In our mock draft series, we have already covered the Chicago Bears. Next up are the Cincinnati Bengals, who have ten total draft picks to use this year. Let’s see who they will draft and why.
Round 1, Pick 18: TE Brock Bowers
The Georgia product surprisingly fell this far to Cincinnati. But, both fans and the front office aren’t complaining. Bowers is the best at his position in his class and is well-rounded across the board.
Grading out at 84.4 according to PFF, he has one of the strongest hands for a tight end while also having great speed. Put up anywhere in the formation, and Bowers is a weapon every team would covet. Luckily for the Bengals, they will have a third weapon to pair with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Round 2, Pick 49: DL Braden Fiske, Florida State
The Bengals’ defense was one of the worst units in football last year. That needs to change in 2024, and it begins up front. Outside of Trey Hendrickson, they need another formidable lineman to rush the passer.
Enter Fiske, who recorded six sacks for the Seminoles in 2023. He has great football IQ, and plays with a high motor that will help him in the pros. Against the run, he is a smart defender and has fast hands to get off of linemen’s blocks.
Round 3, Pick 80: WR Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
Someone has to replace Tyler Boyd, right? With the Bengals not likely to bring him back, Corley steps in as an immediate replacement.
A former running back, he found his true positions as a wideout. His background in his previous position shows, as he’s able to get yards after contact and make a difference in yards-after-catch situations. Once he gets a full head of steam, you got to watch out.
Of course, he didn’t run a very complex route tree. But, that can easily be taught. Once he’s up to speed, he’s going to be a problem.
Round 3, Pick 97: CB Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
Cincinnati’s cornerback room scares me. Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner II were below-average last year, and PFF’s grading system supports that (64.5 and 51.5, respectively).
Add in the fact that the team allowed the fifth-most passing yards to opposing quarterbacks, and you got a clear issue. Abrams-Draine, a former receiver, switched to cornerback for his sophomore season. He knows how to make plays on the ball though, forcing 34 incompletions and seven interceptions since 2021. With his long speed and also recovery speed, he’s someone that could develop into a solid CB1 or at worst, a CB2 for his career.
Round 4, Pick 115: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
The more protection, the better. This time, Beebe will automatically slide into the starting left guard position. It helps he has versatility (played both left and right tackle). But, his true calling is the interior. Beebe brings great IQ and has great size and technique to deal with bull rushes.
Regardless of his minimal athleticism, he’s someone that is worthy of a steal this late. If he can work on getting off of the ball with explosiveness and work on his footwork, he will have a long career in the league.
Round 5-7 Picks:
- LB JD Bertrand
- EDGE Jalen Green
- CB Josh Wallace
- S Trey Taylor
- LB Darius Muasau
- C Andrew Raym
Honestly, the rest of the draft was to fill different positions with developmental depth pieces.
Bertrand is a smart coverage player and is great at recognizting plays before the snap. Green was actually the leader in sacks across the country before going down with an injury. Wallace gives the team more cornerback help, and Taylor had an 89.0 coverage grade in 2023 at Air Force (one of the best in the nation).
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Featured Image: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
