One of the biggest questions chasing the Cincinnati Bengals into Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers is whether the new-look offensive line will hold up right from the start.
Buy Bengals TicketsAnd within that question is the most notable — how will fourth-round rookie Cordell Volson perform in his debut?
After besting second-round product Jackson Carman for the job, Volson’s won the confidence of important names around him on the roster.
“Obviously he’s earned our trust and the trust of the organization,” center Ted Karras said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “He has kind of a quick baptism going against Cam Heyward here. I think he’s very much up the challenge.”
How about somebody who lines up against Volson on a daily basis?
D.J. Reader, one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen outright, had a noteworthy quote when asked about the rookie.
“He’s bigger than most guards. He’s got long arms. He’s going be a good player,” Reader says. “He goes hard. He does all the right things. He’s got a good first punch. He fights. You really can’t make the guy have fight if he doesn’t have it and he’s got fight.”
It’s quite a bit of praise for Volson, whose first day on the job when the games matter will be dealing with one of the NFL’s best in Cam Heyward. Luckily for the rookie, he’s flanked by Jonah Williams to his left at the tackle spot and Karras to his right at center.
Should Volson hold up in his debut, that new-look Bengals line should indeed match some of the hype after offseason upgrades.
