Cincinnati Bengals Mock Draft Roundup 3.0

Williams could become one of the steals of this draft in time, and the Bengals clearly need more pass-rushing juice. Injuries limited his snaps as a junior at Georgia, but Williams' strength, length and hustle to the ball give him a chance to contribute as a rookie before developing into a very good starter down the line.

The Bengals have poured a ton of money into their offense, which means they're going to be overly reliable on young, cheap options on defense. Enter James Pearce Jr., who could serve as a secondary pass-rusher alongside Trey Hendrickson, or serve as his replacement.

Defense? Nah, let's quadruple down on the offense after the Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase extensions. This time with more beef up front. Booker is a classic gap-scheme guard who could create some powerful double-teams in the Bengals' at-you run game.

Can you rush the passer? Then the Bengals are interested. Green can do exactly that and new defensive coordinator Al Golden will be looking for an immediate impact off the edge for a room that needs any semblance of juice beyond Trey Hendrickson. Some might be put off by a smaller frame, but it actually plays well in Cincinnati. The Bengals are full of big-body edges utilized under former coordinator Lou Anarumo, but Golden will be interested in a new tool in his bag. Green's speed to bend the edge and tenacious play style will fit nicely. If looking for concern over off-field issues surrounding Green, the Bengals would be one team with a history of looking past college transgressions and betting on the future of a player they believe is now about the right things. Leading the FBS in sacks doesn't hurt, either. — Paul Dehner Jr.

Green would be an outstanding complement to Trey Hendrickson if the Bengals are able to work things out with their star defensive end.

Duke Tobin has served as the Bengals' director of player personnel and de facto general manager since 1999, earning a reputation for gambling on prospects with elite traits. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Emmanwori is among this year's most impressive athletes with the range and ball-skills to make opposing quarterbacks pay while attempting to keep up with the Bengals' explosive offense.

The Bengals go best player available here with Starks, and he'll help to rebuild the secondary in Cincinnati.

It looks like Trey Hendrickson is on his way out, so the Bengals need some pass-rushing help; they only had one more sack as a team (18.5) than Hendrickson did by himself (17.5) in 2024. I covered Green's game against Ohio State this past season and I came away impressed. He played well against OSU offensive tackle Josh Simmons, who might be a first-round pick.

Stewart is one of my "LTP" guys in the class; he looks the part. His physical traits, as we saw at the combine, will get the interest of teams seeking pass rushers. He leaped 40 inches in the vertical jump then ran a 4.59-second 40. But will the traits translate into production in the pros? His 4.5 sacks over three college seasons are unexpected from a player of his talent. If he puts it all together, though, Stewart has the upside to become a double-digit sack guy.

Double-digit sacks sound pretty good in Cincinnati right now. The Bengals have been active in keeping their own this month, inking wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to big deals and re-signing defensive tackle B.J. Hill. But they haven't yet extended Trey Hendrickson, and losing him -- he requested a trade -- would be devastating for one of the league's most underwhelming defenses. Hendrickson had 17.5 of the team's 36 sacks last season. Stewart could help give the Bengals another pass-rush contributor or help fill the void if Hendrickson does end up elsewhere.

Mykel Williams just feels like a Bengals edge rusher: oversized, yet unpolished. Sometimes those turn into Carlos Dunlap or Michael Johnson. Other times they're Margus Hunt or Myles Murphy. I'd bet on Williams being closer to the former.

It sounds like the momentum is building for Burrow's weapons to get deals done, so where does that leave Trey Hendrickson? Even if the Bengals end up sorting out Hendrickson's contract, this group needs more teeth.

Mike Green has the most robust pass rush bag of any rusher in the class and can help the Bengals close games when they're playing with the lead.