November Mock

[*ochocincos*]

Coming into the final stretch of the college football season and halfway through the NFL season, we are getting a better idea of who the Bengals are, what areas they may need to address, and who in college may be worth taking in next year's draft.

Free Agency:
- Darius Slayton, WR NYG - Slayton is currently making $6 mill APY with a bad NYG team. He has shown nearly every season to be a solid WR2. While I think he's not as good as Higgins, he's not a huge step down in terms of production. This also allows the Bengals to invest premium draft picks into defense.

- Tyler Conklin, TE NYG - Conklin has quietly put together 3 seasons in a row of 550+ yards and on pace this year to be close to 500. He'll turn 30 next July, but he still seems like a good stopgap while All and McLachlan continue to grow.

- Justin Simmons, SAF ATL - If the Bengals are willing to part ways with Stone, it would free up $6.5 mill in cap. Simmons is currently playing with ATL on a one-year, $7.5 mill contract, and he's turning 31 later in November. While he's not quite as good as he was in his prime (near-elite), he's still solid and could potentially come at close to the same cost as Stone. Stone will also only be 26 next season, so the Bengals may want to keep with Stone due to longevity.

- Josh Jones, OT BAL - Versatile OL who has gotten relegated to backup in BAL. Has bounced around ARI, HOU, and now BAL as a backup. Experience playing all OL positions aside from C. Jones could be a replacement for Trent Brown/Cody Ford as a backup OT. He should come cheap too, currently playing on a 1-year, $1.8 mill contract and only 27 years old.

Draft:
1) Nic Scourton, DE Texas A&M - High upside edge who should be able to help bolster the DL as a rookie before taking over as a full-time starter once Hendrickson/Hubbard departs the following year. If Murphy ever turns it on, Murphy and Scourton could be the future tandem.

2) Tate Ratledge, OG Georgia - This dude seems exactly like the kind of OL that Pollack falls in love with. A glass eater who has a championship pedigree. Ratledge is versatile enough to play both LG and RG, making him an ideal candidate to either serve as first OG off the bench until Cappa departs in FA or push Volson for starting LG reps in 2025.

3) Derrick Harmon, DT Oregon - Big, long-armed DT who can rush the passer and has been showing his run stopping chops this year. I think he's best starting out as a rotational 3T as a rookie and groomed to eventually become starting 3T within a couple years.

4) Andrew Mukuba, DB Texas - Mukuba is a versatile defensive back who can play both safety spots and also nickel CB. He has great athleticism and ball skills. He could be perfect to grow behind Stone (or some other new veteran FS like Simmons) in 2025 before potentially taking over as the new starting FS in 2026. His ceiling may result in him getting taken on Day 2, but he still has some refinement so I am thinking he may be available.

5) Jonah Coleman, RB Washington - Hoss of a RB who can pound the rock and catch passes out of the backfield. He has good speed for his size (5'9", 230 lbs), but he's not a blazer. One thing the Bengals struggle with is being able to get the tough yards on the ground, and Coleman can help bring that.

6) Amari Knight, OT UCF - Bengals need a backup OT for OBJ, ideally one who could potentially swing to either side. Knight has great length, size (6'7", 318 lbs), good lateral agility, and pass protection fundamentals that could make him a good developmental prospect to groom.

7) Germie Bernard, WR Alabama - Solid size (6'1", 209 lbs) who can play multiple positions. Guy won't blow anyone away with elite measurables, but he's someone who I think can be a solid, savvy, versatile backup WR to replace Irwin.

For those wondering why I didn't add a DT in FA...based on the available DTs hitting FA, it probably makes the most sense for the starters to be Jenkins and either Rankins or let Rankins go and use that saved $$ ($10 mill) to re-sign BJ Hill. That would make Jackson the backup to Jenkins and Harmon the backup to Hill/Rankins.
If a good DT gets to Bengals in Rd 1 without reaching, I'm cool with going DT in Rd 1, DE in Rd 3.