The Cincinnati Bengals went and got who they considered to be the best outright player available with Joe Burrow at No. 1.
Now they get to do the same thing at No. 33 to start Friday’s Round 2.
With notable prospects falling out of the first round, the Bengals have a shot to get an instant-impact starter. Here is a look at the best options.
Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
The Bengals sit in a lucky spot where they could get Mims, a borderline first-round player with No. 1 upside at 33.
Mims, a big 6’3″, has an incredible catch radius and could work his way onto the field quickly. He’s an ideal target for a rookie passer and adding him would shore up some of the long-term question marks for the positional group.
Josh Jones, OT, Houston
Jones doesn’t fall out of Round 1 in many drafts.
But this year was oddly strong for offensive tackles — hence six going in the first round.
Jones is a massive 6’5″ with huge upside the Bengals could probably plug in at right tackle upon arrival.
Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
It was a little shocking to see Fulton fall out of the first round. He’s a bigger corner prospect who put in plenty of work in the SEC at LSU.
A top-20 player on some boards, there are concerns he could need a little while to adapt. That’s fine in Cincinnati where the starting depth chart is already set — but not guaranteed to stick around for the long-term.
A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa
A first-rounder on some boards, Epenesa is a fun edge prospect with a Carlos Dunlap comparison on his resume.
Epenesa might not check the versatility boxes as much as the Bengals would prefer given the scheme changes lately. But dependability and size up front wouldn’t be unwelcome.
Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Delpit’s stock feels like it has been all over the place for a while now.
But hitting on him at No. 33 — or even after a trade back — could work. He’s a rangy playmaker who hits hard and can shadow some matchups. The defensive backfield is a little crowded, but it’s not too early to think about life after Shawn Williams.
Ezra Cleveland, OL, Boise State
Cleveland came up in some rumors as a first-round guy there briefly but it never made a ton of sense.
In the early or mid-second round would really make things interesting. He’s a 6’6″, athletic left-tackle prospect who can probably make it work on the right side if he’s playing in space.
Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota
Big name, big game. Winfield wasn’t really a first-round candidate but the Bengals are right in the territory where it’s hard to ignore him.
While some critics will hit him for being smaller (5’9″), there’s a tenacity and versatility to his game every team would probably love to have on the back end. Winfield and Jessie Bates eventually going all over the place to confuse offenses would be fun.
Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin
It feels like Baun’s diluted sample is starting to impact his stock.
But the Bengals might feel comfortable enough with his skill set to pluck him out of a fall. He’s a versatile do-it-all prospect seemingly made for Cincinnati’s multiple look and he’d be an instant starter pretty much without question.
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