It’s as if we can make a laundry list of sites with NFL mock drafts giving the Cincinnati Bengals an offensive lineman in the first round. Sure enough, there’s another one with another new name to know.
The Draft Network’s Damian Parson made his first mock draft for TDN recently and dipped into the Pac-12 as well for his Bengals pick at No. 31: UCLA IOL Sean Rhyan.
Will Joe Burrow and the Bengals reach the playoffs again? Time will tell. What we do know is that the offensive line must take priority this offseason. They elected for the explosive receiver in Ja’Marr Chase last draft, which worked out, but Burrow was still a frigging ping pong ball all season.
Sean Rhyan is an athletic OL that has experience at LT but lacks ideal length that could force him inside to guard. His physical blocking style works best in a power-run scheme where he can vertically displace defenders. He is fluid in pass sets with the agility to redirect when needed. He’ll protect Burrow but open more lanes for Joe Mixon as well.
Rhyan is listed at 6’5″, 320 pounds on the school’s website and has almost exclusively played left tackle for the Bruins, including every game for the last two seasons. But as Parson notes, Rhyan will likely kick inside to guard at the next level. That’s fine for the Bengals, who will be replacing at least one guard spot next season with Quinton Spain a free agent.
Kicking him inside to guard will allow Rhyan to maximize his ability in both pass protection and in the run game, where he is a very good run blocker. That’s music to Joe Mixon’s ears. He’ll be an interesting player to watch next week at the Scouting Combine.
