Bengals make interesting moves in fresh 3-round mock draft

It’s mock draft season, yet many don’t stand out from the pack, especially for a team picking late in the first round like the Cincinnati Bengals.

Those mock drafts that dare to project past the first round though? Now those are fun — and the more rounds the better.

That’s just what Luke Easterling of Draft Wire did in his latest mock, a three-round projection that sees the Bengals taking some interesting names. In the first round, the Bengals stick at No. 28 and take Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo:

“There might be more glaring holes on offense, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bengals opt for some secondary help here. Ringo’s 2022 film was a roller-coaster, but he’s still got top-end physical traits, and his skill set would be a great fit in this defense.”

The picks in the second and third rounds are even more interesting:

• 60. Cincinnati Bengals | South Dakota State TE Tucker Kraft
• 92. Cincinnati Bengals | Houston WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell

The Bengals addressing cornerback with a guy in Ringo who might be their best player available isn’t too shocking. Neither is getting a 6’5″ tight end considering the team’s top three names on the depth chart at the spot are free agents.

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell is wildly interesting though. He’s slight (5’10” and 160 pounds) and a slot prospect. But the Bengals like to draft needs a year early — think taking Dax Hill while still having Jessie Bates for one more season. Maybe that’s the approach here with the team understanding it won’t be able to pay up for Tyler Boyd after next season if it’s already paying Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

This sort of draft implies the Bengals got help in both trenches in free agency and retained some of their own free agents. But the thought of a wideout in the first three rounds is something to chew on as the draft approaches.