By now, most NFL mock drafts have the Cincinnati Bengals picking from a rather routine set of names.
Whether it’s one of the first-round tight ends or an offensive tackle who might be available, most mocks won’t surprise Bengals fans.
But there are always a few outliers worth highlighting.
Take the latest effort from CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, who not only goes away from tight end and offensive line, but grabs a new name yet to be associated with the Bengals.
The pick at No. 28 is Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes: “The Bengals add more youth to the secondary with Forbes, a big-time playmaker from the SEC.”
Interestingly, the mock notes that Forbes is CBS Sports’ 54th overall prospect, so it would appear to be a value gamble.
Even so, Forbes is a big corner who picked off six passes last year and projects well as a boundary corner. The Bengals need that behind Chidobe Awuzie and Cam Taylor-Britt and he could double as depth and a long-term option.
In the second round, Trapasso has the Bengals grabbing Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta, a 6’4″ target who had 600-plus receiving yards in each of his last two seasons. Given that every player at the spot on the depth chart is a free agent this summer, it hits a major need.
This mock shows both the many different ways the Bengals could attack needs and that there are still new names out there to monitor, if nothing else.
