Russell Bodine chosen by Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals helmet on the field before the AFC wild card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals decided to beef up the interior of their offensive line by adding guard/center prospect Russell Bodine, who had a very solid college career with the North Carolina Tar Heels before deciding to declare for the 2014 NFL Draft back in late December.
Well, he made it to the NFL as an early fourth-round pick, and the Bengals organization is a great one for a powerful interior offensive lineman to land on, especially since Hue Jackson is now running the team’s offense after being promoted to offensive coordinator upon Jay Gruden’s hiring as the new head coach of the Washington Redskins.
Bodine is one of the sleeper prospects on the offensive line in this year’s draft class, and he’s arguably the strongest guard/center prospect in this year’s draft class. He should be a solid backup and solidify the Bengals depth as a rookie before likely moving on to a starting role. I always love it when teams add quality interior offensive linemen on the third day of the draft, because that’s where you can really find value. The Bengals have a very deep roster, so they can afford to give Bodine some time to develop on the bench as a rookie.