This could be one of the final chances for the current Cincinnati Bengals core to win a championship together.

After a disappointing 2023 season that saw the Bengals miss the playoffs despite a winning record, it looks like Cincinnati could change its fortunes this year.

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Not only is quarterback Joe Burrow back from injury, but he has two of his best weapons returning in receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. While these players’ futures with the team are in question, they’ll still be present this season.

The only thing the Bengals need to do is keep Burrow safe. He had two of his four NFL seasons shortened by injury, and in 2021, Cincinnati led the league in sacks allowed during the regular season and set an NFL record for most sacks allowed in the playoffs.

The Bengals attempted to fix this problem in the 2024 NFL Draft with two selections: offensive tackle Amarius Mims (18th overall) and center Matt Lee (237th overall). Of the two, Lee has proven to be the surprise steal of the draft.

According to Pro Football Focus, Lee recorded 39 pass block snaps, zero pressures allowed, and an 84.7 pass block grade.

These numbers reflect what he did during his college football career. In his four seasons with the University of Central Florida, Lee started every game he played and was named first-team All-AAC, third-team All-AAC, and second-team All-AAC.

For his senior year, Lee transferred to the University of Miami, where he started 11 games and was named second-team All-ACC. He helped the Hurricanes allow the second-fewest sacks in the ACC (16). He was also instrumental in Miami ranking second in the conference for total yards per game (431.2).

While Lee went under the radar for most analysts, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports was a fan of the Bengals picking Lee in the draft.

“Tall, mobile center with loads of experience in the ACC,” Trapasso said. “Suddenness is good as is his awareness. Makes effort to get low. Quicker than fast but accurate at second-level. Decent anchor for a mobile center, just has to add sand in his pants.”

Right now, Lee is listed as fourth in line for the center position behind veterans Ted Karras, Trey Hill, and Nate Gilliam. If the Bengals are smart, they’ll invest in the promising rookie and guarantee a great center for years to come.

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