Bengals could target Ogbonnia Okoronkwo in free agency, per report

As NFL Free Agency is set to kick off Monday with the legal tampering period beginning, many Cincinnati Bengals fans are wondering what players the team will target.

With contract extensions for Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins looming, many wonder if the Bengals will take a step back from the aggressive approach we have seen over the last few off-seasons.

Even if they aren’t players for the bigger names on the market, you can expect them to seek help from outside the building, maybe just with the Tier 2 or 3-type players.

One player that fits that description is Houston Texans pass rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, Okoronkwo is a free agent sleeper they expect the Bengals to target.

The main two pass rusher spots for the Bengals are settled with Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson, and their contracts reflect that. A position the Bengals have been linked to a lot is another pass rusher to work into their rotation with Hubbard, Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai.

Okoronkwo is coming off of the best season of his young career in Houston, recording five sacks and a forced fumble. The season earned him a 75.1 overall grade and 81.9 pass-rushing grade, per PFF.

Solid production, what should be a relatively cheap contract and a position of need could be a perfect recipe to land Okoronkwo in stripes in the coming days.