Most mock drafts have settled firmly on what the most likely scenarios are for the Cincinnati Bengals in the draft.
But there are always interesting outliers, especially when a mock uses a different strategy than traditional reasonings.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, for example, just shared a mock in which he projects where he believes players will go, not where they should go.
And there, the Bengals take Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave:
Musgrave is an above-average run-blocker as a college prospect and has a ton of upside as a pass-catcher. Bengals QB Joe Burrow has a history, dating back to his time at LSU, of using tight ends to exploit opposing defenses.
The Bengals taking a tight end isn’t shocking. But taking one they haven’t met with, who has a large injury history and who has limited production (just two touchdowns in college) would be a stunner.
Especially shocking was that in the process of taking Musgrave in this scenario, the Bengals passed on Calijah Kancey, one of the draft’s best interior pass-rushers.
Still, it’s always nice to see something that goes against the grain a little bit and this mock might have a dose of what the author has been hearing from those in the know, too.
That said, while Musgrave wouldn’t be the worst pick for the Bengals, it would register as a pretty big surprise.
