The Bengals hoped to have Jonah Williams starting at left tackle in 2019, but a shoulder injury kept the first-round pick from playing at all during his rookie season.
While Williams never saw the field, he says he no longer feels like a rookie because he was “learning on the sideline and kind of understanding how the vets who have had a lot of success in the league” approach their jobs. He did that while rehabbing his injury and working to put himself back into position to be the team’s long-term answer on Joe Burrow’s blindside.
“That’s my goal, and I’m really honored that the coaches are giving me that opportunity and that they believe in me to do that. I don’t really see it as pressure so much as I’m just grateful. I see it as an opportunity, and that motivates me,” Williams said, via Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I want to prove them right.”
Having Williams join Burrow as a fixture in the Bengals lineup would give the team a pair of building blocks for the long term, so Williams isn’t alone in hoping he proves the team right for adding him to the lineup.