And we have a [mock] trade!
The latest 2025 NFL mock draft from The Athletic has the Cincinnati Bengals trading back in the draft in order to acquire additional picks. In the projected trade, the Bengals acquire pick Nos. 22, 125, 214 and a 2026 third-rounder from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for No. 17 and a 2026 fourth-rounder.
Bengals trade down, draft safety Malaki Starks in latest mock draft from The Athletic
With the No. 22 overall pick in the draft, The Athletic has the Bengals selecting safety Malaki Starks from Georgia. The following rationale was provided for the trade and the pick:
"Trading down for more picks — the Bengals have six — helps the front office add more rookie contract talent to offset the significant spending for Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and possibly Hendrickson. This selection must go for defense, whether the line or secondary. The safety position fell apart following Jessie Bates’ departure in 2023."
The concept of trading back is an interesting one for Cincinnati, because it hasn't been mentioned much, but it does make some sense. Unless there's a player that the Bengals are absolutely enamored with at No. 17, trading back a couple spots wouldn't make much of a difference, and if it resulted in additional picks, it could be beneficial.
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The Bengals have just six total picks in the '25 draft, as they traded their seventh-round pick to the Chicago Bears in order to acquire running back Khalil Herbert prior to the trade deadline.
With so much money now tied up in the trio of Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it will be imperative for the Bengals to identify cheap talent in the draft that can come in and contribute immediately. The more picks you have, the better the chance of that happening.
Now, would the Chargers be willing to part with those additional picks in order to move up a few spots in the draft? That's a different question, but that's the fun part about mock drafts -- they allow us to speculate.
As far as the pick of Starks goes, it wouldn't be a bad one. It feels like a foregone conclusion that the Bengals will address the defensive line or add an edge rusher with their top pick, but they also need to add to the secondary, and Starks would help in that regard.