The 2024 NFL Draft is just 9 days away, and fans of all 32 teams are trying to figure out what direction their team will go in the first round and beyond. In this mock, I go through all 10 picks the Bengals own and use a combination of Cincinnati’s draft tendencies and consensus grades to predict player availability, along with my own opinions on the players I would target at positions of need. For each pick, I have included measurements, RAS (relative athletic score), my own player comparison, and where they are graded on Dane Brugler’s “The Beast” big board. As always, let me know your thoughts on this mock, and how you would attack the Draft if you were in the Bengals war room. Who Dey!
18. Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
- Height: 6’5¾”
- Weight: 324
- Age: 22.06 years old
- RAS (Relative Athletic Score): 9.63 (out of 10.00)
- NFL Comp: Lions RT Penei Sewell
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: 1st Round (#17 Overall)
The Bengals have spent the last few seasons adding veteran free agents on the OL to raise the floor of the group. They have successfully done that, but now it is time to raise the ceiling of this group. This is the best crop of Round 1 Offensive Tackles in recent memory, and I’d encourage the Bengals to take one in Round 1 while they have the opportunity. Cincinnati hopes they are not picking this high again over the next few years. Even if they do, it is unlikely that they’d have a chance to take an OT as good as any of the Top 6 in this year’s class. All-American RT Taliese Fuaga is my OT2 and #8 overall player. He is the best run blocker in this class and can be a game changer for the Bengals’ run game for years to come. Fuaga fires off the snap and is a special mover at his size. He routinely gets to the second level and flattens LBs and DBs in the open field. His combination of athleticism and physicality is rare and sets him apart from some of the other OTs in the same range. If Cincinnati wants to get teams out of their two high safety looks, they must be able to consistently run the ball. Fuaga can help them change the math in that aspect. He is the type of blocker that you can build an entire run scheme around, not just running right, but using him as a puller and getting him in space in a variety of different runs, similar to how Detroit uses RT Penei Sewell. Fuaga also displays good technique in pass protection. He is not the rangiest laterally as a pass blocker, but the quickness out of his stance typically negates this issue. His footwork and hand usage are polished. In 734 career pass blocking snaps at Oregon State, Fuaga allowed just 23 pressures and 0 sacks. Like many of the OTs in this class, Fuaga is young and will be 22 for the entirety of his rookie season. He has the potential to be a good pass blocker and elite run blocker at the NFL level. Although he will be a RT long-term, Fuaga’s body and skillset would also be great at Guard if Cincinnati wanted to start him at LG year 1. With an injury-prone Trent Brown on a one-year deal, Fuaga (who never missed a college game due to injury) would be able to kick back out to RT whenever he is needed, but his versatile skillset could allow the Bengals to get their best 5 OL on the field right away in 2024. The order of how the OTs after Joe Alt go off the board is a mystery and seems to vary from team-to-team with each player having their own strengths, but my OT2 Taliese Fuaga and OT3 Amarius Mims (who I gave the Bengals in my Round 1 mock) remain my two favorite potential options at pick 18.
49. Michael Hall Jr., DT, Ohio State
- Height: 6’2¾”
- Weight: 290
- Age: 20.8 years old
- RAS: 9.30
- NFL Comp: Former Seahawks DL Michael Bennett
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: 2nd-3rd Round (#60 Overall)
“Guys, you’re still trying to replace Giambi. I told you we can’t do it, and we can’t do it. Now, what we might be able to do is re-create him. Re-create him in the aggregate.” That quote is from Brad Pitt playing Billy Beane in the classic movie Moneyball. Beane, the A’s GM had just lost All-Star power hitting 1st Baseman Jason Giambi to the Yankees. Duke Tobin faces a similar conundrum replacing star Nose Tackle D.J. Reader. Fans have spent the offseason wondering how the Bengals can find a NT to replace Reader. The secret is: that player does not exist. At least not in Free Agency or this Draft. Cincinnati must re-create their DT room to replace Reader in the aggregate. With B.J. Hill still on the roster and Sheldon Rankins newly signed, the Bengals add a 3rd DT to the fold in Michael Hall Jr. This 3-man rotation will play the majority of neutral and passing downs, while a day 3 Nose Tackle will be taken to fill in on short yardage situations. While Cincinnati will miss Reader’s run defense, adding Rankings and Michael Hall Jr. gives them the two best interior pass rushers they have had since Geno Atkins’ departure. Hall, who has gone under the radar, is one of my favorite prospects in the entire class. He and 1st Round lock Byron Murphy have nearly identical numbers in most advanced pass rushing stats. When it comes to pass rush win rate (PRWR), Hall and Murphy are a level above the rest of the DTs in this class. The only early round DTs with similar PRWRs in recent memory are Christian Barmore, Quinnen Williams, Jalen Carter, Calijah Kancey, and Chris Jones. All of whom appear to be massive hits for their respective teams. The run defense is just average, but the same can be said for Kancey who went top 20 last year. Finding a DT with this type of pass rushing ability is typically impossible to find outside of Round 1. If he is there at 49, the Bengals should sprint the card up.
80. Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington
- Height: 6’1”
- Weight: 197
- Age: 22.3 years old
- RAS: 8.56
- NFL Comp: Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: 3rd-4th Round
With the Tyler Boyd era coming to a close and Tee Higgins likely entering his final year in Cincinnati, the Bengals would be wise to select a WR at some point on Day 2 that can contribute both this year and in the future. Luckily for them, this is one of the deepest crops of Day 2 WRs in recent memory. Jalen McMillan is one who has been slept on throughout the Draft process. He could realistically step in as a third option in year 1 and has potential to be a solid second option in a year or two. McMillan, who played mostly in the slot for Washington, is a great route runner with good speed and a high football IQ. He feasted against zone coverage at Washington and is great at finding the soft spots and sitting down in them. He missed 4 games in 2023 due to a knee injury, but in 2022, he led Washington in receptions and receiving TDs and put up near identical numbers to teammate and likely Top 10 pick Rome Odunze across the board. Washington also liked to use him as their gadget guy on jet sweeps to get the ball in his hands often. Breakout age (how early you became a productive WR in your college offense) is a stat that has a pretty strong correlation with successful WRs, and McMillan’s 19.7-year-old breakout age (70th percentile) checks that box. McMillan will need to become stronger and more comfortable against press coverage at the next level if he wants to unlock his full potential as a high-end WR2, but I’d be surprised if he does not carve out a long career as a productive starting slot receiver in the NFL.
97. Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State
- Height: 6’3⅞”
- Weight: 250
- Age: 21.8 years old
- RAS: 9.72
- NFL Comp: Packers TE Tucker Kraft
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: 4th Round
The Bengals have played Tight End Roulette for the last 4 years with mixed results. Signing Mike Gesicki, who is really just a big WR, should not prevent them from taking a TE of the future in the middle rounds of this Draft. Ben Sinnott is a TE that can do a bit of everything and would fit well into the Bengals’ offense. Sinnott is one of a small group of TEs in this class that show true TE1 potential. He lined up everywhere at Kansas State including as an in-line TE, in the slot, out wide, and in the backfield as a Fullback. Although he is not the biggest TE in the class, he has adequate size and has shown to be a plus blocker. Sinnott tested like one of the most athletic TEs in this class with a 4.68 40-yard dash (70th percentile), a 40 inch vertical jump (97th percentile), 126 inch broad jump (94th percentile), and 6.82 3-cone drill (96th percentile). TE has proven to be the most positively correlated position when it comes to athletic testing, and Sinnott checks all those boxes. He also has the receiving production to match, with over 1,100 yards and 10 TDs over the last two seasons combined. Sinnott is also just 21 years old (3rd youngest TE in this class), so there is still plenty of room to grow as a player. While he may not have one “superpower” trait, Sinnott is a good route runner with reliable hands, excellent explosiveness and agility, and should be an above average blocker at the next level. His ability to be moved around the formation allows whatever offense he goes to to be more versatile. My TE2 in this class, Sinnott would be an excellent addition for Cincinnati with either of their 3rd round picks.
115. Tanor Bortolini, IOL, Wisconsin
- Height: 6’4¼”
- Weight: 303
- Age: 21.8 years old
- RAS: 9.77
- NFL Comp: Steelers IOL James Daniels
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: 3rd-4th Round
The Bengals will be ecstatic if they are able to lock down a franchise Tackle at pick 18, but finally hitting on a future starting Guard/Center in the middle rounds is almost as important. Tanor Bortolini from Wisconsin would be a great addition to the OL room in Round 4. Bortolini made starts at 5 positions during his time at Wisconsin, including being the starter at Left Guard in 2022 and Center in 2023. Bortlini is not the longest or strongest Center in the class, which is why he is not in the first two round discussion, but he is intelligent, versatile, and insanely athletic. He is able to consistently diagnose and pick up stunts and blitzes and was often communicating protection responsibilities at the line in 2023. He tested like an elite athlete in speed, explosiveness, and agility. The most eye-opening was his agility drills. His 7.16 3-Cone time was the fastest in the history of the NFL Combine for an Interior O-Lineman, breaking Jason Kelce’s record of 7.22. Meanwhile his short shuttle time (4.28) was the 7th fastest for an IOL in Combine history. The short shuttle, in particular, has the highest positive correlation of any OL Combine Drill. Per Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy, there have been 28 OL since 2010 that have recorded a 4.47 or better time in the short shuttle at the NFL Combine. 24 of the 28 were drafted. Those 24 players went on the start 84% of their games in the NFL, including All-Pros taken outside of Round 1 such as Joel Bitonio, Ali Marpet, and the aforementioned Jason Kelce. Even if Bortolini never reaches the level of those 3, odds are he will be a long-time starting level O-Lineman in the NFL. From Day 1, Bortolini can compete with current LG Cordell Volson for the starting job, with the plan of eventually replacing Ted Karras as the Center of the future. If injuries arise, Bortolini can play any of the 3 interior spots, and allows the Bengals to get their best 5 out there. The Bengals, who currently have the league’s least athletic OL, add two elite athletes in Fuaga and Bortolini who will both be 22 years old for their entire rookie seasons with plenty of room to grow as players. Getting younger, cheaper, and more athletic sounds like a great recipe to finally raising the ceiling of the Bengals Offensive Line.
149. Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn
- Height: 6’0⅛”
- Weight: 190
- Age: 23.2 years old
- RAS: 7.68
- NFL Comp: Former Bengals CB Eli Apple
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: 4th Round
Cincinnati lacks depth when it comes to outside CB. Cam Taylor-Britt has been solid and will likely be CB1 heading into the season. DJ Turner had an up and down rookie season, but I think there’s reason to be optimistic moving forward, especially with more experienced Safety play behind him this season. Outside of those 2 though? Not much. 2023 7th rounder DJ Ivey played about 20 snaps at CB last year before tearing his ACL on special teams. The only other boundary CB on the roster, Allan George, did not play a snap last year. I expect the Bengals will add a vet on a minimum deal (similar to Sidney Jones last year), but they seem almost certain to take at least one CB in this Draft. As Bengals analyst Joe Goodberry has pointed out, the Bengals projected CB4 heading into the season has averaged 866 snaps a season over the last 4 years including playoffs. You must prepare for four CBs to play meaningful snaps throughout the year, and after CTB, Turner, and Hilton, I don’t think the Bengals have one. Nehemiah Pritchett is a tall, long Corner with great speed. He was a four-year starter at Auburn. Pritchett is a good press Corner who is capable of playing sticky man coverage, or close on a WR when the ball is in the air in zone coverage. Despite occasional coverage lapses, Pritchett has great recovery speed to limit deep throws on double moves. Allowing explosive plays was one of the Bengals biggest issues defensively last season. Pritchett allowed just two receptions of 15+ yards in 2023. His ball skills are below average, and his tackling is inconsistent. However, Pritchett fits the mold of CB that Lou Anarumo has sought out in recent years, and would be a solid depth CB year 1, with the potential to be more moving forward.
194. Kimani Vidal, RB, Troy
- Height: 5’7⅞”
- Weight: 213
- Age: 22.6 years old
- RAS: 8.81
- NFL Comp: Steelers RB Jaylen Warren
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: 7th Round
After finally moving on from Joe Mixon, the Bengals current RB room will likely split snaps between 2nd year back Chase Brown and newly signed vet Zack Moss. It is difficult to count on Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams as RB3 considering they have never been able to carve out much of a role on offense. Adding a 3rd back to this group seems likely. Bengals new OC Dan Pitcher reportedly does not value the RB position, so I’d be surprised to see them spend a pick on a Running Back before Day 3. Troy RB Kimani Vidal would be an excellent addition to the room. Vidal is a short, compact runner with good speed who runs with good leg drive and fight between the tackles. While he is not necessarily a home run hitter (despite his 4.46 speed), Vidal led the nation with 47 carries of 10+ yards in 2023. He had no drops as a receiver in 2023, although Troy mostly used him on screens and checkdowns. Vidal was 2nd in the nation in rushing in 2023 with 1,661 yards and 15 TDs. He tallied five 200-yard rushing games over the last two seasons, including a 233 yard, 5 TD performance in the Sun Belt Title Game in a win over Appalachian State to cap off his college career. Vidal is also one of the best pass protecting backs in this class, an area Cincinnati has struggled with since the departure of Samaje Perine. The NFL has seen similarly sized RBs Kyren Williams (5th round), and Jaylen Warren (UDFA) produce as good starters early in their careers due to being plus runners and high-level pass protectors. Vidal has the tools to follow a similar path and be a strong part of a team’s RB committee.
