The Bengals Looking To Make A Big Upgrade At Guard

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According to Kelsey Conway, the Bengals are showing major interest in free agent guard Tevin Jenkins. While the interest is in its initial stages, the hole is that talks can accelerate and this could turn into a key signing for this team. The Bengals guards were among the league’s worst last season and an upgrade is sorely needed. 

Alex Cappa (who the Bengals have since cut), was received just an overall ranking of 110 out of 135 guards according to PFF. He was just 107th in pass blocking and 103rd for run blocking. 

Cordell Volson was better, but not by much. He was 78th overall. Volson was ranked 97th in pass protection and 52nd for run blocking. 

It’s true that the main offseason focus has been on filling the many holes the Bengals defense will have going into 2025. But the fact that 2/5 of the offensive line struggled so mightily cannot be ignored. Thus, finding a solid guard must be a priority for the Bengals. 

Other NFL teams are already moving in that direction. Guard Will Fries just signed a five-year, $88 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings. The Dolphins inked James Daniels to a three-year, $24 million contract yesterday. The top options at this position are quickly coming off the board.

For his part, Jenkins’ numbers are a marked improvement over anyone currently on the Bengals roster. He earned an overall PFF grade of 75.4. This put him 18th out of 135 guards. His pass-blocking grade was 75.8 (15th), and his run-blocking grade was 74.3 (20th). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round (39th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played his college ball at Oklahoma State University where he was named a First Team all Big 12 selection in 2020. 

Some outlets project Jenkins to be worth somewhere around a 3-year, $31 million contract on the open market. It’s quite the price tag but it’s a clear position of need for Cincinnati. Protecting Joe Burrow has been a focus for this team for years. The line has been an issue in the past, and it can’t be allowed to slip back into the problem unit it once was. It doesn’t matter how much firepower the Bengals have if they have no time to execute in the passing game. 

Other potential options at guard include Mekhi Becton, and former Bengal Kevin Zeitler. And the clock is ticking to get a deal done and make this a solid position for the Bengals roster.