It’s mock-draft season for most of the NFL while the Cincinnati Bengals make another playoff push.
And while most of the attention goes to Cincinnati’s divisional round showdown with the Buffalo Bills, it never hurts to check in on what the mock draft side of things says.
Over at Draft Wire, Luke Easterling has a new first-round mock draft that features the Bengals picking 27th overall and selecting Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
It’s a nice pick for a team that has some long-term concerns at the position with veteran Eli Apple basically playing on a year-to-year basis. Second-rounder Cam Taylor-Britt continues to emerge, but there is a concern on the boundary opposite him for the long-term.
Cincinnati also has needs to think about along the offensive line and a laundry list of potential free-agent losses they might need to replace, such as at spots like linebacker.
But the Bengals also love best-player available picks and Witherspoon might just fit that description based on some of the high praise he’s receiving so far:
I still have a bunch of CB's to study but Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon is the best I've seen, by far. Elite awareness, quicks and ball skills. He plays with urgency and aggression toward the football. Big fan!
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 12, 2023
I keep seeing mock drafts with Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon in the last 1st round (or not at all)…
Don't think that'll be the case. There are a lot of scouts that really like him. Tape says top 20 lock for me.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 17, 2023
There’s a long, long way to go before the draft, but expect cornerback to keep being a staple of mock drafts for the Bengals.
