Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon did his NFL mock draft over the weekend a little bit differently.
Instead of predicting what each general manager would do with their pick, Risdon showed what he would do in their spot. It led to some crazy hypotheticals, like the Bears taking LSU quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels with the first pick.
For Duke fans, however, the most interesting result was offensive lineman Graham Barton headed to Cincinnati with the 18th pick.
Star quarterback Joe Burrow, another LSU quarterback with a Heisman Trophy on his shelf, led the Bengals to back-to-back AFC Championship games, but he’s also suffered two season-ending injuries in four seasons. With a prospect like Barton, who played both tackle and center in Durham, the Bengals could solve whatever problem they want.
“I think his best NFL spot will be guard,” Risdon wrote. “The perennially OL-needy Bengals would have a happy problem sorting out Barton’s addition.”
The Bengals, by all reports, would be an unlikely suitor for Barton. Few mock drafts have had the Duke lineman end up in Ohio, more commonly pairing him with Miami or Tampa Bay. If the Cincinnati front office makes amends with star wideout Tee Higgins, however, you never know.