Cincinnati Bengals' 7-Round Mock Draft: 3 ways Duke Tobin can brace for Joe Burrow's return with draft prospects

The Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow had a season to forget last year. They finished with a winning record though, ensuring the entire AFC North finished, as a whole, above 0.500.

However, they were the only ones in the division to miss out on the postseason. After two seasons of unprecedented success, when they made it to the Super Bowl and the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons, this was a major disappointment.

Much of the underachievement came due to injuries Joe Burrow faced during the season. He began with a calf strain that limited his production. In a divisional matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, the quarterback got a wrist injury, which sidelined him for the rest of the season. Even without that, the Cincinnati Bengals rallied but ran out of steam to miss the playoffs.

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If they are to get back there and compete again this season, they need to draft well. The responsibility will fall on General Manager Duke Tobin to make the Bengals competitive again, especially with the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs in the same AFC Conference as them.

He can use Sportskeeda's NFL Mock Draft Simulator to build his strategy, as can you.

Cincinnati Bengals Mock Draft 1.0

Tobin's first strategy should be based on pragmatism. He will likely look to plan on what's available to him and imagine the worst-case scenario. Instead of thinking about trades, he could look at the draft picks he has available and build on that.

In the first round in this scenario, the Bengals select offensive tackle Amarius Mims to ensure that Joe Burrow, who's coming back from injury, remains protected. They then add a wide receiver to complement Ja'Marr Chase in the second round before adding a linebacker up next.

They then keep their focus on retooling the offense by adding a tight end before adding depth on the offensive line and wide receiver positions.

Cincinnati Bengals Mock Draft 2.0

The Bengals could also choose to trade within this year's draft to get some more picks.

In this iteration, they can trade down from their first-round pick, knowing that this draft class is rich in wide receivers. With their first pick in the second round, they can select someone like Jalen McMillan. Then they can add a pass rusher and a tight end in the same round with the glut of picks they have from their earlier trades.

With the next few picks, they can address the offensive line and depth in the secondary with some picks at the corner position. The Bengals can build further with the multiple picks that they have by drafting across the offensive line and also adding depth in other positions.

Cincinnati Bengals Mock Draft 3.0

Duke Tobin could be extremely aggressive with trades as well and decide to build for both this season and collect some other picks from next year's draft from those teams that are needy and willing to trade with them.

In one such scenario, they get a fourth-round pick from the Denver Broncos and also end up selecting a whopping 19 players in the 2024 NFL draft. In this iteration, they start with Ladd McConkey as their first pick to address their wide receiver needs after trading back but remaining in the first round.

With their next picks, they can select an offensive tackle before adding a running back and an offensive guard to rebuild their offense.

With the amount of picks available, they have multiple options to add depth in every position going deep into the draft. Such a possibility will be ideal for the Bengals if they can find the right trade partners.