It is always an event when ESPN’s Mel Kiper drops a new mock draft, but especially this year for fans of the Cincinnati Bengals.
After adding Orlando Brown to improve the offensive line, the draft feels wide open for the Bengals. That means it’s especially interesting to get a look at what Kiper thinks the team might do.
Kiper doesn’t disappoint in his newest mock either, sending Georgia tight end Darnell Washington to Cincinnati:
This makes seven pass-catchers (four receivers, three tight ends) in a nine-pick span. There absolutely could be a run on them in the 20s. The tight end group as a whole is spectacular at the top, but Washington might have the highest ceiling. He wasn’t used a ton in the pass game for the Bulldogs, as he had just 45 catches and three scores over three seasons. At 6-foot-7, 264 pounds, he ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at the combine, impressing NFL scouts, who think he could be much better at the next level. With Hayden Hurst gone in free agency, this is a clear need area for Cincinnati.
Washington is one of the most jaw-dropping athletes in the draft given his combination of size (6’7″) and upside. He’s not as surefire of an instant producer as Notre Dame’s Micahel Mayer, but he’s essentially an extra offensive lineman on the field with a huge frame that lets him bully defenders as a receiver.
The Bengals don’t have any tight ends on the depth chart as of this writing, so Washington and a free agent such as Foster Moreau would be an intriguing way for the team to address the short and long-term outlook.
