Oz'S MOCK DRAFT

Bengals 2024

  • Oz DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
Taliese Fuaga Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (CIN)
Taliese Fuaga
OT Oregon State
Byron Murphy II Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (CIN)
Byron Murphy II
DL Texas
T.J. Tampa Head Shot
PICK: 80 RND: 3 (CIN)
T.J. Tampa
CB Iowa State
Ben Sinnott Head Shot
PICK: 115 RND: 4 (CIN)
Ben Sinnott
TE Kansas State
Jaylen Wright Head Shot
PICK: 151 RND: 5 (CIN)
Jaylen Wright
RB Tennessee
Michael Barrett Head Shot
PICK: 173 RND: 5 (CIN)
Michael Barrett
LB Michigan
Matthew Jones Head Shot
PICK: 196 RND: 6 (CIN)
Matthew Jones
OG Ohio State
Dwight McGlothern Head Shot
PICK: 238 RND: 7 (CIN)
Dwight McGlothern
CB Arkansas
Hayden Hatten Head Shot
PICK: 254 RND: 7 (CIN)
Hayden Hatten
WR Idaho
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
More right than wrong for the Bengals, and a B- to prove it.

Boards are made to be trusted, and the Bengals shredded theirs for Hayden Hatten. He came off 47 spots early, and the room will hear about it. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.

If one pick saves this weekend, it is Tampa. That quarterback hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Job largely done: cornerback settled and 7 of 8 of the wish list covered.

The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.

Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Taliese Fuaga
In the Round 1 slot they get protection for the quarterback at fair value. A real need, handled.
Pick49 Rnd2 Byron Murphy II
Byron Murphy II at the 49th overall pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick80 Rnd3 T.J. Tampa
You do not let a cornerback like T.J. Tampa reach pick No. 80 and blink. They did not. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick115 Rnd4 Ben Sinnott
Ben Sinnott at pick 115 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick151 Rnd5 Jaylen Wright
No edge and no loss on Jaylen Wright in Round 5, Pick 15; it is a wash and a sensible one. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick173 Rnd5 Michael Barrett
Michael Barrett in No. 173 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick196 Rnd6 Matthew Jones
They reached into another round for Matthew Jones, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick238 Rnd7 Dwight McGlothern
They paid a round early for Dwight McGlothern in pick No. 238, more than the board wanted. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick254 Rnd7 Hayden Hatten
They reached a country mile for Hayden Hatten at the Round 7 slot, and the board is aghast. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.