Let’s face it, since Whitworth left for the Rams the offensive line has been in shambles and when we made that awesome trade for Cordy Glenn it just didn’t work out. Cedric Ogbuehi was a total bust (even though he still manages to be on a NFL team) and the idea of him being the heir apparent was a lack of effort, scouting and coaching. In steps Jonah Williams from the 2019 NFL Draft. We all know him and we all know we would like to see him on the field trying to be our LT for the next decade.
We won’t compare Jonah to Ogbuehi or Glenn because if he is close to either one then this was a fail. I want to compare him to Andrew Whitworth and take a stroll down memory lane. Whitworth was drafted in the second round (pick 55) in 2006 and was made a starting left guard when Levi Jones went down and Eric Steinbach had to shift over. He crushed it and as a result signed a new deal in 2008. In 2009 he switched to LT and the rest was history.
Big Whit was a staple for nine seasons with the Bengals and now three with the Rams. From 2010 to 2019 he only allowed 33.5 sacks and committed 35 holding penalties (most of them came last year for the Rams it feels like). He never got the recognition through the middle part of his career though and made the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2013. He had two more appearances with the Bengals and one with the Rams to date. He is certainly a borderline Hall of Famer and overall just a great guy who Bengals fans still love.
Now we have Jonah Williams and this is what he is being compared against. If he is 80% of Whit I think he will be an offensive lineman on this team for a long time. Bengals fans aren’t going to know until this season and it still could take a while before he gets enough NFL experience to judge him. Luckily Burrow is a mobile quarterback and senses pressure. Jonah is going to struggle so expect that in 2020. How will be bounce back and respond?
