NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Darnell Wright linked to Bengals at pick 28

Who will the Cincinnati Bengals select with the 28th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft? They don't have any major needs after signing Irv Smith Jr. to play tight end and shoring up their offensive line with the addition of Orlando Brown Jr.

Now that the tight end position doesn't have Devin Asiasi as the best starting option, the Bengals aren't being linked to taking a tight end anymore, at least not in this recent bunch of mock drafts. Two of the three mock drafts I used for this piece had the Bengals going with Darnell Wright out of Tennessee and this could be a home-run pick for them.

Jonah Williams will be moved to right tackle with the Brown acquisition but Williams wants to be traded. If he is traded, Wright could be a starting option for the team at right tackle, which is now the only position on the line in desperate need of some help.

The other mock draft had the Bengals adding help in the pass-rushing department with Nolan Smith out of Georgia. Despite the talent the team had available in the pass rush, it didn't translate to sacks so adding Smith to the fold should help change that.

Bengals mock draft roundup

NFL mock draft 2023: What sources say about Stroud, Hooker, Richardson and more [Bruce Feldman, The Athletic]

"Getting an edge here might make some sense, as could another physical corner like Banks, but the Bengals need more physical football players and Wright is as rough as they come in this crop of O-linemen."

- Bruce Feldman

Cynthia Frelund 2023 NFL mock draft 2.0: Packers select WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba; Falcons pick QB [Cynthia Frelund, NFL.com]

"Wright is a Day 1 right tackle whose addition would allow Cincinnati to move on from Jonah Williams, leading to more draft capital in the process. Wins all around. Also, if someone in the Bengals front office is reading this … please sign Joe Burrow right now. It's only going to get more expensive."

- Cynthia Frelund

Frelund has the same thought as me. Drafting Wright means that the Bengals could trade Williams and not have to worry about downgrading at right tackle. If they trade him now, there's no guarantee that they could get someone decent to man the right tackle spot.

Platte’s First-Round 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Detroit Moves Up To Grab Anthony Richardson [Kent Platte, Pro Football Network]

"The Cincinnati Bengals have several ways they can go with this pick, but the one I really like is giving them Nolan Smith, who posted one of the highest verticals from a DE, the best 10-yard split for a defensive end, and the second-best 40-yard dash for the position in Combine history."

- Kent Platte

Smith played in eight games this past season and had three sacks and seven tackles for loss. He'd make an already-solid defense even better.