clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Frank Pollack works with OL Alijah Vera-Tucker at USC pro day

The Bengals offensive line coach ran drills with a first-round offensive line prospect ahead of the draft.

USC Spring Football Practice Begins Photo by Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images

The Cincinnati Bengals sent offensive line coach Frank Pollack to the USC Trojans pro day to work with Alijah Vera-Tucker.

NFL Network’s Omar Ruiz posted a video of Pollack leading Vera-Tucker through position drills on Wednesday.

Vera-Tucker has primarily played tackle, starting at left tackle for all six games for USC this past season. He has played at guard, which is probably where he will end up in the NFL, given his size.

If his pro day went well and the Bengals really like him, perhaps they could trade down in the first round or move up from their 38th overall pick in the second.

A likely scenario could be that the Bengals take Ja’Marr Chase or Kyle Pitts in the first round and either take Vera-Tucker in the second or trade up to get him. This way they could address both a skill position and the offensive line with their first two picks.

Or, since Riley Reiff is only on a one-year deal, the Bengals might still want to take Penei Sewell in the first round and then get Vera-Tucker. When Reiff leaves, that gives the Bengals the young core of Jonah Williams, Sewell, and Vera-Tucker to protect Joe Burrow.

The guard position has been minimally addressed in free agency. The Bengals signed Quinton Spain to a one-year deal. but have done nothing else to help. The team has made it clear that Reiff will play right tackle, so both tackle spots are set for now. That leaves a combination of Spain, Billy Price, Xavier Su’a-Filo, and Michael Jordan as the Week 1 starting interior line, and that probably scares Burrow.

Vera-Tucker might be a good fit, and the Bengals are at the very least performing due diligence. Perhaps Pollack will decide at the end of the pro day that he has no interest, but this at least tells us that the Bengals have an eye on him.