The Cincinnati Bengals look like a team open to taking a tight end in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Muddying that outlook, though, is the fact a deep draft class and the arrival of Irv Smith Jr. might make the front office comfortable with waiting.
Case in point, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggested, based on conversations that he’s had, that only two tight ends could come off the board in the opening round:
Fowler: Teams I’ve talked to believe two tight ends — most likely Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid — have a pretty good chance to go in the first round.
Fowler goes on to note that one of the big threats to take one, the Green Bay Packers at No. 15, might sit too early in the order.
Onlookers can view this one of two ways. One, this is a good thing that increases the chances the Bengals have Mayer or Kincaid fall in their laps at the end of the round. Or two, it’s perfect reasoning to wait on the position and hope a big name like Darnell Washington or Luke Musgrave is there in Round 2.
Much will depend on how the board falls at other positions, but the Bengals picked a great year to revamp the tight end depth chart.
