6 prospects from 2022 draft that Bengals fans would hate to see in AFC North

Baltimore Ravens defensive pick – Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE (Oregon)

Draft buzz is waning on Kayvon Thibodeaux. The player who was ranked as no.1 overall in this class for so long is seeing a drop in his draft stock. So much so, in some circles, it’s been muted that he could fall out of the top-10.

That seems an unlikely scenario, but if he does begin to tumble, a team like the Ravens may be tempted to make a jump up the draft board and take a player who, despite concerns, is still immensely talented.

Bengals fans breathed a sigh of relief when the Ravens couldn’t make a return deal for Za’Darius Smith stick but landing Thibodeaux would be a spectacular way to recover. He would represent a serious upgrade over the likes of Tyus Bowser and Jaylon Ferguson. Pairing the former Oregon edge rusher with Odafe Oweh would be a masterstroke from the Raven’s front office.

Baltimore Ravens offensive pick – Trevor Penning, OT (Northern Iowa)

The loss of Orlando Brown Jr. last season was a blow to the Ravens, who thought they had found two young bookend tackles for the foreseeable future. On top of that, Ronnie Stanley will go into 2022 off the back of two ankle surgeries. Morgan Moses arrived to steady the ship at right tackle, but the Ravens will look closely at the options along the offensive line on Day 1 of the draft.

Northern Iowa tackle Trevor Penning will likely be available in this range and would bolster the Ravens’ ability to protect Lamar Jackson. Penning displayed his well-documented nasty streak throughout Senior Bowl week, and that kind of grit is something that all of the AFC North teams value.

He is versatile enough to play inside at guard if Stanley and Moses are healthy before eventually supplanting the latter on the right side. It will make for an intriguing battle wherever he plays, as he would face up to two relentless, high motor rushers in Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard.

Hopefully, these players don’t join the AFC North unless they’re wearing the black and orange stripes.