Late-Round Selections
118. Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami (FL)
Elijah Arroyo may end up going a lot earlier than this, and depending on who you ask, he might be a top-50 prospect, but he was available here at pick 118, so I am not complaining. The Bengals had Mike Gesicki as their primary tight end for the 2024 NFL Season, and he had a productive year, but he was very much a 'big slot' rather than a true tight end.
The team should target a TE prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. I can only imagine what Joe Burrow could do with a complete, do-it-all tight end on this offense. They get one here with Elijah Arroyo.
154. Jeffrey Bassa, LB, Oregon
Jeffrey Bassa is a good linebacker prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft and the Bengals pick here with the 154th selection. In 2024, Bassa had 54 total tackles and three tackles for loss. It's also important to remember that one of their current linebackers, Germaine Pratt, requested a trade, so he may not want to be with the team anymore.
This could open up a spot on the defense for yet another new addition, so the Bengals make the move and take Jeffrey Bassa.
195, Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee
Cincinnati may have something there with Chase Brown, their starting running back who really came on as the 2024 NFL Season went on. Brown is a good player, but adding someone like Dylan Sampson to the offense could give the team a nice one-two punch.
It does feel like the team sometimes gets a bit too reliant on throwing the football, and we have seen in recent years just how amazing offenses can be when they are equally efficient on the ground and through the air.
It would be in the Bengals interest to add another viable running back to this room, so I used their last pick in this NFL Mock Draft on one. What do you think; were the Cincinnati Bengals able to turn the page on the Trey Hendrickson era with this NFL Mock Draft?