Midseason Mock

[*ochocincos*]

The Bengals are 3-5 and things aren't looking very good to give me optimism that the Bengals will finish better than 6-10. Therefore, I expect them to be picking in the 6-12 range.

1) Mike McGlinchey, OT Notre Dame (6'7", 310 lb) - Franchise OT. Experience at both tackle spots. One of the safest picks in the draft. He is especially good in the run game, but does occasionally struggle with some pure speed rushers.

2) Harrison Phillips, DT Stanford (6'3", 295 lb) - 3T that gets good pressure. Phillips plays with power and is always around the ball. He'd be a quality addition to back up Atkins and potentially replace him if Atkins leaves in FA after next season.

3) Isaiah Wynn, OL Georgia (6'2", 302 lb) - Wynn has been really good for the Bulldogs, especially this year at LT. He moved from guard to LT this year and has rocked it. He's shorter in height and arm length than preferred for OT, so his best fit might be at guard but he has versatility that the coaches will love. He's also an aggressive blocker that gets push at the LOS, and some have compared him to Kelvin Beachum, who had a good career at LT in the NFL. If he does show he can stick at OT, I could see him and McGlinchey as franchise bookends. If not, he should be a stud interior OL. And with Fisher now having surgery to try and fix his irregular heartbeat, he may not be able to play again or at least not be relied upon as a starter, and Andre Smith would be a short-term stopgap for RT if re-signed.

3 comp for Zeitler) Bradley Bozeman, C Alabama (6'5", 319 lb) - Knowing how the Bengals (don't) prioritize interior OL, I tried to find a very good, smart, dependable C in the middle rounds that should be an improvement over Bodine. Bozeman offers that, and he is solid both in the run and pass game. He gets good push and doesn't knocked on his butt often like Bodine. If the coaches feel he's not ready to take over as starter by beginning of season, put TJ Johnson as the starter until then.

4) Jarrett Johnson, DE Texas A&M (6'3", 265 lb) - Backing up Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall last year, Johnson had good stats at 4.5 sacks. Now that both are gone, Johnson is expected to fill those shoes. He's done that so far with 4.5 sacks in 6 games. He's an athletic edge rusher with a relentless motor that can also play the run. He'd be a quality player to groom behind Dunlap.

5) Godwin Igwebuike, S Northwestern (6'0", 212 lb) - Well-rounded, versatile safety that can tackle, stuff the run, and defend the pass. With Smith now gone, I see Iggy competing with Wilson for the last safety spot.

5 comp for Whit) Deatrick Nichols, CB USF (5'10", 190 lb) - Depth CB to replace Jones on the roster. Nichols is underrated due to his size and playing at USF, but he'd be a quality backup CB. He's had 4 INTs each seaason 2015-2016 and 49+ total tackles each of those seasons as well.

6) Kalen Ballage, RB Arizona St (6'3", 230 lb) - The Bengals will need another bruiser to replace Jeremy Hill when he likely leaves in FA next year. Ballage is a big RB that can also catch. He should be able to come in immediately and contribute on ST and used sparingly on offense in a rotation with Mixon and Bernard.

7) Nyles Morgan, LB Notre Dame (6'1", 246 lb) - Solid, well-rounded LB that could be a potential replacement for Minter at MIKE.

TL;DR: Changed picks 2, 3, and 3comp from my last mock.