Bengals Address Top Weaknesses, Double Dip in Key Areas in Mock Draft 4.0

Cincinnati has seven picks in this year's draft.

CINCINNATI — The 2023 NFL Draft is just three days away, which means it's time for our final mock simulator. 

I'll do a predictive mock later this week that will feature predictions for all seven of the Bengals' picks, but let's stick with the Pro Football Focus simulator for this exercise.

Here are the seven selections I made in our fourth and final edition of Mock Draft Monday:

Round 1, Pick 28: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

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Guys like Dalton Kincaid, Bijan Robinson and the top defensive players were off the board, which meant going with one of the safest prospects in the draft. 

Mayer should get on the field as a rookie and bring stability to the Bengals' tight end room right away. He'll make an impact in the passing game and could develop into a safety net for Joe Burrow.

Round 2, Pick 60: Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami

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Adding Stevenson in round two gives Cincinnati a future starting outside cornerback. With Chidobe Awuzie coming off of a torn ACL and Cam Taylor-Britt still developing, he'll immediately boost the Bengals' depth in the secondary. 

He has good size, made 26 starts and appeared in 46 games for Georgia and Miami. There are plenty of cornerbacks in this class and instead of reaching for one with pick 28, the Bengals take the top player on their board in round two.

Round 3, Pick 92: Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane

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Spears is Jahmyr Gibbs-lite. 

He would give the Bengals a pass catching back that should thrive in a pass-first offense. He impressed at the Senior Bowl and had stellar production for the Green Wave last season. 

Spears finished the season with 1,581 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. He also had 256 receiving yards and showed off his ability as a route runner in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. 

Round 4, Pick 131: Isreal Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburgh

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Adding Spears made sense in round three, but the Bengals could be tempted to double dip at the position if Abanikanda is available in the fourth round. 

He would give Cincinnati two young, promising backs that would compliment each other well—both in the short and long term. 

Abanikanda ran 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Panthers last season. He posted a 4.44 40-yard dash at 5-10, 217 pounds. He's just 20-years-old and could be at the top of the Bengals' draft board at this point of the draft. 

Round 5, Pick 163: Viliami Fehoko, DE, San Jose State

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The Bengals' defensive line depth is a long-term question mark and even though they added Tarell Basham this offseason, giving their pass rush a boost would make a lot of sense at some point in the draft. 

Fehoko had 19 tackles for loss and nine sacks last season. He isn't a top-tier athlete, but he could contribute as a rookie. 

Round 6, Pick 206: Will Mallory, TE, Miami

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Not only do the Bengals double dip at running back, but they address tight end twice with Mallory still on the board at this point in the draft. 

He doesn't have ideal size at 6-4, 239 pounds, but he ran a 4.54 40-yard dash and has some traits that could appeal to the Bengals. He would compliment Mayer well and could develop into a contributor in the passing game. 

Round 7, Pick 246: Desjuan Johnson, DL, Toledo

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Johnson doesn't have ideal size, but his production should stand out and might be enough to get picked at the end of round seven. 

He had 29 tackles for loss and 10 sacks over the past two seasons for the Rockets. 

Johnson was a difference maker as an interior pass rusher and the Bengals would love to give that part of their defense a boost at some point in the draft.

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