The Cincinnati Bengals sit in a pretty good spot at No. 17 in the 2025 NFL draft.
While sitting there, the team can essentially pick and choose from the top of its remaining board and likely land on a position of need, too. That could be the front seven of the defense, the secondary or — if they really want to get out of their normal habits — guard.
Such a scenario unfolds in a new mock draft from USA Today’s Nick Brinkerhoff, which features AI making the picks and the Bengals grabbing Ole Miss defender Walter Nolen:
“The Bengals need to beef up the interior and they find that by selecting Nolen. The former Ole Miss Rebel can slide in and play a big role on Cincinnati’s defensive line, especially if they find a way to figure out the Trey Hendrickson contract situation.”
RELATED: Bengals NFL mock draft: 7-round, trade-up edition
Nolen is one of the best overall prospects in the draft, so it’s nice that positions like quarterback and running back help push him down the board in this scenario.
The Bengals attempted to replace DJ Reader last year with a platoon approach and watched as Sheldon Rankins flopped and rookies Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson battled untimely injuries.
Adding Nolden to the Jenkins-Jackson upside on the interior would go a long way toward improving the short and long-term outlook for the defense.
RELATED: 5 DE Bengals could target early in 2025 NFL draft
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals get a big win in an AI mock draft