17. Cincinnati Bengals: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
The Cincinnati Bengals have had a fun start to the 2025 offseason, haven’t they? The Bengals managed to get both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins signed to lucrative long-term contracts and you have to applaud them for that. Obviously, it’s important for Joe Burrow (who also got a ton of money from the team) to have those guys in the fold, but the Bengals are having to sacrifice at other positions.
Right now, the team appears to be playing hardball with defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson realizes he might not be first in line for a new deal, but he’s been expressing dissatisfaction with his contract for over a year at this point.
Even if the Bengals are able to get Hendrickson locked into a new deal, they will need help in the pass rush department. Shemar Stewart had a freaky workout at the NFL Scouting Combine and he looks like he could be a much better pro than he was in college.
Honestly, that really has to be the case.
18. Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Booker, OL, Alabama
If there’s one team that you can sit here two weeks away from the draft and say they’re definitely taking a certain position, it’s the Seattle Seahawks and the offensive line. It really doesn’t matter where the Seahawks go with this pick either, because they need a handful of new starters on the offensive line.
Tyler Booker didn’t test well at the NFL Scouting Combine but I don’t know how much that’s going to matter to NFL teams. He can really play.
The Seahawks will be able to slide him in at the right guard position immediately and he’ll bring a level of technically sound play and physicality they have missed. With Sam Darnold coming in as the team’s new starting quarterback, they have to do whatever it takes to upgrade the offensive line as quickly as possible to make sure he’s actually able to sustain the success we saw in Minnesota last year.