January Mock

[*ochocincos*]

Expected (or hopeful) extensions:
- Vonn Bell - Bengals have to keep Bell if they want to keep momentum, as they are very likely letting Bates walk in favor of Dax Hill. Bell is a leader in the secondary. He's arguably priority #1 on the list for guys to re-sign.
- Germaine Pratt - I'd love to have Pratt back, but I think he tests the FA market before potentially re-signing. I can see a team giving him around $10-12 mill APY. I think the Bengals would be closer to that lower number though.
- Hayden Hurst - Not as featured as some of the prominent TEs, but he's good. I see him getting in the $6-8 mill APY range.
- Samaje Perine - I wouldn't pay Perine a large amount, but I think he's pretty solid. He's not as fast as we'd like, but he can catch, he can block, and he showed more physicality this year compared to previous years.

Weaknesses noticed in this postseason? TRENCHES
The Bengals need more pass rush, and they need better OL depth, by far.
Assuming Bengals can get their defensive starters and starting TE situation settled in FA, the below is something I think could really help improve the team.

1) Tuli Tuipulotu, 3T/DE USC (6'4", 290 lb) - Good pass-rushing DL who is on the bigger side when it comes to being on the edge. 13.5 sacks and 22.0 TFLs on the season, showing continued improvement in both sacks and TFLs each year for the past 3 seasons. Guy's only 20 years old, showing he has much more room to grow too. I like Tuipulotu to add more pass rush to this DL that seems to be missing some juice at times.

2) Darnell Wright, OT Tennessee (6'6", 335 lb) - Big, powerful RT who didn't allow a sack all year. Getting pushed back on skates isn't something you'd need to worry about with this guy. New backup to Collins with a plan to become the new starter in 2024 or 2025. Bye bye, Adeniji!

3) Henry Bainivalu, OG Washington (6'5", 322 lb) - Good sized OG who has been a good starter for 3 seasons with the Huskies. On the tape I watched from this past year, Bainvalu has VERY active hands along with quality movement skills and anchor to be effective in both the run and pass. Looks to have good length on tape, and it's reported he has over 34" arm length. Scharping replacement.

4) Luke Schoonmaker, TE Michigan (6'5", 250 lb) - Schoonmaker is a TE that fits the Zac Taylor offense. He wasn't a top receiving threat in college, but he showed some promise this past year. He's a good blocker and could make for a solid TE2 kinda guy.

5) Evan Hull, RB Northwestern (5'11", 210 lb) - Well-rounded RB who can run between tackles, has good enough speed to get some chunks, is a great receiver, and he can pass block. With both Perine and Williams set to hit FA this Spring, the Bengals could use another RB to add to the stable.

6 & 7) Depth - Guys taken this late are really just STers and bottom of the depth anyway, and there's no guarantee they ever make the team. So I'm not too worried about who is picked up this late.