Bengals should consider trading fifth pick if Chase and Sewell chosen

The Cincinnati Bengals should consider trading the fifth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft if LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell are off the board. Consensus mock drafts have Chase being selected by the Miami Dolphins with the third pick and Sewell being taken by the Bengals fifth.

There is a very real possibility Chase and Sewell could both be drafted in the top four. There are other options for Cincinnati at five, but they can move back in the draft, add additional picks and still be able to add an elite OT and WR later in the first round or the second round. The Bengals need to stack capital.

The opportunity for Cincinnati to move back in the NFL Draft will provide a chance to add more players. Eight of the top 50 players on Pro Football Focus Big Board are WRs. Ten of the top 50 are OTs. Cincinnati will have ample opportunity to move back in the NFL Draft and select an OT and WR in the first two rounds.

The Bengals need to add depth and upgrade their talent at nearly every position. The priorities entering the 2021 offseason in addition to the OL and WR are the defensive line, linebacker and cornerback. The Bengals are likely to cut defensive tackle Geno Atkins and could lose CB William Jackson III in free agency.

A.J. Green will also leave in free agency after a legendary career with the Bengals. Other decisions Cincinnati has during the 2021 offseason are CB Mackensie Alexander and edge rusher Carl Lawson. Cincinnati will be active in free agency with the expectation that the OL will be the priority.

If the Bengals can sign one or two starters on the OL in free agency that will give them more flexibility in what they decide to do in the NFL Draft. If Chase and Sewell are off the board and the Bengals cannot find a suitable trade partner there are a few options with the fifth pick.

Alabama WRs Jaylan Waddle and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and Northwestern tackle Rashad Slater would be the most likely selections for the Bengals with the fifth pick with Chase and Sewell off the board. Pitts would be risky with the fifth pick as TEs are rarely taken that high in the draft.