The Cincinnati Bengals are going all-in on retaining their offensive core with the massive contracts being handed out not only to quarterback Joe Burrow but now to wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Thanks to the Bengals waiting a year too long to sign these core players to extensions, they were severely taxed and had to pay market value in 2025.
In fact, we're going to take a look at a scenario in which the Bengals use all six of their picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on the defensive side of the ball. How strong of a class can they put together?
Cincinnati Bengals 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Full 7-round predictions
1st round: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
There won't likely be a unanimous opinion on Texas A&M pass rusher Shemar Stewart going into this year's draft because of his statistical production at the college level. Stewart didn't rack up a bunch of sacks at Texas A&M, so in order to measure his impact on games, you have to look deeper than the standard box score.
And to be fair to Stewart, his pressure numbers are very good. You ideally want to see first-round NFL Draft prospects finishing plays in the backfield but the Texas A&M defensive front is exceptionally deep and loaded with NFL talent, and there are only so many sacks to go around.
Stewart has ideal size, length, and explosiveness for an edge player in today's NFL. If the Bengals can pull off re-signing Trey Hendrickson, they could get creative with their usage of a player like Stewart and line him up all over the defensive front. The team isn't giving up on Myles Murphy, either, nor should they. There are plenty of directions this team could go in round one but taking advantage of this great-looking class of defensive linemen/edge guys should be a priority.
2nd round: Tyleik Williams, DL, Ohio State
As I just mentioned, taking advantage of this year's class of defensive linemen should be something the Bengals are looking to take advantage of. If Tyleik Williams is sitting there in the middle of the second round, they shouldn't have to wait very long to turn in a card with his name on it.
The Bengals have made some underrated picks on the defensive line in recent years and there are guys on this roster who could emerge in bigger roles in 2025. Players like Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson shouldn't be discounted as legitimate options to start for this team for the foreseeable future. But we all learned an important lesson in Super Bowl LVI, which is that bringing waves of players on the defensive front can be the difference in January.
Williams is a local product for the Bengals having played at Ohio State and he looks like he'll be an upgrade to any run defense around the NFL.
3rd round: Demetrius Knight, LB, South Carolina
One of the more interesting developments of the 2025 offseason for the Bengals is that linebacker Germaine Pratt has asked for a trade out of town. That doesn't mean the Bengals are going to grant his request, but they might start to find some contingency plans in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Demetrius Knight might be the ideal replacement. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com actually compared Knight to Pratt, and had this to say about his overall game:
"Passionate linebacker with great size, good instincts and a feel for how to play the position. Knight is a fluid athlete with average pursuit speed and short-area burst. He uses his eyes and instincts to diagnose quickly and he maneuvers around bodies like a running back. He’s adept at slipping blocks and rarely allows blockers to stick and sustain on the second level. He’s aware and productive in zone but could struggle to stay connected in man coverage. He’s not a twitchy mover but knows how to play the game and has a chance to play on all three downs. Knight’s field demeanor and football character should seal the deal as a future starter at inside ‘backer."
- Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Knight has the profile of a player who will get picked on Day 2 but be starting from Day 1.
4th round: Billy Bowman, S, Oklahoma
One of the most slept-on defensive backs in the 2025 NFL Draft is Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman. This guy is just a gamer and productive. Over the course of his Oklahoma career, Bowman had 11 interceptions and took three of them back for touchdowns. He's a playmaker on the back end with the ideal combination of speed, instincts, aggressiveness, and toughness. If he's somehow still sitting there in the fourth round, the Bengals shouldn't hesitate.
5th round: Sebastian Castro, DB, Iowa
Another very underrated defensive back in the 2025 NFL Draft class is Iowa's Sebastian Castro, who is being looked at as a potential safety at the next level but he was a tremendous slot corner for Phil Parker with the Iowa Hawkeyes defense. Castro does not have good athletic metrics which will likely push him out of the Day 2 conversation, but his tape is Day 2 worthy.
Castro is going to be able to carve out a long NFL career for himself because he's able to play fast and physical.
6th round: Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State
Martin had 140 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 6.0 sacks in 2023 with the Oklahoma State defense before dealing with injury in 2024. He ran a 4.53 at the NFL Scouting Combine and had a 38-inch vertical jump, proving his athleticism hasn't gone anywhere.
This guy could be one of the steals of the 2025 NFL Draft with the chance to potentially be a top-tier special teams contributor immediately and future starter beyond that.