7-round ESPN mock draft has the Bengals addressing all of their biggest needs

From a needs perspective, this is a good haul.

Time flies, and we are already on the heels of the 2024 NFL Draft week, as the first round is set to kick off on Thursday evening.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a whopping 10 picks in this year’s draft, starting things off at pick No. 18 in the first round.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid knocked out a seven-round mock draft just a few days before the draft. He has the Bengals filling numerous holes on the current roster.

With the 18th pick, Reid has the Bengals selecting Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

“Losing DJ Reader hurts the middle of the Bengals’ defense, but Murphy is an explosive wrecking ball on the interior. He’s a stout and high-effort run-defender, and he’s actually even more disruptive as a pass-rusher, where his sudden movements help him quickly beat blockers. Murphy is an easy selection at this spot after the Bengals allowed a league-high 6.0 yards per play last season.”

Defensive tackle is a massive question mark right now, so grabbing an instant-impact guy like Murphy would be an A+ selection, in my opinion.

Moving to Round 2, with the 49th pick, Reid has the Bengals selecting Washington wideout Ja’Lynn Polk.

“Tee Higgins might be heading into his final season in Cincinnati — if he doesn’t get traded first — and the depth chart isn’t very strong otherwise behind Ja’Marr Chase. Polk finished last season with 1,159 yards and nine TDs.”

In Round 3 at pick No. 80, Reid has the Bengals selecting another offensive weapon in Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott.

“It sounds like Sinnott could go earlier than expected, and he’d bring a versatile skill set to an already potent offensive attack with quarterback Joe Burrow healthy.”

Also in Round 3, Reid has the Bengals hitting on the offensive line at pick No. 97 and selecting Texas offensive tackle Christian Jones.

“Jones is the ideal type of right tackle to develop behind Trent Brown; he has strength and heavy hands. He has 48 starts of experience and allowed only one sack last season.”

Here are the remainder of the picks in Reid’s seven-round projection for Cincinnati:

115. Cincinnati Bengals: Decamerion Richardson, CB, Mississippi State

149. Cincinnati Bengals: Dillon Johnson, RB, Washington

194. Cincinnati Bengals: LaDarius Henderson, G, Michigan

214. Cincinnati Bengals*: Evan Anderson, DT, Florida Atlantic

224. Cincinnati Bengals (via ARI/HOU): Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame

237. Cincinnati Bengals: Austin McNamara, P, Texas Tech

In terms of attacking the biggest needs, this is the ideal type of projection for the Bengals.

Multiple defensive tackles were selected, which would be ideal when you have 10 selections.

Cornerback is another sneaky need, and that was addressed with a solid SEC prospect in Decamerion Richardson.

Even the punter position was addressed in the form of Austin McNamara, who is CBS Sports’ second-ranked punter in this year’s draft class.

The offensive line gets some much-needed depth with guard LaDarius Henderson and tackle Christian Jones.

If you believe tight end is a need, then it’s hard to find a better Day 2 option than Ben Sinnott.

Finally, the Bengals land their potential No. 3 wideout in Ja’Lynn Polk, who could ascend to the No. 2 role in 2025 when Tee Higgins potentially hits unrestricted free agency.

How would you grade this haul for the Bengals? Let us know in the comments section!