Bengals can't resist freakish CB prospect in way-too-early 2027 mock draft

As we celebrate what appears to be a successful NFL Draft, for the most part, for the Cincinnati Bengals, some are already eyeing the 2027 edition. 

And by some, we mean us. All of us who love the process unconditionally and unapologetically now that the rumors of the event coming to Cincinnati are running rampant.

Apologies for the digression.

In this new edition of mock drafting, ESPN has the Bengals singing a similar tune. And this one could hit the right note depending on what happens with a couple of their starters entering the last year of their contract. 

ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid released his early 2027 NFL mock draft predictions. And his pick for the Men in Stripes is indicative of their newfound salary-cap realities, as well as their potential plans that may not include one of their best defensive players. 

ESPN predicts Bengals address defense with massive CB

The Bengals used their first three picks on defensive players, trading for Dexter Lawrence and selecting Cashius Howell and Tacario Davis in the second and third rounds, respectively. 

Now, Reid has the Bengals continuing the trend by assigning them the talented and tall Mississippi State cornerback Kelley Jones. 

Jones had an excellent 2025 campaign, recording 11 passes defended, 34 tackles, and 2 interceptions. Along the way, he allowed the lowest catch rate among SEC corners, outdueling this year’s sixth overall pick, LSU’s Mansoor Delane, in that particular metric.

And if you think the Bengals got a physical anomaly when they selected Tacario Davis, Jones fits the same build, but with more upside, according to early 2027 draft prognostications.

The Bulldogs’ defensive back measures  6’4” at 195 pounds with long arms. Those are the physical traits that led the Bengals to take Davis, one of their furthest reaches of the 2026 draft. 

Davis’ measurables are essentially identical to Jones’s, coming in at 6’4, 194 pounds. 

If the Bengals have the opportunity to marry the measurables they covet with better production and potential, the front office might not be able to resist. 

Combine that with the unlikelyhood that the C-suite will reach extensions with both Hill and Turner II, and selecting Jones could be a no-brainer. 

Why we hope ESPN misses the mark

This offseason, the majority of draftniks had the Bengals selecting Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey before his meteoric rise to the second overall pick. 

But as this draft season showed us, there is a lot of poking, prodding, and, most importantly, football that will happen between now and the official start of the 2027 draft season, including the possibility of Jones taking a Bailey-sized leap into the Top 5 of the draft. 

Another scenario, and the one that we hope is most probable, is that the Bengals will not pick in the top 20, thereby putting the selection of Jones out of reach. 

Hopefully, the team will make their selection well after 18. Going from the tenth overall pick to the 18th for a team that made significant changes to its defense this offseason is not a large enough variance for the improvements they made. At least, we hope that is the case.

Furthermore, as the best part of Cincinnati’s porous defense in 2025 was their cornerbacks, DJ Turner and Dax Hill, the best outcome for the team is to get an extension done for Turner, and Hill has the best season of his career, forcing the Bengals to want to keep him in the Queen City. 

However, with the likelihood of the Bengals signing both to multiple-year extensions before next offseason dwindling with the sudden spending up to the salary cap ceiling, the team could be strapped for cash more than usual in the 2027 offseason. 

We should keep a close eye on Jones this collegiate season, as he will be in the conversation for the first cornerback off the board in next year’s draft. 

However, the only scenarios in which the Bengals are in a position to select him are through trading up or if Davis falls to them excessively late in the first round. 

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