The Cincinnati Bengals don’t figure to pick a defensive lineman in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft and they historically tend to stay away from those sorts of moves.
But maybe they shouldn’t in 2023.
We’ve long been advocates of defensive lineman Calijah Kancey out of Pittsburgh in the first round for the Bengals.
That’s something Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy has played out in his live mock draft:
The Cincinnati Bengals pick him and try to reincarnate Geno Atkins. There’s about a seven-pound difference and Geno Atkins, I’ll say it ,is a rare player. But I’m in on Lou Anarumo getting some fun pieces to rush the passer.
A name like Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer is still on the board in this scenario, but it’s really, really hard to complain about trying to get an Atkins-style impact next to DJ Reader in the heart of the defense.
Given Kancey’s skill set, it’s tough to say if he’ll actually be there or not for the Bengals, but he’d contend for best-player available and the team’s trip to free agency has addressed needs enough that they can make such a pick.
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