Top 2021 NFL Draft needs for the Cincinnati Bengals
Offensive Tackle
No team in the NFL has more of a need on the offensive line than the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow was constantly under pressure throughout his rookie campaign and ended up tearing his ACL and MCL as a result of his lack of protection. The unit as a whole allowed 48 sacks over the course of the season and wasn’t much better in the run game either, as the team ranked 24th in rushing on a measly 4.1 yards per carry.
Finding a new offensive tackle should be priority number one for the Bengals in this draft cycle. Bobby Hart is a candidate to be cut this offseason and Fred Johnson should be nothing more than a swing tackle option at best. Jonah Williams is the only viable option at bookend right now for Cincinnati, but he has played in just 10 games since being taken 11th overall in 2019.
The team desperately needs a plug and play tackle to pair with Burrow for the next 10 years and should do everything in their power to get the man they want.
There are several Day 1 caliber tackles in this class that the Bengals could target. Oregon’s Penei Sewell has largely been considered the top tackle prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft since before this past season kicked off, but guys like Rashawn Slater and Christian Darrisaw have made arguments for that crown as well.
Barring somebody trading up, the New York Jets are the only team that would likely take a tackle before the Bengals pick at five. That puts the Cincinnati Bengals in a good position to land the top offensive tackle on their board.
Cornerback
With William Jackson and Mackensie Alexander set to hit free agency, and Trae Waynes coming off a lost first season with the Bengals due to injury, the cornerback position in Cincinnati becomes a major need as we near the 2021 NFL Draft.
While we can assume at least one (if not both) of either Jackson or Alexander will return on a new deal, the Bengals could still use young talent to add to a unit that allowed 32 touchdowns through the air in 2020.
Day 2 could be where they target the position as there should still be plenty of talent left on the board in the second and third rounds. Players like Georgia’s Eric Stokes, UCF’s Aaron Robinson, and Ohio State’s Shaun Wade would be potential fits for Cincinnati.
Stokes and Robinson have been popular risers throughout the 2021 NFL Draft process while Wade has slipped from a potential first-rounder to a mid-round option that could be a nickel target to potentially replace Alexander if he isn’t brought back.