Bengals 7-round mock draft: protecting Burrow at all costs

Bengals 2022 mock draft round 2

While I wanted to double dip and find a tackle in the second round here, there weren’t any names that made sense at the pick. While the Bengals got some decent play out of C.J. Uzomah this past offseason, he is certainly a player that can be improved upon. As well, he is set to be a free agent this offseason and he may not be retained.

The Bengals proved last year they are willing to target better weapons as opposed to filling needs when drafting (they took Ja’Marr Chase instead of a lineman) and it worked well enough. The same could happen this offseason at tight end. I grabbed Trey McBride here, as he is arguable the top tight end in the class and can be yet another weapon for this Bengals offense to work with.

McBride isn’t a freak athlete or an elite receiver, but he does a good job of reading defenses and finding the soft spot in zones. As well, he can make some plays with the ball in his hands after the catch. He screams security blanket at the next level, and he could develop into a safe check-down option for Burrow. While tight end isn’t the biggest need, McBride’s value late in the second round was impossible to pass on.