The first 32 picks have come and gone, but there is still plenty of talent on the board as the Cincinnati Bengals look forward to the 41st pick on Friday night.
After trading Dexter Lawrence away for the 10th pick, the Bengals will make their first pick early in Round 2, and there are several Round 1-level prospects looking to hear their names called.
Here’s a look at the best available NFL Draft prospects for Rounds 2-3.
Defensive Line
The Bengals have been pretty busy adding pieces up front, but I suspect they aren’t
done.
To many, Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald was DT one in this class, and he has no business still being on the board. However, he is a nose tackle, and the Bengals traded their 1st Round pick for Dexter Lawrence. It seems pretty far-fetched to think that the Bengals would then use their 2nd Round pick on a player at the same position. The advantage would be that it allows you to move on from T.J. Slaton and save a few bucks. McDonald would spell Lawrence at times and could come in at nose to free up Lawrence to move around the defensive front for advantageous matchups.
Gabe Jacas has a great get-off, powerful hips, and excellent feet as a pass rusher. While the Illinois edge hasn’t shown a wide array of pass-rush moves, he is excellent at getting off the block and closing the rep. Jacas is in the mold of a 3-4 outside linebacker and, as such, brings a unique skillset to the table.
With a wingspan of almost 82 inches, Missouri’s Zion Young’s best comp is an albatross. He is strong in the run game and has a deep bag of tricks as a pass rusher. He can rush with power or speed and goes from power to speed with ease.
TJ Parker may be coming off a down year, but that seems to be Clemson’s problem more than anything. He has burst off the edge and a mean slap in pass rush. He can hold the edge in the run game or move inside in certain fronts.
Defensive Backs
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy is a top 5 talent in this draft, but clearly, his knee is scaring people off. At what point is it worth the risk to get such an elite talent?
Other outside cornerbacks who should come off the board quickly include McCoy’s teammate Colton Hood and South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse. Hood is a lockdown man corner with silky smooth hips. He has some technique issues that need to be cleaned up, but with D.J. Turner and Dax Hill around, there is no rush to get him on the field. Cisse has impressive athletic traits, but hasn’t put things together on the field. He is frequently out of position and doesn’t bring much as a tackler.
Then there are a plethora of players who would primarily fit into a slot role.
Avieon Terrell is technically sound and has great eye discipline in man coverage. The Clemson product would be fine outside in a pinch, but fits best as a nickel. He has a knack for knocking the ball out and caused 5 fumbles last season.
Coming off a National Championship with Indiana, DeAngelo Ponds is about 3 inches short of being a top prospect. He’s excellent in zone coverage and always around the football, but at 5-foot-9, man matchups can be tricky. Of course, his 41-inch vertical helps.
On the other end of the National Championship game was Keionte Scott. The Miami Hurricane has got a little bit of Mike Hilton in him and is an excellent blitzer. He’s great against the run and matches up well with big and small slots in man. Last season, Scott had 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 pick-sixes.
Treydan Stukes has the versatility to play literally anywhere in the secondary. He is praised for his work ethic and was a 3-time captain at Arizona. He is an excellent athlete who makes good reads and gets his hand on the ball. He would make a ton of sense for the Bengals.
Toledo Rocket Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a long, rangy safety with great turnover production. His pursuits are a little inconsistent, which I know is a hot-button issue for Bengals fans. Having said that, I think he could develop into an All-Pro free safety.
AJ Haucly makes incredible reads and turned them into 8 interceptions over the last two seasons at LSU. He is also a heavy hitter and does a great job in run support.
Linebackers
The Bengals have never drafted a UC Bearcat. Does that change today?
Defensive coordinator Al Golden has talked about wanting another linebacker who can play on the line of scrimmage to take that off of Demetrius Knight’s plate. Jake Golday is the perfect hit. Golday is tall and long with the strength to hold the edge and the range to play over a slot receiver.
Anthony Hill Jr. brings similar physical attributes, but there have been questions about the former Texas star’s processing and consistency.
Jacob Rodriguez does not have the length of Golday and Hill, as Rodriguez projects as an off-ball linebacker. The Texas Tech backer gets where he needs to be, but he is an extremely inconsistent tackler. He tested well, but that speed was not evident on film.
Offensive Line
Northwestern’s GM is former Bengals scout Christian Sarkisian. The top available tackler going into Day 2 just happens to be Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan, and you can bet the Bengals know everything there is to know about him.
Pass Catcher
The hot name at receiver is Chris Brazzell. The Tennessee product is 6-foot-5 and has great speed. He could give the team the deep threat they thought they were getting in Jermaine Burton.
Louisville’s Chris Bell is a big-bodied receiver who fits best in the slot. His bulk allows him to be a force as a blocker in the run game. His explosiveness makes him a real threat catching the ball.
Elijah Sarratt caught a lot of back shoulder fades from Fernando Mendoza in his time at Indiana. Maybe he could catch a few from Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. He projects into the slot, which is perfect with Andri Iosivas going into a contract year.
Georgia didn’t throw him the ball much, but tight end Oscar Delp is an excellent athlete as well as an elite blocker. He could give the Bengals the Y tight end they have been looking for.
Round 3 Options
If you were hoping the Bengals would get Caleb Downs, South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore could be the next best thing. Like Downs, he is a versatile moving piece who could come in and start at nickel and potentially shift to safety in a year. Another similarity is how both have been praised for their football intelligence. Kilgore hits like a linebacker and runs like a corner. He’s also a ballhawk who has interceptions in the last two seasons.
Bud Clark brings similar versatility from TCU. He isn’t the enforcer that Kilgore is, but he has fantastic burst and a nose for the ball.
Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton’s film was a lot of fun to watch, but he didn’t look as athletic on film as he tested. If he can get that 39.5-inch vert to show in explosiveness on the field, he could be a huge pick-up for the Bengals in Round 3.
Former linebacker turned edge rusher Jaishawn Barham could be the perfect fit for Al Golden’s defense. He has the length and explosiveness to play on the edge and the athleticism to drop off in coverage.
There are not a lot of defensive tackles in this draft who can get after the quarterback and stuff the run. Missouri’s Chris McClellan is one of them. The 6-foot-3, 315-pound defensive tackle had 8 TFLs and 6 sacks last season and could be a big producer in the NFL as well.
Mock draft simulators have lied to you. If you wait until pick 110 to draft an offensive tackle, you are probably getting the 20th offensive tackle off the board. I know everyone thinks Miami’s Markel Bell is a Round 3 prospect, but the 6-foot-9, 346-pound monster will never make it out of Friday night. The Bengals have a type, and he is certainly it. Give this behemoth to offensive line coach Scott Peters and see what he can do with him.
