Rewrite!

Sadly, the original final mock draft will never see the light of day, deleted and replaced with a story on the Bengals trading the No. 10 pick for Dexter Lawrence. A moment of silence, please, for all the insightful analysis on Mansoor Delane’s fit in the secondary and why the concerning Jermod McCoy knee injury changed the dynamics of Cincinnati’s top 10.

In actuality, the McCoy knee concern might have been the final straw that made the Bengals realize they would not be landing any of their top targets and decide to use the asset on a trade instead.

The arrival of the 340-pound Lawrence did not eclipse the Bengals’ needs. They still exist. The path to filling them already felt tight, and now some box will probably go unchecked. As for what it will be and how the draft changed the dynamics of this draft path for the Bengals, here’s my (new) final mock draft.

As a reminder, this is not what I would do; this is my view of what the Bengals would do to fill the host of needs at cornerback, linebacker, offensive line and pass rusher, among others.

Each pick comes with the projected selection and an alternative path based on how the second-round pick decision goes between top needs at cornerback and linebacker.

I’ll start by pointing out that the immediate fallout of the trade is the need to pull off another. Previous starting nose tackle T.J. Slaton must be available at this point for anyone interested. He has one year and $6.2 million in cash remaining on his deal. Or, the Bengals pluck an old favorite move and drop back 8-10 spots in the second round. They’ll likely land a similarly graded player, given the sweet spot of this year’s crop, and could find another early Day 3 pick in the process. I didn’t project the trade here, but that must be under heavy consideration on Friday.

Round 2 (41): Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

He turned in one of the greatest seasons by a linebacker in recent college football history and finished fifth in the Heisman voting. The Bengals desperately need to add a linebacker and this will be the sweet spot in this draft to make it happen.

Rodriguez is not alone as a quality option here, but he’s the best of the linebacker bunch behind Ohio State’s Sonny Styles. The guy became a splash-play machine at Tech and built a reputation as the quarterback of their defense. He created 11 turnovers last season with seven forced fumbles and four picks. He’s fantastic in coverage, savvy against the run and checks all the character boxes. The missed tackle percentages and less-than-prototypical size offer pause, but that’s the only reason he would be available at 41.

In fact, the way he aced every step of the draft process, the buzz about sneaking into the back of the first round doesn’t sound far-fetched for him. If he’s available at 41, though, he’s about as snug a fit as exists in terms of talent and need.

Alternative path: Keionte Scott, CB, Miami. The decision between linebacker and corner will be interesting here and could include others depending on who falls. Scott would be starting the opener at nickel and the Bengals could push linebacker to Round 3. There’s also a chance Scott lasts to the next round or a scrappy corner like Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds fits the bill.

Round 3 (72): Markel Bell, OT, Miami

The best I feel about any individual mock pick. He’s built like a Bengals tackle and no team will value his rare size more. At 6-9, 346 pounds, he will fit right in next to Amarius Mims and Orlando Brown Jr.

Bell specializes in pass protection and didn’t allow a sack for the Hurricanes last season, one that ended in the National Championship Game.

Cincinnati needs a swing tackle and this is the sweet spot in the draft for them to acquire one. A pack of about four options exists here, along with a couple guard/center prospects who would fill a critical need, but none has a Bengals profile anywhere close to Bell’s.

Now, could they wait until the fourth round and take the chance they still land a swing tackle they like, then go linebacker here? That’s where the decision lies.

Alternate path: Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri. The Bengals could go Scott-Trotter easily. Bell stays from my original mock, however, because he still feels too much like a need-team-profile fit to pass.

Round 4 (110): Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia

The Bengals love tapping into players tested in the SEC and at Georgia, particularly. This would mark the third consecutive year of picking a Bulldogs product in the first four rounds. If the cornerback picks don’t fall their way earlier, Everette provides a solid fallback plan who could develop over the course of the year into an interesting option entering 2027.

Everette brings the height, weight and speed necessary for the position and “carries himself like a future coach,” according to “The Beast.” The Bengals will hand those factors over to cornerbacks coach Charles Burks, whom they trust implicitly to develop young players at the position.

Honorable mention: Jaishawn Barham, LB/edge, Michigan. Could hit multiple spots as the combination edge-linebacker the Bengals were seeking in free agency, but never landed. 

Honorable mention, Part 2, tradeback pick: Febechi Nwaiwu, G/C, Oklahoma. The possibility of attacking the interior offensive line need exists here if they went with an edge earlier.

Round 6 (189): Landon Robinson, DT, Navy

Cincinnati has been all over Robinson throughout the process. Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery coached him at the East-West Shrine Game, they met with him at his pro day and they brought him in for a Top 30 visit. The American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year is undersized at 6-0, 293, but there’s clearly enough there to think the Bengals will be tracking him on Saturday. Lawrence wouldn’t stop them from doing this, especially considering Slaton’s days in Cincinnati are likely numbered.

Honorable mention: Trey Moore, Edge/LB, Texas

Round 6 (199): Caleb Douglas, WR, Texas Tech

Cincinnati is searching for competition and a potential future replacement for Andrei Iosivas, specifically one with deep-threat prowess. Douglas is among a notable number of big, fast, tall receivers that fit the bill in the latest deep receiver class. He caught 12 passes for 392 yards and four touchdowns on throws of 20-plus air yards last season.

Honorable mention: Emmanuel Henderson, WR, Kansas.

Round 7 (221): Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston

He’s in the mold of Tanner Hudson and Mike Gesicki after catching 168 passes the last two seasons. There will be plenty of tight ends from which to choose, with legendary depth in this year’s group. You can pick almost any name here and there’s a chance he ends up in stripes. Just know there will be at least one.

Honorable mention: Carsen Ryan, TE, BYU.

Round 7 (226): Pat Coogan, C, Indiana

Cincinnati could stand to address the interior offensive line earlier, but in this scenario, they land the center from the national champs in the seventh round. At some point, they need to find an answer for life after Ted Karras, or else just keep riding on those one-year extensions.

Honorable mention: James Brockermeyer, C, Miami