Bengals put out feelers for first-round Jonah Williams replacement
As the Cincinnati Bengals search for a Jonah Williams replacement to protect franchise quarterback Joe Burrow this offseason, they hosted a first-round offensive lineman who projects to be off the board by the time they are on the clock.
By Lior Lampert
After reaching the AFC Championship game each of the previous two seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals failed to make the playoffs in 2023 in what was an injury-marred season for franchise quarterback Joe Burrow.
The Bengals struggled to keep Burrow upright this past season, allowing 2.9 sacks per game, which was tied with the Chicago Bears for 25th in the NFL. Moreover, they lost 2019 first-round pick and offensive tackle Jonah Williams to the Arizona Cardinals in free agency this offseason – he signed a two-year, $30 million contract which includes $19 million in guaranteed money.
Protecting Burrow and addressing the offensive line must be a top priority for Cincy this offseason to ensure their signal-caller stays on the field, and the front office appears to understand the assignment based on them hosting Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu for a top-30 visit ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
Washington LT Troy Fautanu is on a top 30 visit with the #Bengals today, per source.@MoveTheSticks has Fautanu ranked as the NFL Draft’s 12th-best player. pic.twitter.com/jBGRmSlt02
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 2, 2024
Bengals host Washington LT Troy Fautanu
Schultz acknowledges that while the Bengals are meeting with Fautanu, he may be too rich for their blood. He is the twelfth-ranked player on Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network’s list of top 50 draft prospects and they have the No. 18 pick.
But we can’t blame Cincinnati for expressing interest in the All-Pac-12 First Team offensive lineman after seeing how critical he was to the success of the Huskies en route to their first national championship appearance since 1991.
Fautanu thrives in pass protection and offers positional versatility to play across the entire offensive line if needed, providing a much-needed boost to a Bengals team desperately in need of an influx of talent along the trenches, potentially giving Burrow a potential blindside tackle for years to come. It certainly helps that Fautanu has only surrendered three sacks in pass protection through his four years at Washington, per Pro Football Focus.
However, it may be wishful thinking if they don’t move up the draft board to select him.
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