We are less than a week from the NFL Draft, and I could not be more excited. For the 6th straight year on NFL Draft Eve, I will watch Draft Day starring Kevin Costner, a very unrealistic representation of how an NFL Front Office operates on the day of the draft, which always gets the juices flowing. A tradition like no other. As for the Bengals, we have already played out a scenario which saw them trade back into the 2nd Round and select RT Dawand Jones in my first Bengals 7 round mock. In my full 1st Round Mock, I had them select Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer. Both remain realistic scenarios that I would be on board with next Thursday. However, the Draft can fall a number of different ways when you pick so late, so we will explore another option today: Defense at 28. With Cincinnati paying OL like Orlando Brown Jr. and Alex Cappa the past two years and extensions for Joe Burrow and his weapons on the horizon, continuing to add cheap future starters on defense (like they did in each of the first 3 Rounds last year), might make sense to help balance out the resources committed to both sides of the ball. In the 2020 and 2021 off-seasons, they paid defensive players and drafted offensive players early in Drafts. Now we could see that flip as the offense begins to be paid and the defense ages. Without further ado, the Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock…

28. Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 170
• Age: 22.29 years old
• RAS (Relative Athletic Score): 9.26 (out of 10.00)

At 28, the Bengals go with the speedy ballhawk, Emmanuel Forbes, from Mississippi State. Cincinnati’s top CB, Chidobe Awuzie, is coming off a torn ACL and is in the last year of his deal. They have very little CB depth, and have seen backup Corners thrust into action almost every year. Forbes can compete with Cam Taylor-Britt for the second Corner spot, with the loser of the battle being the first CB off the bench before likely taking over in 2024. He is a long, wiry CB with 4.35 speed (98th percentile) to run with any WR, and his 1.49 10 yard split (97th percentile) is evident in his burst to break on balls in the air. Forbes has some of the best ball skills of any CB prospect in recent memory. In 34 career starts, Forbes had 35 pass deflections and 14 interceptions despite QBs often avoiding throwing the ball his way. Once he picks a ball off, he is a menace with the ball in his hands. He set the NCAA record with 6 INTs returned for TDs in his career. 4 of those were returns of 50+ yards, showing he can run it back from anywhere on the field. He is 6’1” with long arms (over 32 inches) that allow him to break up intended passes at an elite level. The only real knock on Forbes is his current weight. He weighed in at 170 pounds at his Pro Day, which would be the lightest outside CB in the league. This does not stop Forbes from making plays in the run game. He fights through blocks on the perimeter and gets his nose in on tackles. He made a large amount of tackles for a CB. He can sometimes be dragged for a few extra yards by bigger ball-carriers, but ended with a solid run defense grade of 79.7 last season per PFF to go with his elite 89.3 coverage grade. With diverse experience in zone, man, and press and a knack for causing turnovers, he’d fit well in Lou Anarumo’s defense. The Bengals have valued CB in Round 1 many times before, and they do it again here with Emmanuel Forbes.

60. Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA

• Height: 6’0″
• Weight: 214
• Age: 22.30 years old
• RAS: 8.71

It is common for fans and analysts to tell teams to wait until late in the draft to take a RB, as the position has been devalued in recent years. While I generally believe the same from a value perspective, the Bengals have picked the wrong RBs on Day 3 just about every time they have tried it. Of the eight RBs they have selected in the last 10 Drafts, five have been 6th round picks: Dan Herron, Rex Burkhead, Rodney Anderson, Trayveon Williams, and Chris Evans. One was a 4th round pick: Mark Walton. None of those have made it as starters. The other three were all 2nd round picks: Giovanni Bernard, Jeremy Hill, and Joe Mixon. All were multiyear starters in Cincinnati. Needing their starting RB of the future (and likely now), Cincinnati taking one on Day 2 feels likely. Charbonnet checks a lot of the boxes they like. He is a bigger back with workhorse size. He was productive as a freshman at Michigan before transferring to UCLA his final two years. He tallied over 2,500 rushing yards and 27 TDs on just under 400 carries over the last two years, and showed he was a good pass catcher with 61 catches for 516 yards in that time. While he does not possess home run long speed (4.53 40 yard dash), his 1.53 10 yard split (93rd percentile) and good vertical and broad jumps show his top notch acceleration and burst. He breaks off lots of big chunk runs, even if they do not always go the distance. Charbonnet has great vision and can either make guys miss in the open field or bounce off of them. He was solid in pass protection, showing the intelligence and will to pick up blitzers. UCLA ran a primarily shotgun scheme full of gap runs, very similar to what the Bengals liked to run after week 5 last year. Not a lot of projection needs to be done with Charbonnet. He can step in as a major contributor and be a 3 down RB for Cincinnati in 2023.

