The first 32 picks have come and gone, but there is still plenty of talent on the board as the Cincinnati Bengals look forward to the 41st pick on Friday night.
After trading Dexter Lawrence away for the 10th pick, the Bengals will make their first pick early in Round 2, and there are several Round 1-level prospects looking to hear their names called.
Here’s a look at the best available NFL Draft prospects for Rounds 2-3.
The Bengals have been pretty busy adding pieces up front, but I suspect they aren’t done.
To many, Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald was DT one in this class, and he has no business still being on the board. However, he is a nose tackle, and the Bengals traded their 1st Round pick for Dexter Lawrence. It seems pretty far-fetched to think that the Bengals would then use their 2nd Round pick on a player at the same position. The advantage would be that it allows you to move on from T.J. Slaton and save a few bucks. McDonald would spell Lawrence at times and could come in at nose to free up Lawrence to move around the defensive front for advantageous matchups.
Gabe Jacas has a great get-off, powerful hips, and excellent feet as a pass rusher. While the Illinois edge hasn’t shown a wide array of pass-rush moves, he is excellent at getting off the block and closing the rep. Jacas is in the mold of a 3-4 outside linebacker and, as such, brings a unique skillset to the table.
With a wingspan of almost 82 inches, Missouri’s Zion Young’s best comp is an albatross. He is strong in the run game and has a deep bag of tricks as a pass rusher. He can rush with power or speed and goes from power to speed with ease.
TJ Parker may be coming off a down year, but that seems to be Clemson’s problem more than anything. He has burst off the edge and a mean slap in pass rush. He can hold the edge in the run game or move inside in certain fronts.
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy is a top 5 talent in this draft, but clearly, his knee is scaring people off. At what point is it worth the risk to get such an elite talent?
Other outside cornerbacks who should come off the board quickly include McCoy’s teammate Colton Hood and South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse. Hood is a lockdown man corner with silky smooth hips. He has some technique issues that need to be cleaned up, but with D.J. Turner and Dax Hill around, there is no rush to get him on the field. Cisse has impressive athletic traits, but hasn’t put things together on the field. He is frequently out of position and doesn’t bring much as a tackler.
Then there are a plethora of players who would primarily fit into a slot role.
Avieon Terrell is technically sound and has great eye discipline in man coverage. The Clemson product would be fine outside in a pinch, but fits best as a nickel. He has a knack for knocking the ball out and caused 5 fumbles last season.
Coming off a National Championship with Indiana, DeAngelo Ponds is about 3 inches short of being a top prospect. He’s excellent in zone coverage and always around the football, but at 5-foot-9, man matchups can be tricky. Of course, his 41-inch vertical helps.
On the other end of the National Championship game was Keionte Scott. The Miami Hurricane has got a little bit of Mike Hilton in him and is an excellent blitzer. He’s great against the run and matches up well with big and small slots in man. Last season, Scott had 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 pick-sixes.
Treydan Stukes has the versatility to play literally anywhere in the secondary. He is praised for his work ethic and was a 3-time captain at Arizona. He is an excellent athlete who makes good reads and gets his hand on the ball. He would make a ton of sense for the Bengals.
Toledo Rocket Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a long, rangy safety with great turnover production. His pursuits are a little inconsistent, which I know is a hot-button issue for Bengals fans. Having said that, I think he could develop into an All-Pro free safety.
AJ Haucly makes incredible reads and turned them into 8 interceptions over the last two seasons at LSU. He is also a heavy hitter and does a great job in run support.
The Bengals have never drafted a UC Bearcat. Does that change today?Defensive coordinator Al Golden has talked about wanting another linebacker who can play on the line of scrimmage to take that off of Demetrius Knight’s plate. Jake Golday is the perfect hit. Golday is tall and long with the strength to hold the edge and the range to play over a slot receiver.
Anthony Hill Jr. brings similar physical attributes, but there have been questions about the former Texas star’s processing and consistency.
Jacob Rodriguez does not have the length of Golday and Hill, as Rodriguez projects as an off-ball linebacker. The Texas Tech backer gets where he needs to be, but he is an extremely inconsistent tackler. He tested well, but that speed was not evident on film.