Bengals NFL Mock Draft 3.0: O'Cyrus Torrence brings LG competition, late-round QB
Round 6: Pick 206 - Juice Scruggs, C (Penn State)
"His better position at the next level will be guard and he could help out at center in a pinch. He also looked very good at the Shrine Bowl. Scruggs doesn’t have starter upside but his versatility and experience could help him make a roster for a few seasons."
- The NFL Draft Bible
The quote above was taken from Juice Scruggs' draft profile on Sports Illustrated. Despite being listed as a center, Scruggs also has the ability to play guard, which makes him a decent option to look into late in the draft.
The Bengals don't need a center, as they have Ted Karras for at least the next two years but what they don't have is a reliable backup option. Trey Hill is the backup center so bringing Scruggs in could provide competition as the backup center.
Bengals Mock Draft 2.0. dark. Next
Round 7: Pick 248 - Tyson Bagent, QB (Shepherd)
"Expectations for Bagent early in his NFL career should be low. He’s facing a significant jump in the level of competition and he is unlikely to be ready for live NFL action early in his pro career. But given the time to marinate and develop, there’s going to be an opportunity for an NFL team to secure a quality quarterback. He’s got the traits to play in the league and potentially be a long-term backup, but he’d be best off being protected as a team’s third quarterback for his first season."
- Kyle Crabbs
People are probably wondering why I'd "waste" a draft pick on a quarterback when the Bengals already have one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Well, if something happens to Joe Burrow that causes him to miss an extended period of time, the team probably isn't going to do much without him and that's just how it goes with elite quarterbacks.
That being said, drafting a late-round quarterback and developing him as the long-term backup is a smart idea for any team. With Tyson Bagent playing at the powerhouse that is Shepherd (kidding, obviously), his best role with this team in 2023 is to be the third-stringer behind Burrow and likely Brandon Allen.
It's the seventh round. Teams are trying to throw something at the wall and seeing if it sticks by this point in the draft so why not try to develop a quarterback that can become Burrow's long-term backup?