“It’s great to have all these guys in the fold well before we open training camp,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. “We are looking to get a lot of help from this group to extend our string of playoff appearances and then go farther. With Cedric, that help will come a little farther down the road, but this is a guy who’s worth a little wait.”
The 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive tackle from Texas A&M has not practiced during OTAs as he recovers from an ACL injury he suffered in Aggies' victory against West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl.
The Bengals drafted Ogbuehi 21st overall knowing that he had a long rehab process ahead of him. That, in part, factored into the team's decision to select another tackle, Oregon's Jake Fisher, in the second round.
Obguehi said after he was drafted he hoped to be ready by training camp, but the normal recovery time for an ACL injury is nine months and he had surgery in January.
With starting tackles Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith back this year, along with top backup Eric Winston, the Bengals have the luxury of patience when it comes to working Ogbuehi into the mix.
He has been doing rehab work on the side with trainer Nick Cosgray throughout rookie camp and OTAs and has looked strong and unencumbered during a battery of agility drills.
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