Bengals 7-Round Mock Draft: Cincinnati gets a steal in 1st round

Round 2: Pick 50 – Isaiah Likely, TE (Coastal Carolina)

With C.J. Uzomah potentially leaving in free agency and Drew Sample not being the pass-catching threat the franchise hoped for, they try to find a tight end in the second round yet again. This time, however, it’s a guy who’s proven himself as a viable pass-catcher at the collegiate level.

Isaiah Likely of Coastal Carolina has 44 receptions for 733 yards and nine touchdowns through 10 games this season. Pro Football Network noted how versatile Likely is, noting:

"Versatility is an NFL buzzword, and Coastal’s offensive system ensures that Likely is as versatile as they come. He has snaps as an in-line tight end, move TE in the slot position, and also out wide as a traditional wide receiver."

The potential knock on the Chanticleers tight end is that he doesn’t see quite the same level of talent due to playing in the Sun Belt but we see non-Power-5 players go on to succeed in the pros frequently.

Round 3: Pick 81 – Ifeanyi Maijeh, DT (Rutgers)

Cincinnati could lose Larry Ogunjobi this offseason and while they could end up bringing him back, it’d be smart to add at least one defensive lineman through the draft. Ifeanyi Maijeh seems like a good option to add but he wouldn’t be an immediate starter.

He had a really solid 2019 season at Temple with 51 tackles and 5.5 sacks through 11 games but injuries impacted him in 2020 and 2021. Maijeh has yet to miss a game due to injury but it’s clear that his play has taken a dip as a result of a lower-body injury.

That’s the main knock on Maijeh as of now but the fact that he hasn’t missed a game is good for his draft stock.