Jonah Williams gets the nod at LT from the Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals rookie Jonah Williams has received an early show of faith by getting the nod at left tackle as Cordy Glenn moves to guard.
Jonah Williams was considered a prospect who may move from tackle to guard prior to the 2019 NFL Draft, but the Cincinnati Bengals are clearly committed to him remaining at his collegiate position of left tackle.
It was reported on Monday by The Athletic’s Paul Dehner that veteran tackle Cordy Glenn, whom the Bengals traded for last year, will kick inside to guard to facilitate Williams sticking at the spot he played for Alabama during a stellar career with the Crimson Tide.
Cordy Glenn is moving to left guard, he says. Says he is embracing it. “Coach Turner and I had a man-to-man talk.” Jonah Williams to LT.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) May 20, 2019
The Bengals making this decision on the opening day of OTAs is very early show of faith in the No. 11 overall pick. Williams was viewed as a better fit for guard by many because of his smaller arms and mediocre athleticism, but Cincinnati is clearly confident his aptitude for the technical side of offensive line play will translate to the pros in spite of his supposed physical limitations.
And there is plenty of evidence to suggest he should be able to overcome his less than ideal arm length to succeed at tackle in the pros, with the likes of Joe Staley, Bryan Bulaga and Jason Peters all having put together stellar pro careers despite having arms under 34 inches.
His collegiate numbers also support Williams’ case, as he allowed only five sacks in three seasons at Alabama. He did not give up a single sack in 2018 and also allowed just two quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Bengals, coming off a 6-10 season, are resting a lot of hope on Williams being as effective at the highest level right off the bat.
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Their offensive line was shaky at best in 2018 with Cincinnati ranking 19th in the NFL in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Sack Rate metric. Yet, should Williams live up to their lofty expectations and form a strong partnership with Glenn, quarterback Andy Dalton can afford to be confident in the protection from his left side as he aims to lead the Bengals to a bounce-back year.