4 Bengals whose stock rose after 2023 draft, 5 that dropped

After every NFL Draft, it becomes apparent to fans which players coaches believe in, and which players might be on their way out. Some coaches draft young and cheaper replacements for premier players, while other coaches choose franchise veterans to continue playing.

With a defensive-focused draft, let’s take a look at which Cincinnati Bengals players have stock rising, falling, or stagnating.

Stock Rising

Joe Mixon

After an up and down injury-ridden 2022 campaign, Mixon’s future in Cincinnati looked uncertain. Alleged legal issues also arose, and many Bengals fans were calling for Mixon to be released while signing a free-agent veteran such as Ezekiel Elliott or Kareem Hunt.

With Samaje Perine gone, Mixon is shaping up to be utilized on all three downs with the next man up being fifth-round pick Chase Brown. The elite running backs in the 2023 draft were already selected, so the Bengals’ hand was forced when they picked in the first round. Zac Taylor has made it clear, for 2023, Joe Mixon is their guy.

Cordell Volson

The 2022 fourth-round pick was plugged into the offensive line this past year and earned a modest 51.6 grade on Pro Football Focus. He proved to be an average starter, and it would appear offensive line coach Frank Pollack wants to develop this young buck instead of spending draft capital to bring in a new guard.

Second-round picks O’Cyrus Torrence and Steve Avila would have been solid additions should the Bengals have wanted to take them in round 1 or trade up in round 2. Cordell Volson is going to continue developing into the Bengals’ left guard of the future with Max Scharping being his only competition.