The Cincinnati Bengals have indeed signed a free agent guard in Lucas Patrick, but the job's not finished when looking at the position.
Even with a player like Patrick signed onto the roster, the Bengals should not feel comfortable about the guard position entering the 2025 NFL Draft. It will remain a notable need, and it cannot be filled by just any incoming rookie.
It could, however, be filled with the player Ian Valentino picked for the Bengals in his latest 7-round mock draft for A to Z Sports.
Bengals select LSU OL Will Campbell in latest 7-round mock draft
Exiting the 2024 college football season, Campbell was widely considered the best offensive linemen entering the draft. A three-year starter for LSU, Campbell held down the left tackle spot since he was a true freshman and only missed three games. His tape is as clean as they come for linemen who just turned 21 years old.
The issue? His arms aren't the longest. Campbell measured in with 32 5/8" arms at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. NFL clubs care about arm length for offensive tackles when the number is under 34".
As Valentino mentions in his mock, that measurement could end up dropping Campbell to the Bengals' 17th overall pick, but Cincinnati is not in a position to pass up on him.
How the NFL treats Will Campbell's arm length will directly impact his draft range. He has a similar arm length to some of the best-left tackles in NFL history, including Joe Thomas, Bryan Bulaga, and Duane Brown. However, the league can be finicky about sub-34-inch arms. If he falls, Cincinnati can't hesitate to add a player who should be a phenomenal guard or tackle. - A to Z Sports' Ian Valentino
The reason why the Bengals would draft Campbell isn't for him to play on the outside. Left Orlando Brown Jr. is under contract for two more years, and Amarius Mims is only entering his second season after he was drafted in the first round last year.
Campbell would slide right inside to either left or right guard as a rookie with both tackle spots settled. Left guard would make more sense considering Campbell's played almost exclusively on that side of the formation in college. Any concerns about his arm length would decrease dramatically as he wouldn't be exposed in space as much between Brown and center Ted Karras.
It's a perfect fit for what the Bengals need at the moment. Campbell can't play both guard spots, but he would certainly solidify one of them as soon as he steps foot in Cincinnati.
And besides, what's wrong with another former LSU Tiger joining that offense?
Valentino's entire mock draft has the Bengals reuniting Campbell with a former teammate from LSU as well as not one, but two cornerbacks.
