Cincinnati Bengals upgrade offensive line in 2022 NFL mock draft
31. Cincinnati Bengals: Zion Nelson, OT, Miami
The Cincinnati Bengals were destroyed for not taking Penei Sewell but their recent trip to the Super Bowl, as well as Ja’Marr Chase earning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, proves they were right.
Having said that, the calls for an offensive lineman were legit too as the Bengals need to improve their protection up front, and it was the reason they couldn’t pull off the win this weekend. In this mock, many of the sure-thing linemen have been taken but Cincy still needs to try and get someone capable of starting, which is why they take Zion Nelson here.
32. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams): Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
The Los Angeles Rams are more than happy with their move to land Matthew Stafford but the Detroit Lions could also end up happy should they be able to re-tool their roster and build a contender. They use this pick from L.A. to pick up Ahmad Gardner from Cincinnati as they bolster their pass defense.
They already vastly improved the defensive line when they took Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 2 and now they add a playmaker to start across from Jeff Okudah in the secondary. They still have a lot of holes to fill but they have enough draft capital to improve things as long as they don’t reach — and this one is far from a reach.