The Bengals find their hopeful DJ Reader replacement.
With the 97th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select Texas A&M Aggies nose tackle McKinnley Jackson. This was a compensatory pick for losing Jessie Bates in the 2023 offseason.
The 6-foot-1, 326-pound Jackson was a two-time team captain and full-time starter in 20 games over the past two years.
Last season, Jackson recorded 27 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks while earning a 76.8 Pro Football Focus grade. In 2022, he had 37 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two sacks while notching a 70.1 PFF grade.
The consensus big board had Jackson ranked 159th.
After hitting their biggest needs in the first two rounds, that allowed the Bengals to be flexible with how they approached the rest of Day 2. We saw that play out with Alabama receiver Jermaine Burton with the team’s first third-round pick, and with the second choice, they took the best nose tackle on the board in Jackson, who is more of a DJ Reader replacement than second-round pick Kris Jenkins.
Bengals Draft Picks 2024
- Round 1 (18 ) – Georgia OT Amarius Mims
- Round 2 (49) – Michigan DT Kris Jenkins
- Round 3 (80) – Alabama WR Jermaine Burton
- Round 3 (97) – Texas A&M NT McKinnley Jackson
- Round 4 (115)
- Round 5 (149)
- Round 6 (194)
- Round 6 (214)
- Round 7 (224)
- Round 7 (237)
The Bengals’ remaining top draft needs are:
CB, OG/C, TE, DE
What are your thoughts on the Bengals’ pick? Be sure to let us know in the comments section!
Who DEY!
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