214. Qwan’tez Stiggers, CB, Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
- Height: 5’11¾”
- Weight: 204
- Age: 22.2 years old
- RAS: 9.31
- NFL Comp: Former Broncos and Ravens CB Ronald Darby
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: 6th Round
You can never have enough depth in the CB and OL rooms. The Bengals opt to add multiple players to each in this exercise. Stiggers is one of the most interesting players in this entire class. He was enrolled to play football at DII Lane College in 2020, but a few weeks into his freshman year, his father died due to complications stemming from a serious car accident. Stiggers entered a deep depression, quit football, and dropped out of college. He DoorDashed to help support his family during this time. Two years after, his mom and fiancée urged him to tryout for a new indoor football league called Fan Controlled Football. At 20 years old, Stiggers was the youngest player in the entire league (most of the league was composed of former college players). Despite not having played football for two years, Stiggers made the team, recorded 5 interceptions in 12 games, and finished as runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. This caught the attention of a CFL Coach, who invited Stiggers to rookie camp for the Toronto Arognauts. Most expected him to be cut in the preseason due to lack of experience, but Stiggers showed out, made the squad, and earned a starting CB role. In 16 games for Toronto, he tallied 53 tackles and 5 interceptions. At just 21 years old, Stiggers was named CFL Rookie of the Year and an All-Star. He was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl (the second-best All-Star game for post-college players behind the Senior Bowl) and did very well in 1 on 1 drills. Many considered him one of the top CB performers at the Shrine Bowl. Stiggers was snubbed from the Combine (showing teams likely consider him a late Day 3 pick/UDFA). However, at his Pro Day, he tested very well in size, speed, and explosiveness with a 9.31 RAS overall. While understandably raw technically, Stiggers has great ball skills and tackling ability in addition to the athleticsm. Bengals DC Lou Anarumo’s background is with Defensive Backs, so he is likely better suited to develop a toolsy project than most. Although his route to the Draft has been extremely unconventional, all he has done at every stop is show up, win a starting job, and perform like one of the top CBs in whatever league he is in. He is used to defying the odds at this point. If you want to doubt Qwan’tez Stiggers, be my guest. I’m not betting against this kid.
224. Evan Anderson, NT, Florida Atlantic
- Height: 6’1⅛”
- Weight: 320
- Age: 22.1 years old
- RAS: 3.47
- NFL Comp: Bears NT Andrew Billings
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: Priority Free Agent
Now that D.J. Reader has signed with Detroit, the Bengals lack a true Nose Tackle on the roster. As I mentioned earlier, I do not believe the Bengals need an exact replacement for Reader (which is good because that player is not available in this Draft). Many playoff teams play without a true NT taking a large number of snaps. They will have to alter their alignment slightly, but rotating Hill, the newly signed Rankings, and (in this mock) Michael Hall Jr. can take a large amount of the DT snaps. Many of Reader’s snaps over the past couple years were not as a true 0 or 1-Tech Nose Tackle, but a lack of depth at 3-Tech meant he was the best option regardless. Evan Anderson can step in and play somewhere between 200-300 snaps at NT, primarily in short yardage or obvious running situations. Letting the other 3 DTs consume the vast majority of neutral and passing downs. Anderson will likely never be much of a pass rusher, but he has solid length, great strength, and an ability to two-gap, find the ball-carrier, and make a play. He is still somewhat raw, but Day 3 is typically the best spot to target the Nose Tackle position unless they are a one-of-a-kind freaky athlete a la Dexter Lawrence, Vita Vea, or Jordan Davis who all went in Round 1.
237. JD Bertrand, LB, Notre Dame
- Height: 6’0⅞”
- Weight: 235
- Age: 23.9 years old
- RAS: Did not test
- NFL Comp: Bears LB/ST Jack Sanborn
- Dane Brugler’s The Beast Round Grade: 5th Round
With their 10th and final pick of the Draft, the Bengals take Notre Dame Linebacker JD Bertrand. Cincinnati is yet to re-sign backup LB and core special teamer Markus Bailey, and it is possible they want to get cheaper in their depth at the position. Bertrand checks every box the Bengals will look for. He led the Irish in tackles in each of the past three years. He has been a core special teamer over the course of his 4 years of playing time at Notre Dame, even when his role expanded on defense, which is a vital component to making the 53-man roster as a late Day 3 pick. Bertrand was voted a Team Captain by the players in both 2022 and 2023 (something the Bengals have made a point of valuing in recent Drafts). At the Senior Bowl, scouts, analysts, and coaches alike lauded Bertrand for his on-field communication and leadership qualities. Bertrand was also one of 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell trophy (also known as “The Academic Heisman”). Finally, over the last two years, Al Golden has served as Notre Dame’s Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach. In the two years prior to Notre Dame, Golden served as the Bengals LB Coach under current DC Lou Anarumo. We have seen the Bengals leverage relationships with college coaches they trust multiple times in the Zac Taylor era, and Golden is as close of a connection as you can get between prospect and team. Do not be surprised if the Bengals target Bertrand as a depth LB and core special teamer at some point on late Day 3.
Blog in the Back with Kelley and Lou 
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