For all the firepower the Bengals carried into 2024, their season unraveled the same way too many others have in the Burrow era: not enough protection, not enough stops. Cincinnati finished the year surrendering 348.3 yards per game — 25th in the league — and allowed 53 touchdowns, a stat that tells its own story. Even a late-season surge couldn’t mask the structural issues. If the Bengals are serious about turning their talent into January wins, the 2025 draft can’t be about flash; it has to be about fixing the foundation.
No doubt, we have a great offense in the league led by Burrow, the top wide receiver of 2024, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and so on. But along with offense, Zac Taylor needs to focus on ruthless defensive players. And this is what this all suggests. The Cincinnati Bengals need tough guys on the line of scrimmage to not allow yards and touchdowns, too. The Bengals showed great strength by winning the last five out of five games, which gave them real hope of getting into the playoffs soon. And soon only means in the 2025 season! So, let’s check out some of the tough tackles of both the offensive and defensive sides and other draft prospects who will be a great fit for the Bengals.
Round 1 (17th overall pick): Will Campbell, OT, LSU Tigers
First of all, you can’t miss this LSU Tigers beast. Will Campbell of the LSU Tigers should be the first-round pick of the Bengals. The 6’6”, 319 lb offensive tackle has shown his strength in his college football career, where he has played 2,553 snaps in 3 years and allowed only five sacks, according to the stats from the official LSU Sports website. In the 2024 season, Burrow was sacked a massive 48 times. If we compare this number to Josh Allen’s Bills, the MVP winner’s offensive tackles only allowed 14 (yes, fourteen!) sacks in the entire season. So, the Bengals can finalise this OT as their 1st round pick.
But wait, there is a catch. According to draft analyst Charles McDonald, “The only thing that Will Campbell is missing that separates him from a truly elite tackle prospect is arm length. That may give him trouble at the next level as he gets the challenge of dealing with NFL pass rushers.” But arm length and arm strength have always been analysed to criticise the player only. Mostly, these OT’s break the stereotypes.
That’s why Charles McDonald also said, “Campbell has been seen as a top tackle prospect for years now, and there hasn’t been too much that has happened to change that. Barring injury, this is a 10-year starter on the offensive line.” So, it would be great for Joe Burrow to have Will Campbell on his team. But there is a competition for this guy. Zac Taylor will have to trade up to get Campbell in round one.
Round 2 (49th overall pick): Darien Porter, Cornerback, Iowa State Cyclones
The Bengals need a balance on their defensive side. So, the first defender on the Bengals draft picks should be Darien Porter of the Iowa State Cyclones. This 24-year-old draft prospect from Bettendorf, Iowa, has pummeled many offensive teams during his college tenure. If you remember his performance in the Kansas Jayhawks game on November 10, 2024, Darien Porter made a total of six tackles in that game.
If we look at the stats, Porter has made a total of 51 tackles, out of which 33 were solo. He could not make a sack as the cornerback’s main job is to stop the wide receiver or running backs from gaining more yards or a touchdown. Porter was initially a wide receiver and used to play both positions, like Travis Hunter in Bettendorf High School.
But he switched to cornerback, and with hard work, he made NFL scouts invite him to the NFL combine. That day also changed his life as the CB was 5th among cornerbacks. After that day, scouts put their heads down to mark a tick on their writing pad ahead of Porter’s name. So, the competition will be there, but similar to Campbell, the Bengals have to pull up their pants now.
Round 3 (81st overall pick): Jack Sawyer, edge, Ohio State Buckeyes
“The Bengals ranked 30th in expected points allowed per play (0.10) on defense this season. They haven’t done a good job keeping that side of the ball stocked with talent since they made it to the Super Bowl a few years ago against the Rams.” This is what the NFL’s Next Gen Stats were talking about in October last year, about the defense when the season had just started. Unfortunately, the poor defensive plays in terms of sacking and cutting down runs continued until the end of the season.
