Cincinnati Bengals 7-round mock draft: Chase or Sewell at the top?

Cincinnati Bengals mock draft: Round 2, 46th overall

In the second round of this mock draft, the New England Patriots come in hot with a trade offer that the Bengals simply cannot refuse. In the deal, the Bengals move down eight spots, pick up a late third-round selection and send the Pats their seventh-round pick. The value is simply too good to ignore here for a Bengals team that needs help at many positions.

After trading down those eight spots, the Cincinnati Bengals address their obvious offensive line need with the selection of Alex Leatherwood out of Alabama. Leatherwood was a consistent force at Alabama starting as a sophomore at right guard in 2018 before taking over as the Crimson Tide’s left tackle in 2019 and 2020. Leatherwood was arguably the best player on one of the best offensive lines in the nation this past season and it is easy to see him having success at the next level.

The Alabama product is a big and strong offensive lineman who is extremely powerful at the point of attack and consistently moves defenders in the run game. Once Leatherwood gets his hands on the defender, it is typically game over. He shows soldi mobility on tape and knows how to use his length to his advantage in pass protection. That being said, Leatherwood does struggle against impact speed rushers at times and tends to have issues against quick inside moves.

While he looks like an offensive tackle and tested well at his Pro Day, I cannot help but wonder whether Leatherwood is a better fit inside at the next level. Regardless of whether he can stick at tackle or not, Leatherwood makes sense as a target for Cincinnati due to their obvious needs across the offensive line.

If the Bengals were to add Leatherwood to the mix, they could give him a chance to take over as their primary right tackle or work as their swing tackle. If he struggles on the outside, the Bengals could easily move Leatherwood inside where he would likely become an impact starter for the team at one of their offensive guard spots.