Assessing the value Bengals received in drafting Ryan Glasgow

Day 3 of the 2017 NFL Draft saw many additions to the Cincinnati Bengals’ front seven.

Four of the eight selections made on that day were for the defense, three of which being to the front seven. That included defensive back Brandon Wilson, defensive end/linebacker Carl Lawson, linebacker Jordan Evans and defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow, the latter of which being the team’s third fourth-round selection.

With the No. 138 pick in the draft, the Bengals took the former Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman in hopes of bolstering a front seven that, while it does have top-end talent, didn’t have enough depth to be consistent over a 16-game season in 2016.

Primarily a nose tackle at Michigan, Glasgow racked up 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and 39 total tackles this past season. He was more of a role player leading up to his senior season before taking on a bigger role in 2016.

And for an interior lineman, Glasgow is a solid pass-rusher. Per Pro Football Focus, Glasgow ranked second in pass-rush productivity among interior defensive linemen with 37 total pressures in 2016.

PFF also compares him to former Cowboys star defensive lineman Jay Ratliff. If that’s the kind of player Glasgow can be for the Bengals, he’ll be a huge steal based on when they drafted him.

As for the draft experts, they seem to think Cincinnati got decent value based on when they took Glasgow.

• ESPN draft expert Todd McShay had Glasgow ranked 132nd overall, so six spots before he was selected.
• Mel Kiper had Glasgow ranked as his 150th-best player.
• Glasgow was Pro Football Focus’ 114th-best prospect coming into the draft.
• CBS Sports had him ranked 144th.
• The Cold Omaha Consensus Big Board, which factors in every major draft ranking, had Glasgow ranked as the 143rd-best prospect in this draft.

Considering the Bengals got Glasgow with the 138th pick in Round 4, this was about as close to equal value as the Bengals had with any pick in this year’s draft. When you get into Day 3 of the draft, many teams are taking chances on developmental prospects who are often considered reaches in terms of how draft experts ranked them, so seeing the Bengals consistently get good value in their Day 3 picks was great.

Glasgow will be great depth on the interior after the Bengals lost Domata Peko this offseason. Expect Glasgow to battle Pat Sims and Andrew Billings for the second starting tackle spot next to Geno Atkins.

Being a fourth-round selection, Glasgow will have a good shot at making the final 53-man roster, but it’s not a given. He’ll be battling Marcus Hardison, Wallace Gilberry, DeShawn Williams, Ryan Brown and possibly Pat Sims for those final defensive line spots.

Glasgow should have a bright future in Cincinnati.