The typical 2019 NFL mock draft has the Cincinnati Bengals selecting LSU’s Devin White and calling it a day.
Not the latest offering from Mel Kiper Jr., who has the Bengals going with Michigan linebacker Devin Bush instead.
Here’s what Kiper’s mock at ESPN had to say: “I have gone with the other Devin in previous Mock Drafts — LSU’s Devin White — but Bush isn’t far behind White as the best middle linebacker in this class. One of the prospects I picked out as a combine riser because of his workouts, Bush is always around the ball on film. The Bengals just brought back Preston Brown in free agency, but Bush could play any of the linebacker spots at the next level. He’s a three-down player.”
In this scenario, White already came off the board at fifth overall. It’s a nightmare situation for the Bengals considering the LSU product’s talent and Cincinnati’s need in the middle.
Bush, 5’11” and 234 pounds, has the speed and coverage ability to help against the pass right away at the next level. But at 11, he’d feel like settling after missing out on the preferred target, which is sort of what it felt like last year when the Bengals watched Frank Ragnow come off the board one pick before them, which resulted in them selecting Billy Price.