And as we already mentioned, Joe Burrow’s team ended up 25th in the entire league, allowing 53 touchdowns. But now, the Bengals have an opportunity to cut the numbers to some extent by drafting the 2024 CFB national champion defensive end Jack Sawyer. The Pickerington, Ohio-born defender outperformed everyone during his college days. The rusher has sacked QBs 23 times while tackling 144 players throughout his four-year CFB career. So, looking at Zac Taylor’s obsession with the defenders this offseason and debates, the Bengals should pick 6 4’’ 260 lbs. Jack Sawyer was the 81st overall pick in the 3rd round.
Round 4 (119th overall pick): Billy Bowman, safety, Oklahoma Sooners
Another powerhouse in the building. This one can be the third defensive player on the Bengals’ crew. The Oklahoma Sooners No. 2, Billy Bowman Jr, also known as Billy Bowman, would be a perfect fit to stop the offensively heavy game. Offensive-heavy games are those that are dominated mostly by Saquon Barkley, like monstrous run games and rush games.
So, to tackle that, safety plays a great role near the end. If we look at his capabilities, the Sooners’ safety has made a staggering 34 solo tackles in the 2024 season. If we look at Bowman’s tackles of his entire career, Billy has made a total of 199 tackles, out of which 134 were solo tackles, which was a great number to rely on for this safety. Currently, the Bengals have Jordan Battle, Daijahn Anthony, and Jaylen Key on their depth chart as safeties. But, per ESPN, only Jordan Battle has played enough games, and he has only made 35 tackles. So, adding a safety like Billy Bowman is a great opportunity for Joe Burrow’s Bengals in round 4.
Round 5 (153rd overall pick): Jackson Slater, Guard, Sacramento State
If you ask me what the most important position is for the Bengals to have a good base in the 2025 season, it would be Guard. And Jackson Slater of the Sacramento State Hornets is the perfect fit for Joe Burrow’s Bengals.
A few days ago, Mike Schlereth was talking about Shedeur Sanders and his arm strength. But while he was explaining the QB’s efforts for throwing the ball, he also threw some light on what guards do. When QBs try to throw the ball after a snap and can’t find a WR or tight end ready at their preferred position, it’s the guard’s duty to take that situation in his hands and make space in the pocket so that the QB sees far and throws the ball.
Jackson Slater has that toughness, quickness, and quality to stop the defensive players of other teams from sacking his QB. The 6’ 3’’, 311 lbs Slater has made 1278 snaps in the 2024 season, according to PFF.com, and his overall grade is also 74, which is green, for his entire college career. So, if Zac Taylor drafts this Guard, the Bengals will see a drastic change in Joe Burrow’s overall performance in winning the game. Though he is No.1 in passing yards and scoring touchdowns, sacks and tackles are mounting issues for the Bengals’ QB1.
Round 6 (193rd overall pick): Bilhal Kone, CB, Western Michigan Broncos
Talk about the 4th and last defensive player in the Bengals’ 6-pick draft. Here we go with picking Bilhal Kone of the Western Michigan Broncos. The Bengals should add one more cornerback to the depth chart after picking up Darien Porter in the 2nd round.
The Western Michigan Broncos No. 1 has made a staggering 45 tackles in the entire season, along with one interception. The Apple Valley-born has consistently improved his performance over his three-year career. In his first year, he made 28 total tackles; then, in the second year, he tackled 42 players with assists, and in the last year, he made a total of 70 tackles, out of which 45 were solo.
This is nothing but making a perfect roster. One safety, one guard, one OT, and two cornerbacks. So, they would already have Porter, but adding Bilhal Kone would definitely make the Bengals’ defense unbeatable.
What’s evident from all of this? The Bengals have negligible problems on the offensive side, but the defense needs major rework and reform. And to get that done, Joe Burrow’s Bengals pick these prospects to have a crucial and top-notch defense like the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles.
The post Bengals Mock Draft: Joe Burrow Gets Key Needs; Zac Taylor Fixes Defense With 4 Picks appeared first on EssentiallySports.
