Creative solution is needed if the Bengals select a defensive tackle with their first round draft pick

With DJ Reader and B.J. Hill, the defensive tackle position was a weakness for Cincinnati Bengals in 2023. It remains a major question with Hill teaming up with newly signed Sheldon Rankins, and Reader out the door in 2024.

Should the Bengals bypass the offensive tackle position in the first round of next month's NFL Draft, the defensive interior is set up as the next target area for the pick. The two first-round prospects at the position—Byron Murphy II and Johnny Newton—can each help the Bengals turn a weakness into a strength.

But there's an imaginative path to making it all work.

What about nose tackle? 

Murphy and Newton have each been linked to the Bengals during the current pre-draft cycle. Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson even selected Newton in a recent mock draft with 32 team reporters making the picks. 

Whether Newton or Murphy is the pick, neither player solves the Bengals' nose tackle problem. It isn't the primary position for either player.

"The Bengals could use a nose tackle for the opener and there doesn't seem to be one early in the draft. But a team that has to face Nick Chubb, Derrick Henry, and Najee Harris knows it needs juice up front no matter in what form." - Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson

The easy solution? Simply draft a nose later. T'Vondre Sweat and McKinnley Jackson are popular prospects at the position that should be available on the second day of the draft. It's the only path to add a talented long-term replacement for Reader without trading for a veteran now that free agency is mostly over. 

The drawback is just as easy to identify. Two premium picks on interior defensive linemen eliminates an offensive tackle or wide receiver receiving the proper attention those positions deserve. This draft is particularly strong at the top of both positions, and it's in the Bengals' best interest to take advantage.

Let's proceed with only drafting Newton and passing on a serious nose prospect. Picking Newton in the first round behooves you to involve him in the rotation immediately, and playing him at his natural position is the obvious path towards maximizing him. The same goes for Rankins, who's now the earning the second-largest cash payment for a Bengals defensive lineman this year. Allowing him to keep attacking the outside shoulder of the right guard is the best way to maximize that investment. 

The Bengals will have two true 3-techniques under roster control for the next two years, and Hill is still around for this season. To make 2024 work properly with all three seeing the field, someone's role may need adjusting. That's where Hill comes in. 

B.J. Hill in the middle

Hill becomes the clear and obvious choice to adjust his usage. He can consider it a trip back to the past.

Two of Hill's four college seasons at NC State had him spending ample time at nose tackle. Pro Football Focus credits him with 498 snaps played in the A-gap compared to 754 B-gap reps from 2015-16. His gap versatility helped him get drafted in the third round in 2018, and both of his NFL teams have continued to capitalize on that, just not as much on top of the center.

But the Bengals don't always play a true nose tackle anyways, and Hill knows this. He's played the "nose" for Cincy before, most recently in the games Reader missed last year. Hill and Zach Carter each took turns playing the 2i spot when the Bengals rolled out even fronts against the run. Hill was considerably better at that spot compared to Carter, and even finished the year with solid marks. 

Here's how Hill graded compared to qualifying starting defensive tackles to close out the 2023 regular season from Week 16-18:

B.J. Hill's PFF Grades Weeks 16-18

Pro Football Focus

A late-season shift didn't phase Hill in the area Reader was best known for. The defense as a whole was lackluster, but Hill could only do so much as one cog in a faulty machine. He picked up the pieces as best he could out the blue. What could he do with a full offseason of preparation? 

One player is not going to fully replace the impact Reader had, especially not a first-round pick who plays a different kind of role. The Bengals will have to evolve going forward, but schematic changes doesn't negate the need for someone to play inside the guard's shoulder and take on a combo block. 

The closest answer they have on the roster is Hill. And in the scenario when he's not needed as much at 3-tech with a flashy top-20 pick entering the picture, he'd be the most trustworthy player to make the change.