another half-dozen or so tackles end up going amongst the top-32.”
Cincinnati is hoping to pick last in the draft, and a few names could be in play there like LSU’s Jordan Seaton and Kentucky’s Lance Heard.
“Jordan Seaton is the kind of ‘know it when you see it’ athlete for the position who has everything you could want to hang with NFL-caliber athletes on the edge. Quick feet, long arms, and urgent hands are his calling cards. I’m not too worried about those translating to a bump up in competition in the SEC after playing last year at Colorado,” Renner stated. “I am still worried about the run game, where Seaton isn’t much of a people mover and can struggle to sustain blocks. He reminds me a bit of Olu Fashanu because of that. With a good season, he’ll likely be drafted higher than Fashanu’s 11th-overall selection.”
Heard is a monstrous tackle at 6-6, 325 pounds. Those two, along with Trevor Goosby, got Renner’s early top-round status.
“I couldn’t help but be reminded, when watching Lance Heard’s tape last year at Tennessee, of a recent first-round tackle by the Volunteers,” Renner wrote. “Heard has prodigious power in his hands that’s reminiscent of Darnell Wright’s senior tape.
“What separates those two from a lot of strong offensive tackles is how much they relish hitting defenders. You see it especially on the move, where Heard will lay his body on the line as a puller.”
Check out the full look at the position here.
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