According to Major Espn, the Bengals are expected to trade up for an elite offensive player in the 2024 NFL Draft.

According to Major Publication, the Bengals are expected to trade up for an elite offensive player in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Following the completion of the Super Bowl and another triumph by their largest interdivisional foe, the Cincinnati Bengals have officially commenced the 2024 offseason process. While the season did not go as planned for both fans and the club, the next six months will be spent rebuilding the roster so that this squad can compete for a Super Bowl in the coming postseason. On that topic, Cincinnati is currently facing the most difficult decision that any team has over the offseason: whether to be conservative or proactive.

Sports Illustrated Makes Bold Mock Draft Prediction for Bengals

In a recent Mock Draft published on Saturday morning, Sports Illustrated (SI) made a daring prediction for Cincinnati in the 2024 NFL Draft. According to SI, Cincinnati plans to move up from the 18th to the 12th overall pick in the draft to choose tight end Brock Bowers from the University of Georgia. ESPN now ranks Bowers as the sixth greatest prospect in the 2019 draft, after the tight end created a name for himself with the Bulldogs over the last several seasons.

While SI does not estimate trade details, trading up six spots in the front half of the first round is likely to cost Cincinnati a second round pick or next season’s first round pick. The Denver Broncos (picking 12th) would gladly give up a few spots for the additional trade collateral after Russell Wilson’s 2022 summer acquisition failed miserably. To consummate the trade, the team gave up back-to-back seasons with first and second overall picks, and they have recently felt the sting of a lack of young on their squad.
Cincinnati, on the other hand, should approach the suggested deal with skepticism. While Bowers is an exceptional athlete, the modern collapse of the tight end position means he will most certainly fall past 12th overall, and giving up important draft collateral for a low priority position appears misguided. For context, Cincinnati hasn’t put much focus on the tight end position since Tyler Eifert’s dominant 2015 season, which led to his faster decline in subsequent years.

With the potential departure of Tee Higgins this offseason, one of the most compelling arguments in favor of Bowers is that he would be an excellent replacement. Higgin, a wide receiver with a big 6’4″ and 219 pound body, serves as a pseudo-tight end on the offensive side of the ball. His departure may require the organization to prioritize the position. Bowers’ primary issue is a lack of traditional bulk at the tight end position, since he weights only 240 pounds, but his versatility as a receiver would be an ideal alternative for Higgins’ stature.

The Queen City Club is in desperate need of help at the offensive and defensive tackle positions this offseason and while a shiny new tight end might appeal to the fans, it certainly wouldn’t align with the team’s greatest needs at the moment.  Look for Cincinnati to draft either an offensive or defensive lineman with their first round pick this offseason.