2019 NFL Draft: Cincinnati Bengals 7-round mock draft
By Joe Romano
Round 6 – Pick 185
Bobby Okereke, LB, Stanford
Another coverage linebacker for the depleted linebacker corps in Cincinnati. This is the position that most likely gets double-dipped by this team. Okereke is an athelte that can help the middle of the field coverage busts that so many Bengals fans were accustomed to last year. He can help on special teams, especially with his excellent speed. Okereke is a bigger safety/smaller linebacker hybrid. There is potential there given that athleticism and high football IQ.
Round 6 – Pick 201
Tariq Cole, T, Rutgers
An intriguing long-term prospect up front for the Bengals. Tariq Cole is a big man who shows excellent movement skills. He needs technical refinement but has the size and athleticism to be better than his tape showed. Cole is the type of player that Cincinnati could grab and groom into a swing tackle in the future. He lacks the strength and hand usage to be a starter but could be used to spot start in worst-case scenarios. By year two or three, with NFL coaching, Cole could hit his ceiling as a mid-level starter.
Round 6 – Pick 212
Danny Wise, DT, Kansas
One spot Cincinnati has done well in recent years is the defensive front. Geno Atkins is the star and he is complimented by strong drafting and some young pieces. Adding another player would help keep them fresh. Danny Wise of Kansas was a hot name for a little bit with his play at the Shrine Game.
Wise is a gap-penetration tackle who can disrupt the run game when he is at his best. At his worst, he gets lost in the mix and isn’t able to disengage blocks. The Bengals could use a player like this to prepare for the ever-turning rotation of a defensive line room in the NFL. Wise is another prospect who has high-upside traits but needs to be technically cleaned up and coached up before he’s ready to be a consistent contributor.
Round 6 – Pick 214
Easton Stick, QB, North Dakota State
Can you believe the Bengals found the next Carson Wentz in the sixth round? In all seriousness, the comparison of Carson Wentz and Easton Stick stops with the school they attended. Stick was billed as the next Wentz but falls flat upon further evaluation. That being said, he still will find a home on an NFL roster.
Stick is a smart quarterback with a live arm who has solid accuracy to the short and middle parts of the field. He becomes a questionable player once asked to sling it deep or make a quick thinking throw. These are the concerns that dropped him way down draft boards. However, his solid arm and experience will find him a place. With Dalton in place and Jeff Driskel being the back-up, Stick could end up on a practice squad and be insurance for another injury plagued season.
Round 6 – Pick 216
Foster Moreau, TE, LSU
Two positions that the Bengals could double-dip are linebacker (already did) and tight end. right now Cincinnati does ont have a tight end on the roster with them all set for free agency. After grabbing Irv Smith the Bengals could reverse course and go for Foster Moreau of LSU. Moreau, like Smith, is an excellent blocker and would fit well as the TE2 in Taylor’s offense.
If that offense looks like the Rams offense, Moreau and Smith would be in-line a ton and asked to deal with some edge and linebacker defenders in the running game. Moreau is a blocker through and through with limited receiving upside. He’s a safe pick in the end of the draft that has a place and knows his role.
Next: Best NFL player from each state
Round 7 – Pick 225
Hjalta Froholdt, G, Arkansas
Their final pick is a shot in the dark on the offensive line. Hjalta Froholdt has an intense name but he does not bring the intensity on the football field. Depsite being an exceptional athlete, and showing movement skills that make you question if he is really 310 pounds, Froholdt just does not have the nasty streak an offensive lineman needs.
He’s strong and quick but does not attack defenders bodies and too often gets caught passively accepting pass rushers as he is beat. Cincinnati will bank on his size and athleticism to try to develop him into a back-up guard at the next level. This is a low cost move on a player with a solid set of tools.