Nobody who possesses any general pro football knowledge should feel sheepish about assembling their own NFL Draft big board. As the Cincinnati Bengals and many other teams have proven, even the talent evaluators in the actual league who do this for a living whiff all the time in the draft.
Hindsight is often 20/20, but it just so happens that yours truly happens to be an NFL Draft junkie. Whether it's assembling big boards of my own every year or cleaning out sportsbooks for massive profits, this particular sporting event is my favorite above all.
While I've already dropped some 2026 mock drafts for the Bengals (here as well — nerd alert!), we have some new fodder thanks to the fine folks here at FanSided. What if Cincinnati's Duke Tobin and the personnel department had another crack at the 2025 draft?
Into the multiverse we go yet again!
Bengals select Detroit Lions guard Tate Ratledge 17th overall in 2025 NFL Draft do-over
FanSided's own Justin Carter dropped a bold 2025 NFL Draft redo recently. Instead of Cincinnati waiting until Round 3 to draft Georgia Bulldogs guard Dylan Fairchild, Carter addresses the team's interior o-line weakness on Day 1 with Fairchild's teammate, current Detroit Lions starter Tate Ratledge:
"The Bengals continue to struggle at protecting the quarterback, which is part of why they're currently without Joe Burrow, who is sidelined with turf toe after taking a hit against the Jaguars. Tate Ratledge is probably the best lineman left on the board at this point."
Can't say I agree with this pick at this spot all around. Ratledge would've been available at Pick 49 when the Bengals went on the clock. Although his pass protection leaves something to be desired, Ratledge is PFF's 20th-rated guard in the NFL through seven weeks.
The jury is still out on actual Bengals first-rounder Shemar Stewart, who had a promising NFL debut before getting injured in Week 2. He just returned to the lineup for the huge win over the Steelers last Thursday. I was not a fan of the Stewart pick at the time. We shall see how it plays out.
Here are other prospects Carter still had on the board in his mock after the 17th pick who I would've preferred for Cincinnati: Carson Schwesinger, Cam Skattebo, Xavier Watts, Will Johnson, and Jahdae Barron.
All-Round Cincinnati Bengals 2025 NFL Draft redo
Whenever I do these exercises, I don't often mix in hindsight with where I had players ranked on my annual top 100 big board. Here's where I had the players I just named from Carter's mock:
- 10. Jahdae Barron
- 24. Will Johnson
- 28. Cam Skattebo
- 51. Xavier Watts
- 62. Carson Schwesinger
For purposes of this, though, let's have a little fun. Casting aside Carter's mock redo, here are my personal choices on an all-round mock draft rerun, given some of what we know now about the 2025 class. Big board rankings are in parentheses.
- Round 1, Pick 17: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina (23)
- Round 2, Pick 49: Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia (67)
- Round 3, Pick 81: Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky (43)
- Round 4, Pick 119: Malachi Moore, S, Alabama (100)
- Round 5, Pick 153: Chris Paul Jr., LB, Ole Miss (72)
- Round 6, Pick 193: Willie Lampkin, OL, North Carolina (112)
If the Bengals were going to gamble on a historically elite athletic profile, I would've preferred Seattle Seahawks do-it-all defensive back Nick Emmanwori. It says a lot that Seattle traded up for him in Round 2. Emmanwori was my top Cincinnati target to kick off Day 2 of the actual draft.
Nick Emmanwori hit 10.00 at SS, would hit it at FS and CB as well.
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) February 28, 2025
He'd also hit 10.00 at WR, though he'd actually be #2 behind Calvin Johnson, there's just a LOT of WR so due to rounding and such. He'd actually be like 9.999. Hits 9.87 at LB, with size dipping him. pic.twitter.com/kZsecaL1XX
All the South Carolina product has done is rank third in PFF's cornerback grades thus far, playing nickelback for the most part but roving all over Mike McDonald's secondary. I'd love his versatility in Al Golden's scheme, which would free up Dax Hill to start opposite rising star DJ Turner on the boundary.
Coming away from the first two rounds with Emmanwori and Ratledge would've been awesome for the Bengals.
As for the next couple picks, Deone Walker of the Buffalo Bills is a mammoth defensive tackle whose movement skills at 330+ pounds still blow my mind. Carter had him going 28th overall to the Detroit Lions in his draft redo.
Ex-Alabama star Malachi Moore is starting for the New York Jets, ranking as PFF's third-best run defender among all safeties.
And look, I kept myself honest with the Chris Paul Jr. and Willie Lampkin selections. Paul went 172nd overall, and Lampkin's unconventional, undersized build led him to be undrafted.
The Rams initially nabbed both Paul and Lampkin. The former is now a Seahawk after UDFA Sean Dulac beat him out for a roster spot. Lampkin got injured in the preseason, and is now stashed on IR with none other than Howie Roseman's Philadelphia Eagles.
Feel like I've been on public record enough to establish an exceptional candidacy for the Bengals GM gig. Hand me the sticks, Mike Brown!