The Cincinnati Bengals look like a team headed for offensive line or cornerback help in the 2023 NFL draft.
Granted, a lot of time remains between the bye week and the 2023 draft and much can change.
But with the offensive tackles struggling to match the upgraded play of the interior offensive line and the injury to No. 1 cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, those stick out as the biggest notable areas to watch.
The first round is always a candidate for the best-player available approach, of course. But with the way the current draft class shapes up, that BPA could fall at one of the biggest spots of need.
Below we ran through all seven rounds, using the PFF simulator for rounds one and two.
Round 1 (18): Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
Remember when Marvin Lewis used to always dip into the Georgia well? Zac Taylor should do it here with a big 6’2″ corner who has experience in multiple schemes and notable upside. Maybe he’s not a No. 1 right away, but he’s a solid one-two punch for the future alongside Cam Taylor-Britt.
Round 2 (49): Blake Freeland, T, BYU
Freeland is a huge 6’8″ and 300-plus pounds, which might mean he doesn’t get the leverage necessary to play left tackle. But he’s a stunning athlete for right tackle with four years of proven play. Call it La’el Collins insurance.
Round 3: Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee
Another SEC defender, this time the Bengals get an older rookie and former JUCO player who can boost the pass-rush and bring some versatility to the front seven.
Round 4: Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
Logic says the Bengals will do whatever it takes to keep Hayden Hurst around. But adding another target at a good value in the draft makes sense and the Iowa star is both productive and teases good upside.
Round 5: Grant DuBose, WR, Charlotte
The wideout depth issue isn’t going away so the Bengals add some upside with the 6’3″ DuBose, who has been plenty productive and can likely carve out a role on special teams, too.
Round 6: Matthew Jones, G, Ohio State
Jones is a huge guard prospect and the Bengals could use some of those as depth pieces right about now. They’ll need depth to replace Jackson Carman and Max Scharping isn’t guaranteed to be a long-term fix behind the starters.
Round 7: Mekhi Garner, S, LSU
The Bengals have two starting safeties slated for free agency and another big name is a rookie this year. Adding some more depth with a versatile LSU product seems like a safe pursuit this late in the order.
