I believe I did three, possibly four seven-round Bengals mock drafts last year.
This is my second and final one for 2023.
HOWEVER, this is going to be a little different (version 1.0 for reference).
Im essentially giving you four different mocks for the price of one.
Still love you, Cam Taylor-Britt.
Point being, before you blindly slander my proposed picks, like keep an open mind.
Cant wait to see how this all shakes out tonight and through the weekend.
My write-ups for all the alternate mock scenarios require you to read past the main mock.
So just keep scrolling.
My assumption is Bijan Robinson doesn’t fall this far.
Joe Mixon’s future is dubious.
The depth behind Mixon isn’t great.
Nobody else in the Bengals' running back room comes close to Gibbs as a talent.
The Alabama standout is thickly built at 5-9, 199.
He ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the Combine.
Much faster than Mixon’s 4.5 flat at Oklahoma’s pro day.
Bash me for this all you want.
Jahmyr Gibbs is special.
His home-run hitting ability makes this Bengals offense even more balanced and borderline unstoppable.
Opting for a small-school prospect over the potential options available at No.
28 might seem a tad reckless.
Not in this instance.
Kraft has a lot of that exciting after-the-catch toughness you see from Dalton Kincaid.
He’s a little heavier and more than willing to run block.
Against FCS competition, he got the job done and then some.
There aren’t many good right tackles in this draft.
Morris is one of them.
He can’t be worse than some of the recent dudes the Bengals have trotted out.
All due respect to Isaiah Prince and Hakeem Adeniji, they ain’t it.
Jonah Williams seems to be pouting about a switch to right tackle and would rather be traded.
I still don’t know what I’m getting from Jackson Carman in Year 3.
Cincinnati can get away with a mid right tackle.
He’s a certified Glass Eater, which only helps.
He’s a solid athlete but won’t blow you away in that department.
He always seems to be near the ball.
Personally am not sold on free-agent signee Nick Scott as a viable starter.
Started as a true freshman all the way back in 2018.
Was a backup thereafter.
Played only one game during COVID and redshirted as a junior.
Started again in 2021 only to get benched (!!)
for the final half of the season (h/t The Daily Gopherfor much of this info).
No telling where his stock is.
This seems like a realistic middle ground from what I’ve seen out there.
Round 6, Pick 206: Desjuan Johnson, DL, Toledo
Gimme some MACtion up in here.
Don’t need him to be some star or future starter.
Not going to 100% bank on that.
Johnson is a super quick, sudden interior pass-rusher I’d take a swing at.
Alas, most mock simulations I’ve run through don’t have him available at No.
I’d try him at his main position first, though.
Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are a hell of a trio.
Thereissome depth behind them.
I mocked Shorter to the Bengals in my last seven-rounder.
I can’t quit him.
He’s being picked in the seventh round for a reason.
Neat fact:Shorter was ranked as the No.
1 wide receiver recruitout of high school ahead of Ja’Marr and a loaded 2018 class at the position.
Now comes the fun of all the other scenarios below.
The attempt was to make all the “alternate” cluster groups make sense as standalone mocks.
Think I pulled it off.
Elseworlds Bengals mock drafts
Dream Fallers:
Yup.
If the Bengals somehow came away with a draft class like this, Id be on cloud nine.
Basking in peak football fandom nirvana.
Hes a cut above everyone in those categories.
Too special of a player to pass up.
Might be deliberate subterfuge.
In any event, its not totally off-planet to suggest hell slip to No.
Dawand would be an awesome choice to fill that need at right tackle.
Finding a freaky, dominant interior defender like Kobie Turner in Round 4 would be so dope.
In such a deep running back class, its possible that Abanikanda falls to the fifth round.
Just know I love the guy.
He has elite speed and gave up 22 catches on 58 targets (37.9%).
Tre Tucker is a smaller, more explosive slot wideout whod be a nice developmental option behind Tyler Boyd.
Chase Brown is a solid all-around back and the twin brother of Sydney Brown.
Chase could easily ascend to the top of the depth chart as an NFL sophomore.
I was late getting to watch him but the more I see, the more I thoroughly DIG.
Tank Dell is a route-running fiend and a fine insurance policy at a premium position.
Someone will bet on Tank pretty early due to how well he can separate.
But my gosh, Ive had a man crush on Darnell Washington for a long time.
The Day 3 chunk of this class happens to feature a bunch of guys with high-level production.
He transferred to Cincinnati after three seasons at the alma mater of yours truly, Miami of Ohio.
Lonnie Phelps ALSO transferred from Miami!!
I knew that about Pace but not Phelps going into this.
I swear Im not being a lazy homer.
Jason Taylor II had 99 tackles and six INTs in his final season at Oklahoma State.
Then theres Jonah Tavai: How about 86 QB hurries over the last two seasons?
Thatll play, I think.
Big-Picture Guys:
Feels like Ive hit enough on the running back situation to explain Keaton Mitchells spot here.
He has top-end speed that the Bengals' backs lack.
The more Ive thought about this, the closer Ive gotten to putting Downs atop my actual mock.
Good enough for me!
Speaking of the secondary, Illinois Jartavius Martin is someone I shouldve had in my top 100 big board.
Hes an athletic freakazoid who can align pretty much anywhere you need him to.
Love that back-end versatility in a Lou Anarumo-coached scheme.
Most of my draft scenarios have disregarded the addition of Irv Smith Jr. at tight end.
I do like the signing, but hes been banged up a lot.
Whatever happens with him, he only signed a one-year deal.
Acquiring a prospect like Zack Kuntz whos loaded with upside is an exciting proposition.
Now to touch on a seventh-round tackle to finish things off.
I have a problem dont I?
Alex Palczewski is a five-year starter if memory serves and has so many reps at right tackle.
That happens to be a position of uncertainty for the Bengals.
The definitive 7-round Bengals mock draft.
Lets go get some damn good football players!
