Cincinnati Bengals full 2018 NFL mock draft

By John Buhler | Mar 11, 2018

ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey (68) prior the Citrus Bowl game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the LSU Tigers on January 01, 2018, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL. Notre Dame leads 3-0 at half. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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WINSTON-SALEM, NC – SEPTEMBER 01: Jessie Bates No. 3 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons tackles Sherman Badie No. 3 of the Tulane Green Wave at BB&T Field on September 1, 2016 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Wake Forest defeated Tulane 7-3. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

Fourth Round

The Bengals will have to make a tough choice in the upcoming draft. Their three biggest needs of guard, safety and edge players may not be in play with their first four picks in the first three rounds. If they do prioritize guard over safety, then maybe Jessie Bates III out of Wake Forest could be the pick at No. 112 in the fourth round.

Bates played the last two years with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the ACC. Over that time, head coach Dave Clawson has brought a historically bad Wake Forest team back to respectability. No, the Demon Deacons aren’t winning the ACC like Jim Grobe did back in 2006, but getting to back-to-back bowl games is huge for this ACC Atlantic program. Bates was obviously a big part of this team’s defensive turnaround.

He registered 177 total tackles (119 solo, 58 assists), 10 pass breakups, 9.5 tackles for a loss of yardage, six interceptions, two of which he took to the house for touchdowns, and two fumble receivers in two years with Wake Forest.

Bates measured 6-foot-2, 195 pounds at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where he also ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and had a 35.0-inch vertical. There is value in this pick for sure. Bates could be starting in the Bengals secondary sooner rather than later.

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