Bengals NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Home-run selection in first round, QB added late

The first and second waves of free agency have come and gone and now let's shift our attention to the draft. The Cincinnati Bengals hold the 28th overall pick and after acquiring Orlando Brown, no longer have to use that pick on an offensive tackle, which might have been the plan before adding the left tackle.

For this mock draft, I used Pro Football Network's mock draft simulator.

All draft profiles courtesy of The Draft Network unless noted otherwiseand all stats courtesy of College Football Reference

Round 1: Pick 28 - Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas)

"Overall, Robinson has every skill set wanted in a modern NFL running back and is one of the best running back prospects that have entered the draft in the past 10 years. Robinson has the potential to be one of the rare running backs that can single-handedly carry a team to wins."

- Keith Sanchez

Some might love this pick but I'm sure a whole lot more will hate it. "Why draft a running back in the first round?", they'll ask.

Well, when a player of Bijan Robinson's caliber drops to the end of the first round, you have to pull the trigger and go for it. Robinson was Pro Football Network's 12th-best player and yet he fell to the end of the first round and these are the kind of moves that can win championships.

Robinson is an absolute freak too, having rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns during the 2022 season. He had nearly 1,900 yards from scrimmage with 20 total touchdowns. Imagine that kind of production on this Bengals offense. Defenses would not be able to stop them.

We'll have to see what happens with Joe Mixon this offseason but if Robinson is still on the board late in the first round, the Bengals would be fools not to draft him. He'd be a game-changer.