With compensatory picks revealed — and the Cincinnati Bengals not receiving any — it was only natural for more mock drafts to go live.
And the latest seven-round effort from Luke Easterling of Draft Wire has the Bengals going in interesting directions after Joe Burrow at No. 1.
The three notable mid-rounders:
- 33. Cincinnati Bengals | Austin Jackson | OT | USC
- 65. Cincinnati Bengals | Cesar Ruiz | OL | Michigan
- 107. Cincinnati Bengals | Willie Gay, Jr. | LB | Mississippi State
The doubling down on offensive line isn’t too hard to complain about given the quality of the prospects. Jackson in the second round projects to be a starter in his first or second season and Ruiz in the third is an explosive athlete who might just be able to start as a rookie too. As for Gay, he’s got experience at multiple linebacker spots, which makes him a chess piece.
The rest of the mock features some skill positions for the long-term. Overall, the narrative seems to have shifted to the Bengals loading up on defense this offseason.
But again, perhaps stumbling into two new starters to join Jonah Williams as new arrivals to the line in front of Burrow would resemble a big win.
