This late in the process, it isn’t surprising to see mock drafts give the Cincinnati Bengals new names we’ve yet to see in the first round.
That’s the case in a new mock draft from ESPN’s Matt Miller, which goes all seven rounds and starts with the Bengals picking Michigan cornerback DJ Turner:
If you’re looking for one position that needs an upgrade to get the Bengals back to the Super Bowl, it’s cornerback. And Turner — who ran a combine-best 4.26 seconds in the 40-yard-dash — has the tools to be great. He dominates at the line of scrimmage in press coverage and has the speed to run in-phase with the best receivers in the AFC.
Turner’s a new name but the fit remains the same in that the Bengals need some insurance while Chidobe Awuzie rehabs his injury and the starter spot across from Cam Taylor-Britt remains a question mark. But it’s easy to see the team rolling a different direction and banking on re-signing one of Eli Apple and Tre Flowers still, if not both, in addition to Sidney Jones’ arrival.
The shocker largely comes from the second round, where the mock has them taking Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave:
The Bengals have thrown assets at the tight end position but haven’t found an every-down player yet. Musgrave could change that. Despite coming off a knee injury, the 6-foot-6 senior ran a 4.61 in the 40-yard dash at the combine. He didn’t have great production in college (just three touchdowns), but his positional traits and upside are that of a starting NFL tight end. Irv Smith Jr. joined the Bengals, but he is mostly an “F” tight end, so Musgrave could see starting snaps early on.
Musgrave might be the best player available on their board by Round 2, but it’s hard to envision Duke Tobin and Co. taking a prospect with so little proven production. There’s admittedly a ton of upside with Musgrave, but whether this scouting staff will gamble the open window on him producing in the pros is hard to say.
Also notable here is the mock doesn’t have the Bengals adding an offensive lineman until the fifth round with an interior lineman, then a tackle in the sixth.
And like we always stress, no mock scenario is outright unrealistic — the draft is wild and we’re all outsiders. The above could easily happen. But it’s a unique scenario yet to be presented compared to conventional wisdom.
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