Bengals hosting Jawaan Taylor

The NFL Draft is just over a week away, and the Bengals continue to do their due diligence on the class of offensive tackles.

Cody Ford, Andre Dillard and Jawaan Taylor are the first-round prospects Cincinnati has or will meet with in some form before the draft. Taylor is actually coming to Cincinnati today for a pre-draft visit, according to Adam Schefter.

The former Florida Gators tackle enters the draft following his true junior season in Gainesville, He’s been a full-time starter since his freshman season, mostly at right tackle, though he did have a few games in which he started at left tackle.

The fact that Taylor projects as a right tackle hurts his value going into the draft, as left tackles have far more value. Even so, he would be a huge upgrade over Bobby Hart is the pick at No. 11. And over time, he may be able to work himself into becoming a solid left tackle in the NFL.

In fact, some mock drafts have Taylor going as high as No. 7 to the Jaguars, so he may not even be there at 11.

Here is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say about Taylor:

Throwback right tackle with adequate foot quickness for pass-protection duties and above-average size and nastiness to fit the “road grader” model. Taylor strains to cave, kick or drive his opponent out of the way. His feet are good enough to slide out on speed rushers and redirect them past the pocket, but his hustle to protect his edge will expose him to inside moves from power counters. He’ll need technique work in the run game and has to keep his weight in check, but he should be an early starter at right tackle or guard with a positive impact on the run game right away.

NFL Comparison: Vernon Carey

Would you be happy with Taylor being the No. 11 pick?