In this five-part series, I ask “what if?” and explore different draft scenarios. In all, I will due 15 mock drafts and use this as an avenue of discussing 97 different prospects.
“Time. Space. Reality. It’s more than a linear path… I am your guide through these vast new realities.” – The Watcher – What If…?
The number one response to the first article in this series was, “They should trade back.” Well, some of ya’ll just need to be patient. I got you.
The Bengals have only six picks in this year’s draft, and they could definitely use more. What if they traded back in order to acquire more picks?
Houston Texans trade Up to 17
25. OG Donovan Jackson 6’4” 315 lbs Ohio State
49. DT Omarr Norman-Lott 6’2” 291 lbs Tennessee
79. DE Jack Sawyer 6’4” 260 lbs Ohio State
81. RB DJ Giddens 6’0” 212 lbs Kansas State
119. CB Dorian Strong 6’1” 185 lbs Virginia Tech
153. OT Jack Nelson 6’7” 314 lbs Wisconsin
166. WR Nick Nash 6’3” 203 lbs San José State
193. LB Jailin Walker 6’ 219 lbs Indiana
The Bengals have traded the 17th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Houston Texans in exchange for the 25th, 79th, and 166th picks.
The Bengals came into the draft knowing that they needed to find a starting guard, but the 17th pick was too high to go that route. After trading down eight spots, the Bengals select Ohio State’s Donavan Jackson. Tough and smart, Jackson has all the tools to step in and be the best guard the Bengals have had in years. He also showed this season that he can be successful at tackle, giving the Bengals the always coveted versatility at the position. Although offensive linemen rarely get the credit they deserve, Jackson is considered one of the most important players in the Buckeyes championship run.
In the second round, the Bengals take Omarr-Norman Lott. Though he may not have the standard size of a defensive tackle, Norman-Lott’s athleticism gives him the potential to be a special player. He is quick and unusually hippy for an interior defensive lineman. He uses his hands to disengage from blocks and cause destruction in the backfield. Although the Bengals have a number of talented players at defensive tackle, they don’t have anyone like Norman-Lott. Although he may not be listed on the 2-deep, expect him to leapfrog his peers and play a key role on third downs as a rookie.
With the 79th pick, which they acquired from Houston, the Bengals continued to beef up their defensive front by adding Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer. This pick seems preordained since Sawyer’s scoop and score in this year’s CFB playoff brought to mind the Hubbard yard dash. It seems natural to replace the retiring Buckeye with an emerging one. Sawyer seems to already have a professional approach to his training and preparation. He is an intense competitor whose performance on the field is greater than his workout numbers. Expect him to compete for playtime at defensive end.
Two picks later, the Bengals acquire a partner for Chase Brown in the backfield with Kansas State’s DJ Giddens. Giddens has great vision and speed, which helps him spring a lot of explosive runs. He has excellent contact balance and has demonstrated potential as a pass-catcher. The Wildcats were the only FBS team to offer Giddens a scholarship coming out of high school and he made the most of his opportunity. After playing and seeing some action as a reserve as a freshman, Giddens started 25 straight games and totaled over 2,500 yards in his last two seasons. With Giddens, the Bengals get a humble, consistent, versatile performer to pair with Brown.
The Bengals start out Day 3 by adding another piece to their defense. Dorian Strong did not turn many heads with his performance at the combine, but he is extremely sticky in man coverage. He is a great fit for the Bengals who will need have plenty of skilled man-defenders to run Al Golden’s defensive scheme.
In Round 5, the Bengals take Wisconsin’s Jack Nelson. Nelson has extensive starting experience at guard and tackle in the Big Ten. The 6’7” 314 Nelson is a bit stiff in his hips but has enough physical gifts to develop into the Bengals swing tackle.
