2020 NFL Draft: Cincinnati Bengals trade-up targets
Bengals select IOL Lloyd Cushenberry III with the 61st pick in the 2020 NFL draft
The Bengals lack interior offensive linemen and to move ahead of teams like Green Bay, Kansas City and Seattle who all could use offensive line help they decide to make a trade with the Titans. So for the Bengals to move up four spots into the back half of the second-round they get an important need for pennies on the dollar.
The Titans lack mid-round draft picks with no picks in the fourth or sixth-rounds as those picks were traded before the draft. Landing Cushenberry III, the second best interior linemen on Daniel Jeremiah’s draft board would help the Bengals add to the core of talent they added from the 2019 NFL draft.
In the 2019 NFL draft the Bengals added left tackle Jonah Williams in the first-round and left guard Michael Jordan in the fourth-round. Adding Cushenberry III will create competition at right guard with newly acquired free agent Xavier Su’a-Filo who signed a three-year contract with the team.
Su’a-Filo has missed a lot of time during the past two seasons playing in Dallas due to injury, so the Bengals need a long term solution at right guard. Cushenberry III does not have to start immediately, he can learn a lot being a backup in 2020. He is a versatile player who can take snaps at guard or center and can bring the Bengals a long term starter.
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This young offensive line for the Bengals can lead to them protecting the quarterback better in 2020 and beyond. Also it will give their new franchise quarterback more time to throw the ball to his receivers and open up lanes for their running backs on offense.