CINCINNATI — The Bengals hold the 18th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. There’s a fair likelihood they’ll grab a trench player with that pick.
Cincinnati selected Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton in Eric Edholm’s most recent mock draft for NFL.com. The 6-7, 328-pound lineman impressed at the Senior Bowl and might end up being the Bengals’ pick. If he gets to No. 18.
“After observing Senior Bowl preparations in Mobile, I’m worried I’ve placed Guyton too low,” Edholm stated. “He isn’t the most seasoned tackle in this class, but the Oklahoma graduate has more potential than a handful of the guys I mentioned before. Wide receiver might become a need for Cincinnati, especially if Tee Higgins walks for free agency. But if Jonah Williams leaves, offensive tackle could become a more pressing need.”
This mock is less concerned with who the Bengals choose than with who they pass on and where that guy ends up. Jer’Zhan Newton, an Illinois defensive tackle, is still on the Bengals’ draft board and eventually falls to the Ravens at No. 30.
Newton is regarded as the one or second best defensive tackle in the 2024 class, with the potential to be an instant game changer in the heart of any defense.
It would be difficult to pass him up, but having him fall to Baltimore would exacerbate the situation. It’s worth noting that the Bengals have taken a defensive tackle in the first round since 1994, when they selected Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson with the first overall choice.
