The Cincinnati Bengals just wrapped up this year’s scouting combine.
Along the way, Bengals personnel gave a barrage of interesting interviews that created some important takeaways about the team’s future.
On the field itself, prospects at every position stood out, whether it was in interviews, during drills or something else.
Like every year, this has created a scenario where it’s interesting to step back and look at the most notable likely Bengals targets and how they moved their draft stock — in the minds of the team itself, not necessarily overall.
Here’s a look at some of the most notable possible Bengals draft targets and an update on their stock based on the happenings in Indianapolis.
Stock Up: TEs Darnell Washington and Michael Mayer
Washington put on a stunning show at the combine. Mayer looked good too, if not underwhelmed a little in things like measurements and drills. But as Duke Tobin always says, the film is more important.
Nobody could blame the Bengals for taking either of these guys. Washington has more upside and is effectively another offensive lineman, too. But Mayer is a proven target and surefire solid pro. If Hayden Hurst comes back, though, the team probably isn’t hitting it in the first round.
Stock Down: WR Kayshon Boutte
The Bengals will think about the future beyond Tyler Boyd at wideout this offseason and thanks to the LSU connection, they would have a pretty good line on Boutte.
But Boutte didn’t hit the 4.3-second mark in the 40-yard dash as expected, nor did he even reach 30 feet on the vertical. It was a shocker of a showing and hurts his stock.
Stock Up: DL Calijah Kancey
Kancey was a stunner at the combine and as we wrote, looked a little like Geno Atkins. The Bengals aren’t shy about wanting more explosiveness from the pass-rush and he’d provide it in droves next to DJ Reader. If he’s there near the end of the first round, he almost has to be a favorite.
Stock Down: OT Dawand Jones
Jones might have been a sleeper option for the Bengals over the first two rounds. But he didn’t work the short-area quickness drills, which won’t quiet any concerns about his ability to get off the snap fast at the NFL level. He’s still a mauler and impressive at 6’8″ and 374 pounds, but the Bengals probably want that information before taking yet another developmental rookie lineman.
Stock Up: CB Deonte Banks
"Deonte Banks has good size, and I think you’ll see his stock rise as the evaluation process unfolds." – @MoveTheSticks in Mock Draft 2.0
His numbers today 📈
🔹4.35 40-yard dash
🔹42” vertical jump
🔹11’4” broad jump@IamDeonteBanks_ | @TerpsFootball pic.twitter.com/fEQdkeBMnE— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 4, 2023
Banks has been mocked to the Bengals before and while he’s not the super-lengthy guy they like on the boundary, he’s still big enough to play there and has a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. The Bengals want to hit on another Cam Taylor-Britt soon and Banks might just be it.
