The Bengals dominated the NFL headlines for a portion of this offseason by handing out a number of boatloads of money to their large receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. They’re maintaining the band collectively round quarterback Joe Burrow and I gotta say, I respect this. Cincinnati is aware of who they’re and never many groups would put this many eggs right into a singular positional basket.
However right here we’re.
Now, the Bengals should discover a method to get their protection to play at a a lot greater stage on a constant foundation to match their high-flying offense. Cincy Jungle’s Anthony Cosenza understands this, which is why with the seventeenth choose within the SB Nation Neighborhood Mock Draft, he’s beefing up the defensive entrance and deciding on Oregon defensive deal with Derrick Harmon.
17.) Cincinnati Bengals: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
Cosenza: The Cincinnati Bengals head into the 2025 season as a staff with an odd dichotomy. They possess among the league’s largest stars on the roster, but nonetheless have some evident weaknesses at apparent areas. Anybody who watched the staff the previous couple of years has noticed the protection abruptly develop into abysmal, so it’s as much as new defensive coordinator, Al Golden, to revive the unit. With a free company interval centered round extending its inside core offensive gamers, Cincinnati will probably give Golden the chance to draft and develop expertise with most of their six picks. With Abdul Carter, Mason Graham, Jihaad Campbell, Walter Nolen, Kenneth Grant and Mike Inexperienced all off of the board right here, Harmon makes a ton of sense. A serious a part of the latest defensive points has been an absence of a go rush by individuals not named Trey Hendrickson, and Cincinnati has been clamoring for a dominant inside presence for the reason that prime Geno Atkins days. Harmon brings quite a bit to the desk and his being surrounded by Hendrickson, 2023 first-rounder Myles Murphy, 2024 second-rounder Kris Jenkins, Jr., stable veteran B.J. Hill and the enigmatic Joseph Ossai ought to make the Bengals way more various and succesful up entrance.
Evaluation: Harmon simply may be would possibly favourite defensive deal with on this class. He doesn’t have a refined go rush equipment however he certain does discover a method to bully previous blockers to wreak havoc within the backfield. He performs with excessive vitality and it’s simple to see him becoming in on any line of defense within the NFL. If the Bengals discover a method to carry again Trey Hendrickson — and possibly that is the transfer that helps make that occur — I’d like them to have one of many higher younger, up-and-coming go rushes within the NFL.
Prime 5 remaining gamers:
- Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
- Malaki Starks, S Georgia
- James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
- Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
- Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston Faculty
Harmon comes off the board however he was already exterior our high 5 remaining so we head into the subsequent choose with none change on the high. The Seahawks are up subsequent and with new quarterback Sam Darnold main the best way, might we see Seattle make a transfer for one of many draft’s remaining playmakers?
