The Cincinnati Bengals go the safe route in a new 2024 NFL mock draft, opting for a big-program player with lots of experience in front of Joe Burrow.
Said player is Alabama’s JC Latham, courtesy of a new three-round mock draft from The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.:
Yet, Latham feels like the safest pick of the bunch and that’s meant in a good way. Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin is known as a doubles hitter. He will always lean into the high-floor prospect. Latham fits the bill most of all the tackles anticipated to be available here.
Some Bengals fans might cringe at this approach, recalling say, decisions like Billy Price.
But that certainly doesn’t mean the logic is incorrect. Latham checks a ton of boxes for a Bengals team that has put a heavy emphasis on character since the start of the Zac Taylor era, prioritizing team captains from major programs.
Latham hits on these notes, plus has positional versatility. Maybe the team even considers him at guard first, provided Trent Brown can buck recent attendance issue trends.
Either way, Latham has to continue to rank near the top of possible Bengals picks at No. 18.