Yet more praise for Bengals finding a late-round steal

One doesn’t have to look far to find praise for how the Cincinnati Bengals navigated the back end of the NFL draft.

In the later rounds, the Bengals might have found a steal of a tight end for Joe Burrow. Near the very end of the order, they drafted one of the most popular late-round picks of all.

And then there’s Brian Parker.

The Bengals grabbed Parker in the sixth round and have received nothing but praise since for the pick.

Here’s another example: Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo just named Parker one of the best late-round steals of the entire draft.

“The Cincinnati Bengals have needed improvements across the interior of their offensive line for years,” Melo wrote. “In this draft, they came away with Connor Lew in the fourth round and Brian Parker II in the sixth round. The latter plays the center position with impressive technique and solid grip strength. Parker should make a successful transition from offensive tackle to interior blocker.”

The Bengals love Parker’s five-position versatility, which should help him carve out a roster spot.

Bonus points down the road, of course, if he can develop into a starter. But for now, most onlookers tend to agree that Parker was a high-value pick capable of sticking around for a while.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Yet more praise for Bengals finding a late-round steal