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Two of the likelier theories surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2020 NFL draft center on taking Joe Burrow at No. 1 and trading back at the top of Day 2.
But what about a trade back up into the first round?
That’s just what a new mock draft does for the Bengals. The mock, from For The Win’s Henry McKenna, has the Bengals jumping up to No. 28 for Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet:
“There’s a group of tight ends who might be in considering for the first-round, but Kmet presents the least are of concerns. He has production at a high level. It would have been better, if not for a collarbone injury. He has the measurables and, to this point, he has no off-field flags. The Bengals trade up from 33rd overall (giving up a 2021 third-round pick) to get a big, athletic target for Joe Burrow. Baltimore moves out of the first round.”
Generally, tight end isn’t seen as the biggest need in Cincinnati after the minimal usage for Tyler Eifert last year and the second-round investment in Drew Sample.
But there’s always a but: It’s hard to complain about getting one of the better tight ends in a draft class, not to mention one who stands at 6’6″ and 262 pounds and can move all over the field as a chess piece of a receiving threat. It would be a nice complementary fit to Sample, the odd pick who is more of a blocking threat.
Keep in mind the Bengals don’t have a ton of wideouts under contract after next season, so this would mitigate some of the potential problems filling out the roster around Burrow for the long-term.
Thanks to the versatility of holding the first pick on Day 2, it wouldn’t make sense to rule out a move up too.
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