The Cincinnati Bengals experienced some pleasant surprises during the offseason, but none was bigger than that of the physically biggest.
Jermaine Burton looked great, but we all knew he had talent.
Matt Lee looks like he could be a long-term solution at center, but he’s a rookie who was drafted solely because of that potential. Plus, center isn’t necessarily one of the most sought-after positions.
The award for the biggest surprise goes to Jaxson Kirkland, who was signed as a non-drafted free agent from Washington last year and remained on the practice squad in Cincinnati.
But he’s been making headlines this preseason, and it’s not just the sound of the earth shaking beneath his 6-foot-4, 325-pound frame.
According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, offensive line coach Frank Pollack had Kirkland play a few snaps at left tackle before their joint practice against the Chicago Bears. When D’Ante Smith was out, Pollack decided to use Kirkland at left tackle.
In this preseason game against the Bears, Kirkland played all ten snaps as left tackle and ended up being the Bengals’ best blocker, according to Pro Football Focus.
But then Pollack moved Kirkland to right tackle for the final preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, and he “still felt great” despite being left-handed and having to make a big adjustment.
And the best part? Kirkland’s team-first attitude. He said of the abrupt position change: “The beauty of it is you don’t have time to think about it or freak out… It’s just, ‘Let’s rock.'”
It’s not a stretch to say that Kirkland has the best chance of becoming the fourth tackle on the roster.
This is great news for a team that recently had to come to terms with the loss of its 2021 second-round pick, Jackson Carman, and needed reinforcements at the tackle position.
More good news: Thanks to the signing of Geno Stone and Vonn Bell and the emergence of Dax Hill in the corner, the defense seems to have regained some bite.
We talked about the confidence Lou Anarumo’s unit displayed in our last broadcast against the Colts.
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