After yet another disappointing season that saw them fall short of the playoffs, the Cincinnati Bengals will turn their attention to the offseason, with the first order of business being the hiring of a new defensive coordinator after Lou Anarumo was shown the door.
From there, the Bengals will focus on free agency, and then comes the 2025 NFL Draft, where Cincinnati has the No. 17 overall pick. The Bengals also have one selection in each round after that.
While the Bengals might have a big void to fill if wide receiver Tee Higgins leaves in free agency, Cincinnati also has several areas to address on the defensive side of the ball.
Improving the defense must be a point of emphasis after the unit was a major cause of Cincinnati’s failures in 2024. The Bengals will no doubt take care of some of their needs in free agency, but we’d also expect the Bengals to add talent in the draft.
When it comes to the opinions of experts, all but one in our round-up below has the Bengals taking a defensive player. Here’s a look at five different projections.
Bengals mock draft 2025: Expert predictions
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: WR Luther Burden III, Missouri
Iyer: “The Bengals may want to try to keep Tee Higgins along with extending Ja’Marr Chase with a lucrative contract, but Higgins might end up being too expensive. Burden can be a strong cheap contingency to play well off Chase as an immediate impact No. 2.”
Jordan Reid, ESPN: EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Reid: “The Bengals registered a sack on only 5.5% of dropbacks by opposing QBs this season (the sixth-worst rate in the NFL) despite the presence of NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson. The 6-5, 243-pound Pearce is a lean, ultra-quick pass rusher who can race around blockers with ease. His 18.7% pressure rate ranked second in the FBS, resulting in 7.5 sacks. He could be the complementary pass rusher Cincinnati desperately needs.”
Connor Rogers, NBC Sports: DL Kenneth Grant, Michigan
Rogers: “At 340 pounds, Grant has the size of a true throwback nose tackle but surprising quickness considering the mass he carries. This is the beef, with some pass rush upside, that the Bengals defense really needs.”
Luke Easterling, Athlon Sports: EDGE/DL Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Easterling: “Trey Hendrickson is one of the NFL’s best edge rushers, but the Bengals need an upgrade on the other side of their defensive line. Much like his Aggie teammate Scourton, Stewart is a versatile defender with the size and skill set to play out on the edge or slide inside, but he’s the ideal fit for what Cincinnati looks for in their edge rushers.”
Curt Popejoy, Draft Wire: CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
No write-up provided.
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