After their selection with the 166th pick, the Bengals now have the 2024 triple-crown winner in both the NFL (Ja’Marr Chase) and NCAA. San Jose State’s Nick Nash had 104 receptions for 1,382 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. Not bad considering it was only the third season at receiver for the former quarterback. The SJSU team captain is a big slot who doesn’t have breakaway speed but has the craftiness and competitiveness to get open underneath. Could he be this year’s Puka Nacua?
With their final selection, the Bengals finally add a linebacker. They love ascending players, and Jailin Walker is just that. After starting for two seasons at James Madison, Walker followed his head coach and defensive coordinator to Indiana, where he had his best season yet. His 83 tackles, including 10 for a loss, were a big part of the Hoosiers’ surprising playoff run.
By trading their first pick the Bengals wound up with two high-quality Ohio State linemen (one on each side of the ball) and a complete wild card in Nick Nash. It also gave them enough picks to take a late round flyer on a swing tackle.
Detroit Lions Trade Up to 17
28. OG Grey Zabel 6’6” 312 lbs North Dakota State
49. RB TreVeyon Henderson 5’10” 202 lbs Ohio State
60. DE Bradyn Swinson 6’4” 255 lbs LSU
81. S Billy Bowman Jr. 5’10” 192 lbs Oklahoma
119. DT Jamaree Caldwell 6’2” 332 lbs Oregon
193. CB Jabbar Muhammad 5’9” 182 lbs Oregon
The Bengals have traded the 17th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft and the 153rd selection in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions in exchange for the 29th, and 60th picks.
The Bengals may have a former NSDU Bison at each guard spot after selecting Grey Zabel at the end of the 1st Round. Like veteran Cordell Volson, Zabel played tackle in college but looks to bump inside at the next level. Zabel thrives as a run blocker but will need to improve his anchor in pass protection. Pencil Zabel in as the starting right guard.
The Bengals just couldn’t pass up on Trayveyon Henderson in Round 2. The Ohio State Buckeye has all the makings of a premiere back in the NFL. He may bounce the ball outside more often than he should, but he has the speed to turn even miscues into explosive plays. He has also established himself in the pass game as both a blocker and a receiver. 31 other teams will live to regret letting the Bengals get Henderson in Round 2.
With Detroit’s former pick the Bengles pick up another defensive end in LSU’s Bradyn Swinson. Swinson is a productive pass-rusher who had 8.5 sacks in his final season in Baton Rouge. He is a long, explosive, bendy edge rusher who plays with passion and desire. The Bengals will look to develop Swinson into a starter with the many questions the unit is facing long-term.
In Round 3, the Bengals go with Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman Jr. Although he lacks ideal height, he has the speed and range to be the deep field safety that the Bengals need. Having said that, he is not a one-trick pony. The Bengals can rock him into the box and or play him in the slot when they need to. He will get a chance to usurp Geno Stone as the starting safety during training camp and has the skill and brains to do it.
The Bengals find an interior disruptor in Round 4, adding Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell. Although he may not have the physical presence or impressive workouts that his teammate Derrick Harmon boasts, Caldwell gets it done on the field. When you watch Harmon or Jordan Burch, your eye will frequently be drawn to Caldwell driving the guard or center into the backfield. He did not post a single sack in his one year as a nose tackle at Oregon, but when he was in Houston and., perhaps more importantly, when he was at three-technique in 2023, he had 6.5 sacks with a broken hand.
The Bengals close out the draft by adding Oregon cornerback Jabbar Muhammed. He is excellent in coverage with smooth hips and ball skills. The problem is that at only 5’9”, matchups will be a problem. Coverage in the slot has been a problem for this defense in the past, and Al Golden could find a niche for Muhamed that is worth keeping him around.
The key part of this trade is the secondary pick swap. The Bengals moved back 11 spots in Round 1 and moved up 93 spots (from their 6th-round pick to a late 2nd). This allowed them the luxury of selecting a game-changing running back with their own 2nd-round pick while being able to address their need on defense with the 60th pick.
