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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Chris Roling

ESPN makes the case for Bengals to pull off a first-round trade

The Cincinnati Bengals have been more willing to trade during the NFL draft in the Zac Taylor era than in the past.

And lost in ESPN’s annual “every pick is a trade” mock draft, there’s actually a really compelling case made for the Bengals to make a trade.

Specifically, Bill Barnwell carves out a trade down for the Bengals with the Packers in which they move down to No. 25 and give away No. 97, also picking up No. 58 in the process:

I would argue the Bengals should consider trading down given how well the deepest parts of this draft hit their roster: They’ll need replacements for Higgins, Trent Brown and Mike Hilton as soon as 2025, and getting an extra second-round pick to address those spots in the lineup won’t hurt. Given Brown’s injury history, adding a swing tackle should be a priority.

It’s a very realistic depiction of something that could happen on draft day if the Bengals like the way the board falls. Surrendering one of their two third-round picks to gain another pick in the top 60 would be a no-brainer of a move.

Like the drafting of Dax Hill a year before Jessie Bates left, the Bengals will be on the hunt for key long-term players. If say, multiple offensive tackles they like are on the board at No. 18, they could easily pull off this type of move to add more blue-chip prospects in key areas.

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