The Bengals still have piles of work on their desk with extensions, cuts, free agency, stadium lease negotiations and vague social media posts filling up the days.
Yet, coming off the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, there’s a clearer picture of what the Bengals might do in this draft. It’s all subject to change depending on what unfolds in free agency, but you can plot a path with the six picks they own (and will likely be looking to add more).
I’ll unveil this mock draft — version 0.75, because the true 1.0 that officially counts lands after free agency — with an assumption the Bengals will add two defensive linemen and a guard over the next two weeks, all capable of starting opening day, if necessary.
Those three moves, specifically, free the draft up to be fairly open at the top. Cincinnati will obviously be pressed to land trench players early and take advantage of the talent in this defensive line class, but a host of other needs can be checked off.
Let’s open this by going off the availability laid out in Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft.
First round (17): Kelvin Banks Jr., OT/G, Texas
Brugler had the Bengals selecting CB Will Johnson out of Michigan. Why not, right? The Bengals already have Michigan corners Dax Hill and DJ Turner. Might as well keep the Michigan migration going.
Picking the best player available for this defense is a great idea and nobody would complain about draft assets directed to new defensive coordinator Al Golden. I just don’t see cornerback landing above the premium defensive and offensive linemen available at this point.
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin sounds notably optimistic about the future of the cornerback room and aggressively buying the future of Hill and Turner along with Cam Taylor-Britt, Josh Newton and even 2023 seventh-round pick DJ Ivey. There’s a belief in the building that they have what they need in the young cornerback room to hold steady if improvements are brought in around them. That could mean a safety coming off the board high and if South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori were available at 17, that would be a tempting choice to place next to Jordan Battle.
Among those available here, I’d rank the Bengals top five in the decision as such:
1. Kelvin Banks Jr., OT/G, Texas
2. Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
3. Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
4. Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
5. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Green would be the variable here. On potential alone, he would shoot to the top of the list, but how comfortable are the Bengals with his off-field baggage?
This background would be much different than Jermaine Burton’s, but one year after that risk blew up in the Bengals’ face, how willing would they be to go down that road again? Tobin said at the combine there was no lesson from the Burton pick, merely a calculated risk like many teams take on players in the draft. Also, it’s not like we’ve seen the Bengals hesitate with issues like this in the background before. The most notable example is Joe Mixon, a player Cincinnati was determined to draft coming out of Oklahoma in 2017.
Banks Jr. makes sense because the Bengals will be searching for a starter at guard. He brings just that and offers the ability to shift into the role of swing tackle if an injury occurs with Orlando Brown Jr. or Amarius Mims. Then, when Brown’s contract expires in two years, Banks could be in a position to assume left tackle. Cincinnati needs to raise the floor of the offensive line play and his versatility with a Pro Bowl upside at guard could be what it takes to keep Joe Burrow upright.
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As for Harmon, he could shift up or down the pecking order depending on what type of player the Bengals land at defensive tackle in free agency. They badly need any kind of pass rush. If that doesn’t come in March, then plucking Harmon, who led the PBS in pressures, would make perfect sense. He performed well at the combine and looks like an AFC North player on tape the way he muddies up every play for the opposing offense. Does the depth of the draft at his position and the ability to get a similar player at No. 49 shift the Bengals away?
Campbell’s versatility and playmaking would be a gift for Golden. This would be the front office showing significant trust in the new coordinator’s vision. The last time the Bengals took a linebacker in the second round or higher was 2009 with Rey Maualuga. The game has changed dramatically since then and Campbell is a much more impactful player than the traditional off-ball linebacker, but that would be a major shift in strategy to use a first-round pick at the position.
Now, let’s take a quick spin through the rest of the picks based on Brugler’s top 100.
Second round (49): Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
Will Alexander still be around at this point? It wouldn’t have been a question a few months ago, but he’s enjoyed one of the best pre-draft runs this year with stellar showings at the Senior Bowl and combine. He jumped over 30 inches and ran the 40 in under five seconds, impressive numbers at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds. It would provide an excellent three-down complement on the interior for Golden.
4.96u from Toledo DL Darius Alexander. 😤 @Darius2019
📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/JwVpnisiwy— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025
Third round (80): Ashton Gillotte, edge, Louisville
Linebacker, running back and tight end all come into play at this point, but the Bengals must tap into this edge class at some point. This would be an ideal spot to do so. Taking a player with proven production in college (118 pressures the past two seasons combined) would be an easy sell.
Fourth round (118): Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson
The linebacker pick could come earlier depending on how free agency falls. The Bengals are seeking a replacement for Germaine Pratt but also must backfill the roster. If they aren’t happy with the Pratt replacement, the linebacker discussion comes much earlier. If they land an expected Day 1 starter next to Logan Wilson, this pick could go even later in Day 3.
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Fifth round (154): Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech
A thick, physical player at 5-foot-9, 215 pounds, Brooks is not afraid to bring the contact. The Bengals will be searching for a bigger-bodied back, but anybody with a specialty between the tackles and willingness in pass protection will be a welcome complement to Chase Brown as they search for the next Chase Brown in the fifth round.
Sixth round (195): Mitchell Evans, TE, Notre Dame
The Bengals will be tracking this class for more answers at tight end and it will be the wild-card position of this draft. It could get addressed with their last pick or potentially their first and everyone in between. You could see them doing work on the position with interviews in Indianapolis and look for them to see if they can find this year’s Erick All after seeing what All was able to do in changing the direction of the offense.
(Photo of Kelvin Banks Jr.: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
