The Bengals dominated the NFL headlines for part of this offseason Ja'marr Chase and Tee Higgins by handing out some boat cash to wide receivers. They're uniting the band around quarterback Joe Burrow and I have to respect this. Cincinnati knows who they are, and many teams don't put this many eggs in a singular position basket.
But here we are.
Now Bengals have to find a way to play their defense at a much higher level on a consistent basis, in line with their flying crimes. Anthony Cosenza of Cincy Jungle understands this. So, on the 17th pick of SB Nation Community Mock Draft, he strengthened his defensive front and chose Oregon's defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
17.) Cincinnati Bengals: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
Cosenza: The Cincinnati Bengals head into the 2025 season as a strange dichotomy team. They have some of the league's biggest stars on the roster, but still have bright weaknesses in the obvious field. Anyone who has seen the team in the past few years has been observing that defenses suddenly get worse, so it's up to new defensive coordinator Al Golden to bring the unit back up. Cincinnati could give Golden the opportunity to draft and develop talent on most of its six picks due to its free agency period, centering on expanding its core offensive players inside. With Abdul Carter, Mason Graham, Jihaad Campbell, Walter Nolen, Kenneth Grant and Mike Green off the board, Harmon makes a lot of sense. Most of the recent defensive issues are the lack of pass rushes by unnamed people Trey Hendrickson, and Cincinnati has been seeking the presence of dominant interiors since the major Genoatkins era. Harmon brings a lot to the table, and he should have more diverse and competent Bengal with Hendrickson, Miles Murphy in the first round in 2023, Chris Jenkins Jr. in the second round in 2024, solid veteran BJ Hill and enigmatic Joseph Osai.
analysis: Harmon may be his favorite defensive tackle in his class. He doesn't have a sophisticated pass rush kit, but he certainly finds a way to bully past blockers and wreaking havoc in the backfield. He plays with high energy and it's easy to see him fit into any defensive line in the NFL. If Bengal finds a way to get back Trey Hendrixon, and perhaps this is the move that will help make it happen – I hope they have one of the better young, promising pass rushes in the NFL.
The remaining 5 players:
- Jahdae Barron of CB, Texas
- Malachi Starks, Georgia
- James Pierce Jr. Edge, Tennessee
- Luther's Burden, WR, Missouri
- Boston College, Edge, Donovan Ezellak
Harmon is off the board, but he was already outside the top five, so we head to the next pick without changing at the top. The Seahawks will come next and can they watch Seattle move one of the rest of the playmakers in the draft, leading the way?
