The 2022 NFL Draft kicks off next week! The Cincinnati Bengals currently hold eight selections with one pick in every round and two picks in the seventh round.
Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports did a seven-round mock draft and gave the Bengals a healthy mix of offensive and defensive players. Here’s who he had them selecting in his mock draft.
- Round 1: Pick 31 – Tyler Linderbaum, OC (Iowa)
- Round 2: Pick 63 – Marcus Jones, CB (Houston)
- Round 3: Pick 95 – Kerby Joseph, S (Illinois)
- Round 4: Pick 136 – Cam Taylor-Britt, CB (Nebraska)
- Round 5: Pick 174 – Grant Calcaterra, TE (SMU)
- Round 6: Pick 209 – Isaiah Thomas, EDGE (Oklahoma)
- Round 7: Pick 226 – Samori Toure, WR (Nebraska)
- Round 7: Pick 252 – Lecitus Smith, OG (Virginia Tech)
Cincinnati Bengals 7-round mock draft, per CBS Sports
Tyler Linderbaum is falling to the Bengals in more and more mock drafts in recent weeks, which could be the final piece for the new-look offensive line. If the Iowa center ended up joining the reigning AFC champions, this would shift free-agent signee Ted Karras to the left guard position and leave Jackson Carman on the outside looking in.
Marcus Jones at pick No. 63 might be a bit of reach but he’d be put to work in the Queen City. Jones has value as a slot corner and could also be a featured return specialist for the stripes, which is something they need to address in this draft.
Kerby Joseph is a potential replacement for Jessie Bates but he wouldn’t be ready to jump into the deep end of the pool as a rookie. He’d be someone who would need a season to serve as a backup before moving into a starting role.
Sticking in the secondary, Cam Taylor-Britt gives the Bengals another cornerback option and he’s someone who could find a nice role with this team as a rookie.
Grant Calcaterra appeared in 11 games last year and had 38 receptions for 465 yards and four touchdowns. Ideally, it’d be nice to see the Bengals draft a tight end earlier on but Calcaterra presents an intriguing option and maybe he could move his way up the depth chart.
Isaiah Thomas had 10.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks during his senior year with the Sooners. Cincinnati’s pass-rush improved mightily in 2021 but they can’t stop there and Thomas is someone who could be a nice rotational piece for them on defense.
Another Husker mocked to the Bengals by Wilson is Samori Toure, who had just shy of 900 yards and found the end zone five times through 12 games with Nebraska in 2021. He’d be a solid WR4 option for them and could potentially move into a bigger role down the road depending on what happens with Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins.
With their final pick, Wilson has Cincinnati adding another offensive lineman to their roster. Lecitus Smith is a developmental starting guard and considering the talent they’ve added this offseason, he’d likely serve as a backup or even a third-stringer for this team for his first few years.
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What do you think of these picks, Bengals fans? Would you be happy if the draft went this way for the stripes?