Stat of the Jay: Using Mock Draft Simulators To Gauge Which Top Bengals Options Will/Won't Be Available at No. 17

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Michigan tight end Colston Loveland (18) makes a catch against Oregon defensive back Kobe Savage (5) during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – There are six players the Cincinnati Bengals should target with pick No. 17 in the NFL Draft, according to our James Rapien.

Rapien put the prospects in two baskets – trenches and other.

For today’s Stat of the Jay, let’s take a look at how likely it will that each of the six are available when the Bengals go on the clock.

To do that, I ran 20 mock simulations on three different platforms – ESPN, Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Network.

Rapien’s six targets are:

Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr.

Mississippi DT Walter Nolen

Oregon DT Derrick Harmon

South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori

Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell

Michigan TE Colston Loveland

The least likely of those six to be available, according to the simulators, is Campbell, who was selected in the first 16 picks in 33 of the 60 mocks (55 percent).

Banks went off the board in 27 of the mocks (45 percent) and Loveland in 22 (36.7 percent).

The other three should be available for the Bengals based on these models.

Emmanwori was selected in the top 16 in just seven of the mocks (11.7 percent), Harmon in four (6.7 percent) and Nolen in just one (1.7 percent).

In running the simulators, the Cincinnati pick at 17 was left to the computers.

Marshall edge rusher Mike Green was the most popular choice, but he only appeared on seven of the 60 mocks (11.7 percent).

Among Rapien’s top six, Campbell led with the way by getting drafted five times, followed by Emmanwori (four), Banks (two), Harmon (two) and Loveland (one).

Here is the breakdown of the rest of the players the simulators picked for the Bengals.

Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas (6)

Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia (5)

Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M (5)

Tyler Booker, G, Alabama (4)

Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College (4)

Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan (4)

Matthew Golden, WR, Texas (2)

Malaki Starks, S, Georgia (2)

Will Johnson, CB, Michigan (2)

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State (1)

Jaylon Walker, Edge, Georgia (1)

Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State (1)

Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona (1)

Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State (1)