Bengals’ Top 2023 NFL Draft Targets

The Cincinnati Bengals head into the 2023 NFL draft with a roster that should all yet again compete for an AFC championship.

There is no question about it, widespread supervisor Duke Tobin has built a contender around Joe Burrow, and his drafting prowess must accumulate hundreds of the credit ranking.

There have been some colossal free-agent finds that have pushed this crew to the subsequent stage. Trey Hendrickson, D.J. Reader and Chidobe Awuzie have been valid free-agent additions. But the core that involves Burrow, Ja’Marr Trail and Tee Higgins is largely made of homegrown talents.

With a crew on the cusp of taking part in in one other Neat Bowl, they should continue to hit on draft picks. As soon as Burrow goes past his rookie contract this is in a position to possibly possibly be the most productive methodology for the Bengals to toughen their roster every year.

That begins with the twenty eighth make a selection on Thursday night until they commerce up or down the board sooner than then. Here’s a leer at three of the highest targets they are able to must have assuming they cease attach.

Scouting Characterize

The Bengals have made tight ends hundreds of cash real via the last two years. C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst have both venerable the initiating tight end gig in Cincinnati to construct up paid by other organizations as free agents.

The crew might well well possibly conclude that revolving door if they draft Michael Mayer within the principle spherical.

You might possibly possibly repeat loads just a few merely end prospect from their market share in their college offense. For the most phase, even the most traditional tight ends are inclined to be secondary targets. That’s no longer the case with Mayer. He had more than double the catches and yards of anyone else on the Irish roster (67 receptions, 809 yards and 9 touchdowns).

Notre Dame went to him early and usually.

Mayer will not be any longer a like a flash tight end who’s going to be in a space to stretch the seams. He doesn’t have elite athletic testing, and he ran a 4.7 within the 40-yard hotfoot. But he is a dominant receiver all via the self-discipline who excels at discovering the relaxed spots in zone coverage.

As soon as he has the ball in his palms, he is a bodily runner and a load to elevate down.

Now, imagine that ability space with Ja’Marr Trail and Tee Higgins on the surface. Those two accumulate hundreds of enlighten that Mayer can steal help of.

Or no longer it’s rocket gasoline for an offense that’s already plenty explosive.

Scouting Characterize

The Bengals are going to must resolve out their misfortune with Jonah Williams. After signing Orlando Brown Jr. in free company, he must transfer to correct tackle, nevertheless Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported Williams requested a commerce correct after the signing.

In the end, Williams doesn’t have a ton of leverage if he desires to push the envelope. He has 300 and sixty five days left on his rookie deal and is determined to construct up $12.6 million. The strategies of sitting out or prolonging issues in a contract year is questionable.

Alternatively, if the Bengals after all feel worship honoring his question, it might well well possibly possibly accumulate sense for them to focal level on their future correct tackle within the principle spherical.

Darnell Wright might well well possibly be a commerce-up candidate, nevertheless Anton Harrison desires to be a consideration if they steal a wait-and-be conscious ability. He is the fourth-ranked tackle on B/R’s mountainous board and made a birth at correct tackle to boot to to his 11 begins at left tackle for Oklahoma last year.

Harrison is a young prospect. He’ll most fascinating be 21 years outmoded real via his rookie season, meaning his 6’4″, 315-pound physique is seemingly no longer a accomplished product.

So despite the incontrovertible truth that the Bengals are merely getting prepared for existence with out Jonah Williams, they might well well possibly help him around for a year while Harrison develops, and he would gentle be merely 22 years outmoded as a second-year player and first-year starter.

Scouting Characterize

Adetomiwa Adebawore ran a 4.49 40-yard hotfoot at 282 kilos. It takes a second to merely wrap one’s head around that number.

At 6’1″ and 282 kilos, he is a runt of a tweener. He is little for a defensive tackle nevertheless broad and heavy for a correct edge defender. Both methodology, he is a sexy athlete. He posted a 37.5″ vertical and 10’5″ broad jump displaying off the explosiveness to travel with astonishing agilities and a relative athletic get of 9.72 as a defensive tackle.

Adebawore is little nevertheless performs with merely energy in opposition to the hotfoot. His simplest role is going to be as a slashing 3-approach who can accumulate after the passer and motive havoc on stunts.

Alternatively, he’s going to have the alignment flexibility to bump out to defensive end on hotfoot downs. Briefly, he is a versatile weapon who defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo can have stress-free with.

Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard led the methodology with eight and 6.5 sacks respectively. The unit might well well possibly spend some added pop and Adebawore’s dynamic ability space would accumulate for an spell binding addition.