There have been a lot of different mock drafts for the Cincinnati Bengals, but the 33rd team had a couple former NFL executives predict what the first round would look like.
Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman predicted that the Bengals would choose Brian Branch, a safety from Alabama with their 28th overall pick.
After losing Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell to free agency, the Bengals do need to strengthen their secondary even after signing Nick Scott.
Here’s what Tannenbaum said about Branch:
You’d wish Branch’s offseason workouts were a little bit better, but when you put on the film, it’s obvious he’s a smart player. He was the quarterback of the defense, and I think he’ll turn out to be a good player in the NFL. He might not be a front-line guy because of his lack of speed, but he’ll start near the line of scrimmage and work his way back to free safety.
Branch can play multiple positions and had four interceptions and four sacks in his time with the Crimson Tide.
The draft is Thursday, so the question of how the Bengals will approach it is almost over.
