Bengals might find replacements for these 2024 free agents in 2023 NFL Draft

Joe Mixon

The Bengals might part ways with Mixon as early as this offseason (doing so would save the organization $10 million) but as of now, he's on the roster and a part of their 2023 plans. Mixon is coming off his worst season as a pro so that's another reason why it'd make sense to move on from him this offseason.

While it'd be pretty cool if Bijan Robinson happened to fall to the Bengals at pick 28, that probably isn't happening. Unless it does, Cincinnati isn't taking a running back in the first round but nabbing one on Day 2 or Day 3 is a strong possibility, especially considering the team didn't add another running back in free agency, at least not as of this writing.

Irv Smith Jr.

Maybe the Bengals' new thing will be signing a free-agent tight end looking to prove himself and then letting Joe Burrow help get that guy paid. Irv Smith Jr. hopes to be the next Bengals tight end to benefit from having Burrow as his quarterback but he'll have to stay healthy in order to capitalize.

Smith only signed a one-year deal and with his injury history and the Bengals' recent history with the position, it'd make perfect sense for them to draft a tight end as early as the first round. Now that they have Smith, they could wait until Day 2 but it's still a position that fans are expecting the team to address come draft weekend.

Jonah Williams

Williams won't be back with the Bengals in 2024 and that feels like a pretty safe statement to make at this point. The former first-round pick requested a trade just days after the team signed Orlando Brown Jr. to play left tackle and planned on moving Williams to right tackle.

Williams might not even end up being on Cincy's roster in 2023 so the team will be looking to replace him in this year's draft either way. Maybe they draft Darnell Wright in the first round or wait to grab someone on Day 2 but they'll need to address this eventual departure.