Those paying close attention know the Cincinnati Bengals think they have something special with sixth-round rookie Hakeem Adeniji.
Offensive line coach Jim Turner, after all, says he graded Adeniji as a second-round pick.
And considering the coaches think Adeniji can play tackle or guard, it’s safe to say he’ll at least be in a competition this summer.
And Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon agrees that Adeniji could be the team’s biggest sleeper:
“In April, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller called Adeniji “a bona fide stud along the Kansas offensive line since arriving on campus as a freshman” and noted he is ready to play at the pro level after 48 consecutive college starts.”
If Adeniji really is in the mix at a tackle spot, there’s an outside chance he could push Bobby Hart. But the team has huge hopes for Fred Johnson, too, the waiver claim last year as a rookie who got in a few games and showed some promise.
Either way, it seems like the Bengals are headed toward having a good problem to have if a serious competition kicks off along the line in part thanks to the arrival of a sleeper like Adeniji.
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