Tuesday Trenches: Four 7-round mock drafts

Eat it up, you little junkies.

First and foremost, I want to express my sincere condolences to Duke Tobin and his entire family for the loss of Bill Tobin on Friday. He was a great general manager and NFL front office executive for the Bears, Colts, and Lions. He most recently worked as a scout for his son and the Cincinnati Bengals.

I hope the Tobin family finds peace in this difficult time.

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I was going to do a whole first-round mock draft. I had gotten through the Cincinnati Bengals pick at No. 18, and I got all the way to No. 24. There I was working on a second first-round pick for the Chargers, which they received from the Vikings in a trade I made up.

It was there I realized I was in over my head.

It didn’t matter who was going to be picked next. I was going to be wrong.

Highlight all. Delete.

So, let’s do this instead. Four realistic seven-round mock drafts (without trades), each with their highs and lows. Then we’ll talk about which is better.

Disclaimer: I am not a draft expert. I do not know what every single team needs. This is just for fun.

Mock Draft 1

• No. 18: Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton
• No. 49: Washington WR Ja’Lynn Polk
• No. 80: Washington OT Roger Rosengarten
• No. 97: Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott
• No. 115: Penn State C Hunter Nourzad
• No. 149: Duke DT DeWayne Carter
• No. 194: Iowa P Tory Taylor
• No. 214: Alabama RB Jase McClellan
• No. 224: Mississippi Edge Cedric Johnson
• No. 237: Auburn DT Justin Rogers

I absolutely love the idea of Newton or Byron Murphy with the team’s first-round pick. Either one could slot in and immediately make an impact as a rotational defensive tackle, keeping linebackers free and helping keep both Sheldon Rankins and BJ Hill healthy.

Polk has rare high-point ability once the ball goes up in the air. He’s not the best route runner, and he’s not the fastest, but he’s big, and he can go up and get the ball, and that’s all you need when Ja’Marr Chase is on the other side of the field. He makes Mike Gesicki the team’s slot receiver, and the Bengals once again have the best receiver room in the NFL.

Rosengarten in the third works out. He can help the team in the event Orlando Brown Jr. or Trent Brown go down, and that’s likely at some point this season based on history. If both linemen stay up on their feet for every snap, the worst thing that happens is Rosengarten steps in at right tackle in 2025.

Ben Sinnott at the end of the third is a pick I love. I think he’s the second-best receiving tight end in this year’s draft class after Brock Bowers, and he immediately makes the Bengals passing offense that much more dangerous. If Gesicki is the slot receiver, Sinnott can take some passing snaps from the tight end position and rotate with Drew Sample.

From there, it’s all gravy. Another defensive tackle with the potential to make the Bengal’s defensive line one of the best in the league, a center to add depth and maybe compete once Ted Karras’ contract is up, a new punter, a running back, an edge rusher, and another defensive lineman.

What’s not to like? Well, it doesn’t address CB4, and if Rosengarten doesn’t work out, you’re in trouble. Other than that, I think I’d be happy with this. How about you?

Mock Draft 2

• No. 18: Alabama OT JC Latham
• No. 49: Missouri CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
• No. 80: Florida State DT Braden Fiske
• No. 97: Texas DT T’Vondre Sweat
• No. 115: Ohio State TE Cade Stover
• No. 149: Illinois G Isaiah Adams
• No. 194: Cincinnati DT Jowon Briggs
• No. 214: Notre Dame S Thomas Harper
• No. 224: LSU C Charles Turner III
• No. 237: UTSA WR Josh Cephus

Alright, I don’t like this one as much, but it still has potential. The issue with this one, I think, is Latham, but there is a scenario where he’s the best available for the Bengals. If that’s the case, there are worse things that could happen, but Latham does have some potential at right tackle.

Then you grab Rakestraw and let him battle it out with DJ Turner to see who plays opposite Cam Taylor-Britt, and the other is one of the best CB4s in the league. Fiske and Sweat back-to-back? Okay, I think the Bengals would be happy with that, and they’d have a talented and deep defensive tackle rotation, especially if Briggs, a Cincinnati kid, can contribute as well.

You also get Stover, who could contribute in the passing game as a tight end while Gesicki takes the slot receiver role. After that, it’s depth along the offensive line, in the secondary, with a flyer on a talented wide receiver.

I think it addresses needs and adds depth everywhere, but I still don’t like it as much as the first.

Mock Draft 3

• No. 18: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
• No. 49: BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia
• No. 80: LSU DT Mekhi Wingo
• No. 97: USC WR Brenden Rice
• No. 115: Washington St DE Brennan Jackson
• No. 149: Houston Christian OLB Jalyx Hunt
• No. 194: Wake Forest CB Caelen Carson
• No. 214: Illinois IOL Julian Pearl
• No. 224: LSU DT Jordan Jefferson
• No. 237: Louisville RB Jawjar Jordan

Here’s another exciting possibility. You get one of the best corners in the draft that falls to 18, an offensive tackle, a couple of defensive tackles to add depth, as well as some pass rushers and a wide receiver. The idea of Mitchell in the first gives the Bengals one of the best secondaries in the league, and when you’re going up against the gauntlet of quarterbacks the Bengals face, having a great and deep secondary is awesome.

Mock Draft 4

• No. 18: Georgia TE Brock Bowers
• No. 49: Arizona OT Jordan Morgan
• No. 80: UConn IOL Christian Haynes
• No. 97: Kentucky CB Andru Phillips
• No. 115: Notre Dame RB Audric Estime
• No. 149: Miami (Fl) Leonard Taylor
• No. 194: Utah S Sione Vaki
• No. 214: Texas LB Jaylan Ford
• No. 224: Michigan TE AJ Barner
• No. 237: LSU DT Jordan Jefferson

Oh boy, this one.

Well, I don’t think Bowers falls out of the top 10, let alone to No. 18, but if it does happen, you can’t pass him up. Now Bowers is WR3 in 2024 and probably the team’s No. 2 receiver behind Ja’Marr Chase for the next few seasons.

Then you add a future starter at RT in Morgan to develop in 2024 as well as a talented guard/center in the third, along with your CB4. Then you add Estime, who I think would do really well in the Bengals RB room before you turn to the defense afterward. And don’t forget Barner, who could rotate with Sample.

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Which of the four did you like the most? Do you hate them all? Of the four, which would you take? Which do you think is the most realistic?

Talk amongst yourself.

Relevant Song Lyrics:

I’m falling down a spiral
destination unknown.
Double-crossed messenger
all alone.
Can’t get no connection,
can’t get through. Where are you?