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This is the most open a Cincinnati Bengals draft has felt in a long, long time.
After three offensive line upgrades in free agency, Round 1 itself is open for the Bengals to do pretty much whatever they feel. That could mean hitting any one of the major needs.
It could also mean trading up — or down.
The Bengals do the latter in a new mock draft at Sports Illustrated from Kevin Hanson, capitalizing on a quarterback-needy Seahawks team to move out of the first round, getting back No. 40 and No. 72.
With that pick at 40, the Bengals boost one of those needs with pass-rusher Arnold Ebiketie out of Penn State. He’s a 6’2″, 250-pound rusher with the versatility to apply pressure from different spots and play all over the line.
The Bengals then grab Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary at No. 63, a boundary prospect who can come in and rotate right away with Eli Apple, which improves immediate depth and the long-term outlook.
There’s a reality where a player like Ebiketie is actually a first-round grade for the Bengals well into the second round. In this scenario they patch two major holes, grabbing a rotational pass-rusher and corner.
In this scenario, they also net pick No. 72, nearly a second-rounder, and would still have their own at No. 95, too. That might be enough to hit other needs like interior offensive line and interior pass-rusher or tight end too.
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