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The most critical part of the draft process for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 might just be what other teams do.
Sitting fifth in the draft order, Cincinnati might get a chance at an elite offensive tackle prospect like Penei Sewell. Or, they might have to settle for something else, potentially after a trade back, because teams in front of them gobble up all the good linemen.
That’s not the case in the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay.
There, the Carolina Panthers leap to No. 3 via a trade with Miami to take quarterback Trey Lance in response to a pair of quarterbacks coming off the board over the first two picks.
That lets the Bengals sit pretty and take Sewell:
“Cincinnati fans watched No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow take 32 sacks in 10 games, so no one needs any convincing here. Sewell — who opted out of the 2020 season — is a game-changing tackle. Opposite Jonah Williams, he’d help keep Burrow upright when the Bengals’ franchise quarterback returns from a knee injury suffered on (yup, you guessed it) a hit this season. Whereas Sewell allowed just one combined sack during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the Bengals closed 2020 with the fifth-most sacks allowed (48) and tied for the third-worst pass block win rate (50.0%), an ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats.”
This is just one scenario that could unfold for the Bengals. In another mock, Sewell comes off the board early and the team settles for Heisman Trophy winner and Alabama product DeVonta Smith.
With Joe Burrow coming back on a reconstructed knee and there no guarantee the team can fix the offensive line in free agency, trades above the fifth pick concerning quarterbacks could be the best-case scenario for the Bengals.
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