Bengals roster breakdown, 90-in-90: Ryan Glasgow

The Cincinnati Bengals already have a deep defensive line, but rookie defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow may still contribute as a situational pass-rusher. Where does Glasgow stand on the current depth chart, and is his roster spot secure after the team spent a fourth round draft pick on him this year?

Ryan Glasgow

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 302 pounds

College: Michigan

Position: Defensive tackle

Hometown: Aurora, Ill.

Experience: Rookie

Draft Stock: Fourth round pick in 2017

Cap Status

According to Spotrac, Glasgow is signed to a four-year deal that will pay him $569,912 this year, so long as he makes the 53-man roster. If he is waived, the Bengals will have a dead cap hit of $419,648.

Background

With the No. 138 pick in this year’s NFL 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 for a 16-game season in 2016.

Glasgow is also looking to make the rare journey of going from college walk-on to NFL player. He spent five years in college (one redshirt) while playing 45 games with 33 starts. He quickly went from being a walk-on to becoming a force in Michigan’s defense as a starter in each of the last three seasons.

Primarily a nose tackle, Glasgow racked up 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and 39 total tackles last season. 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. Glasgow was PFF’s 114th-best prospect coming into the draft.

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.

Roster Odds

Although the Bengals parted ways with Domata Peko this offseason, there are still a plethora of defensive lineman that Glasgow will have to compete with for playing time. DeShawn Williams, Wallace Gilberry, Marcus Hardison, and Pat Sims are all back for the 2017 season, and they’ll likely have priority over Glasgow when it comes to playing time, at least in the preseason.

Glasgow is currently third on the depth chart behind Geno Atkins and Brandon Thompson at defensive tackle. However, Thompson is facing stiff odds of cracking the final roster, so Glasgow may very well become Atkins’ backup.

In addition to getting snaps there, I think the Bengals may use Glasgow at the second tackle spot as a pass-rusher on obvious passing downs. His specialty in college was getting interior pressure, something the Bengals severely lack outside of Atkins.

Because Glasgow was a fourth-round pick, he’d have to be an absolute disaster in training camp and the preseason to not make the final roster. That hasn’t happened, so expect his roster spot to be secure heading into cutdown day.

Odds: 80 percent.