Well, it is that time again. Football is finally back, so that means nothing is more important than looking forward to the offseason.
Okay, in all seriousness, the NFL Draft is a year-round event at this point, given the extensive coverage it receives for both college football and the actual draft.
So, in this early mock draft done by SB Nation’s Mark Schofield and James Dator, we will take a look at them, unfortunately making the very intriguing selection for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pick No. 12: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Why would the Bengals take Proctor No. 12? You might think pass rush might also be a very fair need if the team truly believes in letting Trey Hendrickson walk during free agency, among other things.
Well, look no further than the age of their current left tackle, Orlando Brown Jr., who will be the dreaded 30 years old by the start of next season.
We have seen too many prime examples of Cincinnati holding this number religiously close to their chest as a cutoff date for giving players any sort of big paydays. Brown’s contract is up following the 2026 season.
Without banging the very predictable reason why the Bengals would make this selection too much, Proctor could also provide some insurance for Amarius Mims at right tackle next season. That is a positive, normal reason to make a pick like this.
Unfortunately, we’ve seen a version of this play out in recent history, and it ended epically against Cincinnati. No one will forget them letting Andrew Whitworth walk in favor of Cedric Ogbuehi, who they drafted in the first round to eventually take his spot.
The trouble? He absolutely was not fit for that. Whitworth, of course, was part of the Los Angeles team that went on to defeat the Bengals in the Super Bowl in 2021 before retiring.
This is in no way to cast Proctor as Ohbuehi. I dare not insult a young man to that level. Where Ogbuehi was off the chart athletically while lacking power, Proctor is huge at 6’7 and 360 lbs., while also having athleticism. The biggest knock currently is inconsistency, which is fair at this stage of his career and so early into the 2025 season.
Oh, and while Whitworth was playing at an All-Pro level when the Bengals let him go, Orlando Brown Jr. is nowhere close to that. In three games, he’s allowed eight total pressures, tied for the team lead, and ranks near the bottom of this pass-blocking metric.
Yikes.
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