It’s mock draft season for the Cincinnati Bengals and 31 other teams, which apparently includes “free agency mock drafts” that have been making the rounds.
Over at CBS Sports, Cody Benjamin issued a free agency mock draft that lists teams in draft order by amount of free cap space.
That means the Bengals pick sixth overall and in the exercise, they go for San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey:
“Forever in search of a stable O-line for Joe Burrow, the Bengals may part ways with La’el 23Collins at right tackle, which would open a job for McGlinchey, a 49ers starter of the last five years. While not flawless, with an injury history of his own, McGlinchey has been an above-average blocker when healthy. That counts for a whole lot in the NFL.”
McGlinchey, the ninth pick in 2018, was a probable Bengals target but well out of their range at the time. He’s gone on to play in 69 of 82 regular season games in San Francisco at right tackle.
Last year over 1,036 snaps, McGlinchey allowed six sacks and got called for 10 penalties, earning a 71.5 grade at PFF. Interestingly, while he had a higher grade, current Bengals right tackle La’el Collins allowed fewer sacks (5) and penalties (8).
While McGlinchey might seem like an obvious target for the Bengals this offseason, offensive line play is at such a premium that his price tag will inevitably be far too much on the open market. Still, it’s interesting to think about, especially as right tackle looks like the most upgradeable spot while Collins rehabs an injury.
