Bengals 3-round mock draft bets big on talented all-SEC trio

The Cincinnati Bengals aren't going to surprise anyone in the NFL Draft. At least not in the first round. And to be clear, that's not meant as a compliment.

No blockbuster trade up is happening. No major need will be addressed with the 10th overall pick. It'll be the same old song. The premium selection will be a luxury choice, a succession plan, or a glitzy depth piece. Actually, it'll be all those things. Just depends on the syntax you want to use.

Semantics aside, all indications are the Bengals are drafting a cornerback. We as a Who Dey Nation must assume this outcome. This three-round mock draft imagines a world where that isn't all bad, though.

Bengals 3-round mock draft lands stud SEC cornerback & two long-term assets for Joe Burrow

Round 1, Pick 10 — Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

Most doubts about Jermod McCoy's big-picture outlook were largely quelled at his pro day, when he ran a 4.38 40, posted a 38-inch vertical, and looked fluid as usual in coverage drills. McCoy missed the entire 2025 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. Seems like his recovery went very well indeed.

Do I love this pick? No. Does it align with what the Bengals are wont to do in the first round in recent years? Absolutely. And McCoy's superior size to LSU's Mansoor Delane, still with the versatility to kick inside and play nickel, make him a better fit than Delane in Cincinnati.

DJ Turner and Dax Hill are expected to sign contract extensions at some point. In case the latter doesn't, McCoy is a capable starter on the boundary opposite Turner. The Bengals could also move Hill back to the slot, where he started last season. Again, do I want that? No. It's merely the reality fans should brace for.

Round 2, Pick 41 — Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

If this scouting department has proven anything throughout Duke Tobin's lengthy tenure at the top, it's that they can identify wide receiver talent.

Germie Bernard should be more of a slot weapon, yet he can play on the perimeter as well. He has great instincts for finding the soft spots in zone coverage. For someone whose reputation isn't built on his athleticism, Bernard showed out at the Combine, with a 1.52 10-yard split on a 4.48 40-yard dash and a super-fast 6.71 3-cone drill.

Adding Bernard to a receiving corps that stars Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins would give Joe Burrow a sure-handed upgrade at WR3.

Round 3, Pick 72 — Connor Lew, C, Auburn

Spending another top pick on a second prospect coming off a torn ACL is a bold strategy, Cotton, but the Bengals have both the need and the runway to allow Connor Lew to come along at his own pace.

Lew's injury occurred in mid-October, so he could be cleared once training camp gets underway a little more than nine months out. If he isn't, Lew should for sure be ready to roll by Week 1 as a capable backup to cemented starter Ted Karras.

Cincinnati waived Matt Lee recently, and don't have a capable second center now that Lucas Patrick has signed with the Giants in free agency. Assuming his knee fully heals, Lew is an excellent athlete who, in his last 914 pass blocking snaps at Auburn, surrendered only three sacks and 16 QB hurries.