92. Isaiah McGuire, EDGE, Missouri

• Height: 6’4″
• Weight: 268
• Age: 21.75 years old
• RAS: 9.52

Every team in the league could use another pass rusher, and the Bengals are no exception. Ideally, they can add another body that can rotate in with the current crop of DL to keep everyone fresh, and potentially take over as a starter in a couple years. The Bengals currently have the second highest paid DL room in the league, so continuing to add cheap contributors there in the Draft will be vital as they pay offensive pieces in the coming years. Cincinnati has a type when it comes to Edge Rushers. As The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. has noted, every EDGE that this current regime has signed, drafted, and played is between 6’3” and 6’5” and between 263 to 273 pounds. They want big, powerful rushers that can hold up against the run as well as pass rush. I would not bet on them taking any of these sub-250 pound EDGEs. Isaiah McGuire fits Cincinnati’s checklist to a tee. He is a 268 pound power rusher with a quick first step and great explosiveness. He is not twitchy or bendy around the corner, which the Bengals do not particularly value the way other teams do. He wins with a strong bull rush and also features a good rip move, which is also Trey Hendrickson’s go-to pass rush move. He has also shown to be a good run defender, evidenced by his 28 Tackles for Loss in the last two seasons. Isaiah McGuire would fit the Bengals defense like a glove, and could contribute as a rotational EDGE right away.

131. Nick Saldiveri, OL, Old Dominion

• Height: 6’6″
• Weight: 318
• Age: 22.70 years old
• RAS: 9.48

To kick off their Day 3, Cincinnati picks a versatile OL in Nick Saldiveri from Old Dominion. While many would like for them to target OL earlier than this, it is possible the Bengals believe in keeping one of Jonah Williams or La’El Collins to start at RT with Jackson Carman backing them up as the swing Tackle for 2023. Saldiveri, who played RT in college, could be a future option at RT while also providing competition to second year LG Cordell Volson. Saldiveri is a great athlete that has shown an ability to excel as a pass blocker. He has quick feet and is rarely overpowered in pass protection. PFF gave him an 85.1 pass blocking grade in 2022. He needs to continue to grow as a run blocker and finisher, but it is easy to see why OL Gurus like Trench Warfare’s Brandon Thorn are so high on the FCS product. Teams believe he has the ability to play Tackle or Guard at the next level, and his versatility and upside would fit well into the Bengals OL room that was torpedoed by injuries across the OL in the playoffs last season.

163.  Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati

• Height: 6’6″
• Weight: 248
• Age: 23.64 years old
• RAS: 8.98

With their 5th pick, the Bengals go with hometown TE Josh Whyle. A good size/speed prospect worth taking an early day 3 flyer on, Whyle stands at 6’6”, 248 pounds and ran a 4.69 40 yard dash (83rd percentile, with a 1.58 10 yard split (95^th percentile). While never the focal point in their offense, Whyle was a good redzone threat for the Bearcats, finishing with 15 TDs in his final three seasons. He high points the ball well, can threaten vertically down the seam, and is a willing blocker (despite needing refinement in that area). As a receiver, he is below average in contested catch situations and route running. He is not dynamic after the catch at this point and is usually chopped down by tacklers on first contact. He is available on day 3 for a reason, but Whyle’s size, speed, and blocking upside make him a good mid-late round flyer at a position that is heavily correlated with athletic testing. A Team Captain, which the Bengals have been known to value under the current regime, Whyle can develop behind Irv Smith Jr., before competing for a starting role down the line.

206. Elijah Higgins, WR, Stanford

• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 235
• Age: 22.50 years old
• RAS: 8.94

In Round 6, the Bengals target some more depth at pass catcher, and a potential 2024 Tyler Boyd replacement, in Stanford WR Elijah Higgins. Higgins, who has no relation to Tee, would be an interesting chess piece for the Bengals. Cincinnati has been known to covet bigger WRs who are physical and also willing blockers, even in the slot where Boyd is 200+ pounds. Do not expect Duke Tobin to take one of the many undersized slot WRs in this class. At 6’3”, 235 pounds, Elijah Higgins would be the biggest WR on the roster. He also ran a 4.54 40, which is very fast for his size. Despite this build, Stanford used him primarily in the slot, where he averaged 600 yards per season over his final two years (in a poor offense). The Bengals run the most 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs) of any team in the NFL. Kansas City and some of the other top teams have slowly evolved to more 12 personnel with 2 TEs on the field in the past year, which gives them an extra body to block in the run game, while still being versatile when passing. Many scouts project Higgins to add another 5-10 pounds and convert to TE in the league. In Cincinnati, he could potentially do both roles and allow the offense to run both 11 personnel with him as a de facto slot WR, as well as 12 personnel with Higgins as the “move TE”. In either alignment, Higgins could serve as a 7^th blocker on run plays better than any slot WR typically can. And he offers more speed and better route running than most TEs. There is still projection with a player like this, but in a year or two, Elijah Higgins could make the Bengals offense significantly more versatile. Even if he is not a full-time player, there is significant use for a guy like him.

246. Desjuan Johnson, DT, Toledo

• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 285
• Age: 23.65
• RAS: 6.61

With their final selection, Cincinnati adds another interior pass rusher to the DL room in Desjuan Johnson. Johnson is an undersized but explosive 3-Tech. He has great burst off the snap, evidenced by his 1.7 10 yard split (89th percentile), and wins with great agility and violent hands. He was extremely disruptive his last two years in the MAC, racking up 29 TFLs and 10 sacks in that time. He is not particularly big or long, and can be washed out of plays if interior OL get into his chest. He is an impoverished man’s version of 1st round prospect Calijah Kancey, who many Bengals fans are advocates for at pick 28. Johnson will likely never be a viable early down run defender on the inside, but could become a disruptive interior rusher on passing downs and potentially get some snaps on the outside in a pinch. He is worth the flyer in this late in the Draft for a Bengals interior group that lacks depth and pass rushing bodies.