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Many mock drafts for the Cincinnati Bengals feel a little hit or miss.
Like the draft itself, those mocks tend to feature compromise. If the Bengals take an edge rusher in Round 1, for example, it's a perceived setback for the guard position in front of Joe Burrow. We can flip that example, or suggest that taking a safety would hurt the pass-rush.
But a new mock draft from ESPN’s Jordan Reid simply knocks out all of the big needs for the Bengals at a good value, starting with Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon in Round 1:
"Outside of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who is still in a contract dispute, the team doesn't have consistent pass-rushing options. At 6-foot-5 and 313 pounds, Harmon is a big, stout presence who can penetrate the first level and defend the run. He finished last season with five sacks and led all defensive tackles with 34 QB pressures. His 10.7% pressure rate at defensive tackle was the second-highest rate in the country."
RELATED: Bengals players who could get traded during 2025 NFL draft
After nabbing interior pass rush there, the Bengals get Alabama edge rusher Landon Jackson to help out the likes of Myles Murphy in a rotation on the edge: "After getting the Bengals a defensive tackle in Round 1, we'll go edge here. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Jackson has an ideal frame and was productive in college, with 6.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons and 54 pressures (sixth most in the SEC) in that span."
And to top it all off? In the third round, the mock draft has the Bengals grabbing Georgia interior offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, a possible instant starter who generally comes off the board much earlier in these exercises.
Here's how the Bengals wrap up the class:
Not only is the entire effort realistic based on what we know about the Bengals over the years, it would flirt with an "A" grade right away.
RELATED: Bengals hosted one of NFL draft's most interesting QBs on visit
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals land shockingly good draft class in ESPN 7-round mock
Continue reading...
Like the draft itself, those mocks tend to feature compromise. If the Bengals take an edge rusher in Round 1, for example, it's a perceived setback for the guard position in front of Joe Burrow. We can flip that example, or suggest that taking a safety would hurt the pass-rush.
But a new mock draft from ESPN’s Jordan Reid simply knocks out all of the big needs for the Bengals at a good value, starting with Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon in Round 1:
"Outside of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who is still in a contract dispute, the team doesn't have consistent pass-rushing options. At 6-foot-5 and 313 pounds, Harmon is a big, stout presence who can penetrate the first level and defend the run. He finished last season with five sacks and led all defensive tackles with 34 QB pressures. His 10.7% pressure rate at defensive tackle was the second-highest rate in the country."
RELATED: Bengals players who could get traded during 2025 NFL draft
After nabbing interior pass rush there, the Bengals get Alabama edge rusher Landon Jackson to help out the likes of Myles Murphy in a rotation on the edge: "After getting the Bengals a defensive tackle in Round 1, we'll go edge here. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Jackson has an ideal frame and was productive in college, with 6.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons and 54 pressures (sixth most in the SEC) in that span."
And to top it all off? In the third round, the mock draft has the Bengals grabbing Georgia interior offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, a possible instant starter who generally comes off the board much earlier in these exercises.
Here's how the Bengals wrap up the class:
- Cincinnati Bengals: Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
- Cincinnati Bengals: Zy Alexander, CB, LSU
- Cincinnati Bengals: R.J. Mickens, S, Clemson
Not only is the entire effort realistic based on what we know about the Bengals over the years, it would flirt with an "A" grade right away.
RELATED: Bengals hosted one of NFL draft's most interesting QBs on visit
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals land shockingly good draft class in ESPN 7-round mock
Continue reading...
