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Fans of the Cincinnati Bengals are in the rare position of going into every season with championship hopes. Joe Burrow is the long-term quarterback with the Bengals, and as long as he is healthy, the team will always be there or thereabouts in the postseason.
After having reached the Super Bowl in 2021 with a regular season record of 10-7, the Bengals improved in 2022 as they finished atop the AFC North with a 12-4 record.
Losing in the Conference Championship to the Kansas City Chiefs was a hard pill to swallow, but there is confidence the Cincinnati Bengals will be back there in 2023.
First, there is the small matter of the 2023 NFL Draft and assessing just how the team improves to reload and go again next year.
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Improvements on the offensive line were notable in 2022 as Burrow was only sacked 46 times as opposed to the 70 from the previous year.
Orlando Brown Jr.’s signing in free agency is a huge boost and virtually ends the need for offensive line recruitment at the top end of the draft.
Joe Mixon’s future is yet to be decided, although there is a feeling he will depart. This leaves Cincinnati with a serious hole on offense, and one which desperately needs to be filled.
Cincinnati Bengals 7-round mock draft 2023
The Cincinnati Bengals will officially take to the clock at pick No. 29 in the first round of the NFL draft, although due to Miami’s punishment, it will be the 28th player selection that evening.
Sportskeeda’s seven-round mock draft will not consider any trades that are yet to take place.
The Bengals have just one solitary selection in the first round, but they can look forward to adding a lot of depth to their roster with four picks on Day 3.
In total, the team has seven selections, which is at the lower end of the scale, with it being rare that a team holds all of their original picks heading into the NFL draft.
Having picked at No. 31 in 2022, the Bengals chose Daxton Hill, a safety out of Michigan, although there remain concerns over the strength of their backfield ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
Significant Cincinnati Bengals free agency signings
- OT Orland Brown Jr.
- S Nick Scott
- Re-signed LB Germaine Pratt
- G Cody Ford
- CB Sidney Jones IV
- Re-signed LB Joe Bachie
Significant Cincinnati Bengals free agency losses
- CB Eli Apple
- TE Hayden Hurst
- S Jessie Bates III
- S Vonn Bell
- RB Samaje Perine
- CB Tre Flowers
Let’s look at Sportskeeda’s 7-round mock for the Cincinnati Bengals
29. RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
60. TE Sam LaPorta, Iowa
92. S Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame
131. CB Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
163. OT Wanya Morris, Oklahoma
206. RB Tyjae Spears, Tulane
246. WR Michael Jefferson, Louisiana
On the proviso that Joe Mixon leaves the franchise in June, Sportskeeda expects that the Cincinnati Bengals will draft his direct replacement with their first-round selection.
The standout candidate is Jahmyr Gibbs out of Alabama, and our mock first-round 1.0 expects the team to draft him.
Cincinnati need their run-game to be more dynamic, and Gibbs would offer them a different dimension. Gibbs has been compared to Alvin Kamara for his explosiveness and speed off the line of scrimmage. He is arguably the best back in this class and would give the Bengals a new threat alongside Joe Burrow.
Hayden Hurst's departure leaves the Cincinnati Bengals in need of a starting tight end, and they will find one in the second round.
Sam LaPorta out of Iowa isn’t a natural offensive star. He played defensive back in high school and is often seen as more of a blocking tight end. He led the Iowa team in receiving yards in both 2022 and 2021 though and would be a good option to utilize alongside Irv Smith Jr.
The sheer number of safeties that have left the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason is alarming, especially when you consider the backfield to be the weakest area of the team’s defense.
As such, we have the team going for Brandon Joseph in the third round. The Notre Dame safety ran a 4.62 40-time which was solid, if not spectacular, but his real strength comes in his defensive IQ.
A man-coverage specialist, Joseph would shut areas of the field down, especially through the center, which may be a way of controlling the field when up against Patrick Mahomes.
Next up for the Cincinnati Bengals is the cornerback position, with Kyu Blu Kelly being the pick in the fourth round, although don’t be surprised if he is taken off the board before this point.
Kelly is a much more athletic pick than Joseph, which will add variety to the team’s secondary. He has length and speed and knows how to find the ball, recording three interceptions and 23 pass deflections in his career with Stanford.
Wanya Morris adds physical power to an offensive line that is constantly improving. What the Cincinnati Bengals have done well this offseason is taking a star away from their biggest competition. Orlando Brown Jr. was a stud on the Chiefs’ O-Line, and now he will protect Burrow. You can expect Morris to play alongside him on the right side, ensuring the quarterback's sack numbers decrease further in 2023.
Tyjae Spears and Michael Jefferson are prospects who need a lot of development, but they have brilliant athleticism on their side. The Cincinnati Bengals have a long history of successfully developing these traits and turning talent into viable NFL players. They will hope to do the same here.
