Cincinnati Bengals 7-Round 2023 Mock Draft: Offensive Focus Early

The Cincinnati Bengals focus heavily on their offense early in this 7-round 2023 NFL Mock Draft, getting immediate impact players.

To this writer, the Cincinnati Bengals are one of the most interesting teams in the 2023 NFL Draft. Having been on the doorstep for two straight seasons, the Bengals are looking for every advantage to get to the top. That theory was proven valid in free agency, where they added Orlando Brown to play left tackle, leaving Jonah Williams to seek a trade. They brought back Germaine Pratt to solidify the linebacking core as well.

Cincinnati Bengals Mock Draft: Offense The Focus Early

Now, just a few questions remain. The Joe Mixon question is one they will have to answer, and that likely means running back (or two?) in the 2023 NFL Draft for the Bengals. Is La’El Collins locked in for right tackle? Does Chido Awuzie hitting free agency in 2024 matter to them? Let’s answer those questions in this 7-round Cincinnati Bengals mock draft.

Round 1, Pick 28: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

If one of the big five tackles fall to this pick, or the Cincinnati Bengals have a chance to move up for one of them, it’s very plausible. If Bijan Robinson were to fall to this spot, it’s not in doubt. But, it doesn’t happen here, and the Bengals get the next best thing: a strong tight end to operate the middle of the field.

Michael Mayer is a phenomenal fit with the Bengals in the first round. Mayer has impressive short area quicks to threaten leverage and win his routes at the break point. He doesn’t possess tremendous speed, but he can dominate the catch point by elevating over defenders and does a great positioning himself to shield would-be disruptors against zone and man coverage. Reliability is the name of the game, and production could come quickly for Mayer with the Bengals.