If there is one thing that has been apparent for quite a few seasons now. It is clear that the Cincinnati Bengals need serious help on both sides of the line of scrimmage. They have tried to address it with their past three first round picks being two defensive ends and an offensive tackle. Not to mention several defensive tackles and a guard on Day 2 in the past couple of drafts.
So strap in as mock draft season picks up for plenty of offensive linemen and defensive linemen getting paired with Cincinnati, as they still need serious help in those areas. One of the most recent ones from Jordan Reid of ESPN has the Bengals taking an interior defender:
Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)Peter Woods, DT, Clemson*
The Bengals could address their offensive line here, but Woods would provide a penetrating presence in the middle of the defense, too. Cincinnati took edge rusher Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025 draft, and Woods could pair with him as a difference-maker on the inside as the Bengals build toward the future. Woods has only 0.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss this season, but his high-end traits should translate into an impact player at the next level.
It certainly won’t excite the Bengals fanbase for yet another defensive lineman who did not produce as a pass rusher in the sack department in college to come in and be expected to do so in the NFL. Neither Myles Murphy nor Shemar Stewart was impressive there, and so far, Murphy has done little to change that with only 4.5 sacks. He hasn’t played a featured role, though.
Adding someone like Woods, who can provide pressure up the middle, will help fix a problem this team has had for quite some time, which is quarterbacks being able to easily step up to escape any potential pass rush.
The line will also need all the help it can get with the potential loss of Trey Hendrickson after he and Cincinnati failed to reach an agreement on a long-term deal.
It might also help BJ Hill shine a bit more if there is another threat inside to get to the quarterback.
It is obviously quite soon to be thinking about any particular player, but pass-rushing defensive tackles are hard to come by later in the draft, unlike possible help on any other position of either side of the line of scrimmage.
What do you think of the pick?
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