Now that the regular season is officially over, we know exactly where the Cincinnati Bengals -- and all teams -- will pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
The Bengals will have the No. 17 overall pick in the draft. They could have had a higher pick, but their five-game winning streak to close out the season dropped the, down. Unfortunately, it was kind of a worst-case scenario, as they hurt their own draft position and still fell short of qualifying for postseason play.
But, the seventeenth pick in the draft isn't bad, and the Bengals have several major areas of need, especially on the defensive end of the ball. One spot where Cincinnati could certainly use some help is on the defensive line, especially when it comes to pressuring the passer. In the latest 2025 NFL mock draft from ESPN, that's exactly the area they address with that 17th pick.
Bengals roll with Tennessee's James Pearce Jr in first round of latest ESPN mock
ESPN mocked defensive end James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee to the Bengals, providing the following rationale:
"The Bengals registered a sack on only 5.5% of dropbacks by opposing QBs this season (the sixth-worst rate in the NFL) despite the presence of NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson. The 6-5, 243-pound Pearce is a lean, ultra-quick pass rusher who can race around blockers with ease. His 18.7% pressure rate ranked second in the FBS, resulting in 7.5 sacks. He could be the complementary pass rusher Cincinnati desperately needs."
The idea of adding a pass rusher in the first round definitely makes sense for Cincinnati. Outside of Trey Hendrickson, who led the entire NFL in sacks in 2024, the Bengals consistently struggled to pressure opposing passers. Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks, but the Bengals had just 36 a team, which was tied for seventh-fewest league-wide.
In addition to pressuring the passer, the Bengals also had issues up front against the run all season, so bolstering the defensive line in the draft with a top-tier defensive end could work to help in that area, too. Other key areas of need for the Bengals include the offensive line and both spots in the secondary. It wouldn't be shocking to see them look to add a cornerback in the first round.
Regardless of what position they decide to go with, the Bengals absolutely need to nail this pick, so the pressure is squarely on Cincinnati's front office heading into draft season.