The Draft is Approaching

It sounds absurd to say amidst the chaos of the 2022 NFL playoffs and off-season, but the NFL Draft is now just 28 short days away. Today we will take our first look at my hometown team, the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals, despite their run through the AFC and all the way to the Super Bowl, are thought of as somewhat of an afterthought in the AFC by many in the national media after what was a hectic off-season for the conference. Conference foes added Pro Bowl talents including Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Chandler Jones, Von Miller, and Tyreek Hill.

Bengals Free Agency Recap

While not as flashy as the Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, and Edge Rushers around the conference, the Bengals added some key pieces as well. On day 1 of free agency they agreed to terms with Interior Offensive Linemen Alex Cappa and Ted Karras who are set to replace the struggling Hakeem Adeniji and Trey Hopkins. They also brought back one of their own on the other side of the trenches, versatile DL BJ Hill. Hill, primarily a 3-Tech, also spent some time as a 5-Tech and even played some Nose Tackle during the famous comeback in the AFC Title game against the Chiefs that saw the Bengals rush only 3 and drop 8 in to coverage much of the second half. However, the crown jewel of the free agency class comes in the form of former Cowboys RT La’el Collins. Collins will reunite with former Cowboys, now Bengals OL Coach Frank Pollack, and give the Bengals their best RT since Willie Anderson left the team in 2007.

Positions of Need in the Draft?

With the Bengals shoring up the problematic spots of Center, Right Guard, and Right Tackle, what positions will they now look to target in April’s Draft? Some will point to Left Guard (or Center to move the versatile Karras to guard), but the Bengals seem confident in D’Ante Smith and Jackson Carman’s continued development. They may look to bring in a cheap veteran to compete, and I expect them to add some OL depth in the middle rounds, but I predict they will target the defensive side of the ball early. The only corners currently on the roster are Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton, Eli Apple, and Jalen Davis. Ideally Apple is a solid CB4 and Davis a CB6. Cincinnati has a history of taking corners in the first round, so that is definitely a possibility in 2022. Another logical area to add talent to is the Defensive Line. Cincinnati has done a good job bringing in free agent DL the past two years, adding Trey Hendrickson, DJ Reader, and Larry Ogunjobi. The Bengals are likely not bringing back 3-Tech Larry Ogunjobi from last year. The contracts of Hendrickson, Reader, Hubbard, and now Hill means it is time for Cincinnati to add some cheaper talent to the DL to prepare for the extensions of Burrow, Higgins, and Chase the next few years. 2nd year EDGE Joseph Ossai is an exciting prospect, but cannot be relied upon to plug all the gaps on the DL when he has never played a regular season snap. Finally, the Bengals will have to be thinking toward the future if the right Tight End or Safety prospect pops up at any of their picks as TE Hayden Hurt and Safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell are all on the last year of their deals next season.

Mock Draft 1.0

Without further ado, we jump into Mock Draft 1.0. I used PFF’s mock draft simulator for this exercise.

Round 1 (31) – Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington

If we know one thing about the Bengals draft history, it is that they love first round Corners. William Jackson III, Darqueze Dennard, Dre Kirkpatrick, Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, the list goes on. They do that again here taking Kyler Gordon, the twitchy Corner from Washington. Although he only ran a 4.52 at the combine, his jumps and shuttle test were elite. This shows up on his tape as his explosiveness allows him to sniff out runs and make plays on balls in the air. His 31 inch arms meet the threshold Cincinnati usually looks for in outside CBs. Other considerations at this pick included athletic EDGE Boye Mafe and versatile OL Kenyon Green, but ultimately the Bengals upgrade their Cornerback room.

Round 2 (63) – Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma

At 63, Cincinnati addresses their second biggest need on defense in the form of Oklahoma DT Perrion Winfrey. The 21 year old Winfrey is a long, athletic 3-Tech who could fill the void left by Ogunjobi quite nicely. Oklahoma did not use the 290 pound man to the best of his skillset. However, Winfrey has shot up boards after dominating Senior Bowl practices, winning the Senior Bowl MVP, and testing well at the combine. His 35.25 inch arms (97th percentile for DTs) combined with his 4.89 40 time (94th percentile) make for a toolsy, disruptive game that can boost the Bengals pass rush.

Round 3 (95) – Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia

Originally seen as a mid-day 3 TE prospect, Jelani Woods has seen a rapid rise since combine and pro day testing that saw him record a 10.0 Relative Athletic Score. In other words, the 6’7″ Tight End is the most athletic the position has seen. Woods was seldom used at Oklahoma State and was a relative unkown until he transferred to Virginia for his final season. There he showed off his ability as a pass catcher with 598 yards and 8 TDs as a senior. The Bengals only pass catching threat at TE currently is Hayden Hurst who is 28 and on a one year contract. Woods makes sense as a guy who can develop this year and contribute next year. The only question is: will his stock rise all the way into the second round? If so, some other interesting TE prospects are Jeremy Ruckert, Isaiah Likely, and Greg Dulcich.

Round 4 (136) – Zach Tom, OL, Wake Forest

While the Bengals fixed most of their OL issues, you still need depth to survive the 17+ game season. Zach Tom started at Center for Wake as a sophomore before switching to Tackle for his final two seasons. He tested very well at the combine and also graded out with a 92.1 pass-blocking grade by PFF. It is unsure whether he will stay at Tackle or kick back to the interior in the NFL, but the Bengals could use depth at both spots moving forward.

Round 5 (174) – Dominique Robinson, EDGE, Miami (OH)

When taking day 3 EDGE prospects, many teams rely heavily on traits, and that is exactly where Robinson shines. He played WR at Miami for two years before flipping over to Edge Rusher his final two seasons. The 6’5″, 253 pounder had a 41 inch vertical jump and tested well in the 40 yard dash and short shuttle at the combine. Although he’s raw, that explosiveness shows up on tape with how quickly he gets off the ball. He should continue to add moves to his arsenal, and is a nice developmental EDGE project for a team with some patience.

Round 6 (209) – Danny Gray, WR, SMU

Cincinnati knows they cannot pay all three of their WR trio when their contracts are up. They also do not have great pass catching options if one of them goes down injured. In steps Danny Gray. His 4.33 speed shows up immediately when watching. He lacks the length or physicality to be a dominant WR, but I could see him excelling in a slot role with the speed and route running he has shown.

Round 7 (226) – Kenderick Duncan, S, Louisville

Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell are both set to be free agents after the 2022 season. Cincinnati has to plan for the fact that they may lose one of the two. Duncan, a Georgia Southern transfer, offers the versatility to play free safety, box safety, or slot corner. Pro Football Network describes Duncan as a poor man’s Kyle Hamilton. An intriguing prospect for this late in the draft.

Round 7 (Nick Zakelj) – OL, Fordham

Zakelj is a five year starter at Tackle for Fordham and impressed during his time at the Senior Bowl. He may not have the foot speed to stay at Tackle, but his nasty demeanor could be a fit as a backup Guard. He’d battle 2021 6th round pick Trey Hill in camp for a roster spot.