The Cincinnati Bengals may be attacking this year’s draft in an unorthodox way. The 2024 NFL Draft, like most other draft classes, is viewed as a handful of sure-thing blue-chip prospects and a whole lot of dart throws. As the draft goes on, the likelihood that a player makes a serious impact falls. Then again, every year, there are day-three selections who end up as household names like Brock Purdy.
For the Bengals, priority number one is and always has been “protect Joe Burrow.” While four out of the five projected starting linemen are rated at least 79 in Pass Protection Expectations, improvements in depth can be made. As a result, JC Latham, Taliese Fuaga, and Amarius Mims are the top three most popular choices at 18 via NFLMockDraftDatabase.
However, on April 16, the Bengals hosted another offensive lineman prospect in a visit. What’s interesting is the fact that he never once appeared in a football game.
Cincinnati Bengals Host Former USF Basketball Player, Bayron Matos
Who?
Bayron Matos is a former basketball player from the Dominican Republic. He’s not just some guy the NFL has decided to highlight, he was a college basketball player with New Mexico as well as South Florida.
Matos initially moved to the United States at 16 to pursue a professional basketball career. Afer redshirting in his first season, Matos started 15 games (and came off the bench in five others) for the Lobos and averaged 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. After the season, Matos jumped into the Transfer Portal and landed at USF. There, he primarily came off the bench and appeared in 28 games while starting five. With the Bulls, he averaged 1.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
After the 2021-22 season, Matos walked on to the Bulls’ football team as a defensive lineman. Eventually, he transitioned to the offensive side of the ball but never appeared in a game.
Why?
Matos is an impressive athlete and has serious size. At his Pro Day, he was measured at 6’7″ and 313 pounds. At that size, there would usually be concerns about how well he moves. Considering he was clocked at 4.88 for his 40-yard and has an impressive athletic profile, it all makes sense.
Not too bad https://t.co/dw4ON4HYOZ pic.twitter.com/XwuJbPPIS2
— Drew (@DrewCrabtree12) April 16, 2024
The Bengals need to get more athletic on the offensive line and Matos certainly fits that mold. As part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), Matos was one of 16 foreign-born players looking to make his way into the NFL. The Bengals have a little experience in the realm of the IPPP and if they were to select or sign Matos and he makes the roster, he’d be the second (Moritz Böringer, 2018).
Matos isn’t the first NFL Draft hopeful to meet with the Bengals despite never playing a down of college football. Cincinnati met with CFL star Quan’tez Stiggers, a defensive back from the Toronto Argonauts.
The Bengals currently have 10 selections in this year’s NFL Draft so if the team is confident in Matos’ abilities, they should be more than willing to use one of their late day-three picks.
Main Image: The Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK
