Bengals: Four-round 2021 mock draft to address Cincinnati’s biggest needs

Cincinnati Bengals four round 2021 mock draft

One of the biggest factors leading to the drop off of the Bengals’ pass rush production has been the decline of Geno Atkins. The all-pro force along the interior is clearly coming to the end of his career and Cincinnati needs to look for other options moving forward. That’s where Haskell Garrett steps in.

Garrett is having a breakout season for the Ohio State Buckeyes after being buried on the depth chart to begin his collegiate career. If you simply look at his stat line, however, you wouldn’t believe that’s the case. After all, he’s only recorded one sack this season.

You’ll need to flip on the game tape to truly get an impression of how good Garrett has been this season. He’s an extremely slippery player, able to work past interior offensive linemen to generate pressure and disrupt running plays on the backfield.

Adding a guy like Garrett next to D.J. Reader, who often commands double teams, should allow Cincinnati to re-gain interior pressure that they’ve grown so accustomed to Atkins generating on his own.

That can go a long way in helping the guys on the exterior, such as Lawson and Hubbard (or Roche, if this mock draft were to come to fruition) to hit home.

With the Bengals generating more pressure, they’d relieve some of the responsibilities falling on the shoulders of the secondary, and ultimately, the entire defense would improve its standing in the league.