Cincinnati Bengals

How can Bengals take next step? Cincy's Mike Hilton seems to know

Published Feb. 26, 2022 8:21 p.m. ET

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The Cincinnati Bengals were the NFL's feel-good story in 2021, going from last place in the AFC North to the Super Bowl overnight.

But to avoid a Super Bowl hangover and prove that their success from this season is sustainable, they will need to make moves to continue to upgrade their already-talented roster by addressing a few weaknesses.

And cornerback Mike Hilton appears to be the lead recruiter for the Bengals when it comes to trying to attract top-end talent to Cincinnati, most recently with his public courting of New England Patriots Pro Bowl cornerback J.C. Jackson.

The Bengals were 26th against the pass 2021, allowing 248.4 passing yards per game. They were also 18th in opponents' passer rating (93.1), so the addition of Jackson would certainly help bolster a rising defense.

But Cincinnati's most glaring spot in need of strengthening is the offensive line.

The Bengals allowed quarterback Joe Burrow to be sacked a league-high 51 times this past season. He was sacked another 19 times in the playoffs, including seven times by the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. Since the Bengals only lost that game 23-20, it's fair to wonder what they could have done with a little bit better play on the offensive line. Could they have been champions?

With that in mind, Hilton has also publicly made a play at Houston Texans' left tackle Laremy Tunsil on Twitter.

Tunsil has been named to the Pro Bowl twice and is widely seen as one of the top offensive linemen in the NFL. He would immediately enter the Bengals' locker room as the most accomplished offensive lineman on the roster.

Whether the Bengals are able to lure Jackson or Tunsil to Cincinnati remains to be seen. But if they don't, it won't be due to a lack of effort from Hilton, who appears to be very aware of what it'll take to push the Bengals over the top.

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