Bengals had a ‘great’ meeting with top running back prospect Ashton Jeanty

Could the Bengals really add Ashton Jeanty?

The Cincinnati Bengals are at a potential turning point with the construction of their entire team. They are planning on giving three sizable deals to Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson while still having room to make even more moves to shore up a roster that disappointed last season.

Part of that plan could be going with the best player available at No. 17 instead of chasing a need on the defensive or offensive line. That could be Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who the team has met with.

It is fair to think that most of the attention that isn’t on the big three will go toward fixing a defense that took a massive step back last season and has a new coordinator in Al Golden.

However, Jeanty could provide a massive boost to what’s already a high-level offense. He was one of the best players in College Football last season, helping Boise State make it to the College Football Playoff. He had 2,600 rushing yards with 29 touchdowns while averaging seven yards per carry. Jeanty did it while being able to consistently break tackles and make defenders miss.

One of the big things you notice from his running style is his incredible balance. He can absorb hits and stay up about as well as anyone you’ve seen play the game.

What is also incredibly impressive — and scary to think about adding him potentially in Cincinnati — he had one of the most historic seasons running the ball while constantly facing loaded boxes and everyone knowing he was THE guy they had to stop. Safe to say he would face the opposite with the Bengals.

There are undoubtedly people reading this right now who have laughed this possibility away. That is fair when you think about how this team has Chase Brown coming off a strong end to the season, improving the offensive line may have more of an impact on improving the running game, and that this draft is stacked with defenders worthy of a top 10 pick that will slide because it’s a talented class on that side of the ball. That means the pick almost certainly will be for the defensive side of the ball.

There are some things to consider about this meeting. Cincinnati loves to visit with players they think could end up in the division, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will undoubtedly be in the market for a running back. If the Bengals go crazy on the defensive side of the ball in free agency, they may not have as much of a need on that side of the ball and can take one of the top players overall without worrying.

It’s fun to hypothetically give this offense yet another top talent, but at some point, you have to take care of the future on the defensive side of the ball as they don’t have many young players you can see getting a second contract at this point, especially on the defensive line.