In the seventh round, this is a depth move. The Bengals don’t have many bodies in the linebacker room, and someone like Mohamed Barry would be a solid depth option. Barry has good sideline to sideline speed and athleticism that could lead to him being a dependable contributor on special teams.
Barry is very solid at filling lanes and has an insanely high motor. He always finds his way to the ball and plays with the type of energy the Bengals are looking for in their seventh-round pick. The former Nebraska linebacker is a team player and a leader. Those qualities are something the Bengals should be looking for in the later rounds of the draft.
In the seventh round, teams aren’t likely to find immediate starters, and taking a chance on a linebacker that saw some success in the Big Ten could help the Bengals fill in their roster on the defensive side of the ball.
After a defensive focused free agency period, adding depth pieces is key in the late rounds, which is how this Bengals seven-round mock draft was set up. This selection would complete a productive draft for Cincinnati and set up for optimism in the future.