The Bengals Trade Out of Round 1
33. S Xavier Watts 6’0” 204 lbs Notre Dame
49. DT Darius Alexander 6’4” 305 lbs Toledo
67. DE JT Tuimoloau 6’4” 265 lbs Ohio State
81. TE Terrance Ferguson 6’5 247 lbs Oregon
94. OG Jackson Slater 6’3” 311 lbs Sacramento State
119. LB Barrett Carter 6’0” 231 lbs Clemson
153. CB Denzel Burke 5’11” 186 lbs Ohio State
193. Kalel Mullings 6’2” 226 lbs Michigan
The Bengals have traded the 17th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns, who are notorious for doing dumb things like this. The Bengals will receive the 33rd, 67th, and 94th picks from Cleveland.
After sitting out of the action on Thursday Night, the Bengals select Darius Watts with the first pick of Round 2. If there is such thing as a sure thing in the draft, it is Watts. His floor is a solid starting free safety. He has the range and smarts that the Bengals need at the position. Watts also has a lot of upside. He makes good reads and has excellent ball skills. He could develop into a Pro Bowl-level player. The icing on the cake is that Watts was a two-time captain for Al Golden’s Irish defense.
In the second round, the Bengals take Toldeo defensive tackle Darius Alexander. A two-year starter in the MAC, Alexander proved he could compete with the big boys at the senior bowl. He has a massive frame and excellent movement skills. Alexander is an excellent run-stuffer from the 3-technique position but has not turned is traits into production as a pass rusher.
The trade left them with three 3rd round picks.
They use the first on Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau. Tuimoloau is a great fir for the Bengals defense, He is a worker who is never out of the play. He holds the edge well against the run and is an excellent power pass rusher who posted 12.5 sacks this season.
Next, they go with tight end Tyler Ferguson from Oregon. Ferguson would fill the void left by Erick All’s injury nicely. He is an inline tight end who is not a great blocker but does what he needs to do on running plays. He is also a dynamic passing threat who is excellent after the catch.
To end the night, the Bengals take Sacramento State guard Jackson Slater. He looks to replace Humboldt State’s Alex Cappa as the Bengals starting right guard. Slater is an athletic guard who, like Cappa before him. showed at the Senior Bowl that he can hang with the big boys.
The Bengals start off Day 3 by addressing their need at linebacker. Clemson’s Barrett Carter is a three-year starter who had 217 tackles and 305. tackles for a loss in that time frame. He is a skilled tackler from sideline to sideline and is effective in zone coverage. Look for Carter to be a serious contender for a starting role on the Bengals defense.
Denzel Burke should not have been around in the 5th Round, but when the Ohio State cornerback was still available, the Bengals could not pass him up. While Burke slid due to middling athleticism, Al Golden and company saw him for the skilled technician that he is. While he does not have great speed, he never seems to be out of position, and this is for a defense that faced the best in college football. Burke will add depth to the cornerback room, but don’t be surprised if, just like Josh Newton a year ago, Burke gets a chance to show what he can do early on in Cincinnati.
With their last pick, the Bengals address their need to add depth to the running back competition and find an excellent complement to Chase Brown. 226-pound Kalel Mullings is a powerhouse who made a name for himself in Ann Arbor as a close. Mullings is not a blazer, but he doesn’t not go down easy. The Wolverines frequently pounded Mullings up the middle of opposing defenses to wind down the clock late in games. He does not have much experience in the pass game and needs a lot of work as a blocker. With his frame, he could certainly develop in this area, particularly since he was a linebacker until partway through 2022.
Moving out of Round 1 put the Bengals in the perfect position to draft Darius Watts. Watts played for Al Golden at Notre Dame and is the ideal fit for that the Bengals need at safety. It gave them to other picks that allowed them to address needs on both sides of the line. It also gave them the luxury of being able to take a tight end in Round 3.
Be sure to check back on Cincy Jungle for the next installment on this 5-part series.
Yes, there will be more trades, and yes, that trade will be explored.
If you missed it, check out the first installment.
