Cincinnati Bengals go offense-heavy in 7-round 2021 mock draft

2021 NFL mock draft: Round 1, 5th Overall

The Cincinnati Bengals are in the fortunate position of having an embarrassment of riches in front of them in the 2021 NFL Draft. Peneii Sewell, Ja’Marr Chase, and Kyle Pitts are all huge talents that might have the lowest floors of anybody in the class. Unfortunately, they can only come away with one of the three and I feel the smartest play here is to take Ja’Marr Chase with the fifth overall pick in the draft.

With the offensive tackle class being so incredibly deep, I feel the Bengals could still find a starting-caliber tackle at 38, or they could even make a move back into the first if they wanted to get aggressive.

Ja’Marr Chase gives Cincinnati a true WR1 and immediately elevates that Bengals wide receiver unit into one of the best in the NFL. Chase pairs his advanced route-running prowess with a physical style of play that Cincy doesn’t currently have with Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins.

Yes, protecting Joe Burrow is going to be key for success in 2021, but that will be a lot easier to do when you have three pass catchers that can get open in a hurry.

2021 NFL mock draft: Round 2, 38th Overall

After passing on Penei Sewell in the first round, the Cincinnati Bengals are still able to land a versatile offensive tackle with a lot of physical gifts in Sam Cosmi out of Texas. Cosmi has terrific length and is a really natural mover that can play at either tackle spot.

He’s at his best in the run game, as his aggressive nature really comes out on those reps. His pass sets can definitely use some refinement but there is no doubt he has the potential to excel in that department too.

Because of that, he could even kick inside to start his career but that is more of a testament to his versatility than anything else. Landing Chase in the first and following that up with Cosmi feels like an A+ to me.