The dam holding up mock drafts that was the first wave of free agency has shattered.
Somehow, the Cincinnati Bengals are always interesting in these efforts, too.
Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest effort saw the Bengals grab Joe Burrow a weapon. And in the latest from Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, the Bengals grab Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright:
Wright would plug and play at right tackle. Recent LT signee Orlando Brown Jr. is only 26 years old. Brown and Wright could hold down the bookend spots to protect Joe Burrow for quite a long time. Also, this pick would allow the Bengals to deal Jonah Williams for draft capital now that he has requested a trade.
Perhaps most notably, the Bengals skip Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer in this scenario and he comes off the board with the next pick. That’s a bold move for a team that, as of this writing, has yet to add to a vacant depth chart at all after losing Hayden Hurst and others.
Still, Wright isn’t just a likely rookie starter — he gives the Bengals a way to potentially get out of La’el Collins’ contract and honor Jonah Williams’ trade request, getting that big number off the books, too.
That makes for two very unique mock drafts and realistic ways the Bengals could go in the first round, adding to the intrigue of the upcoming draft.
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Story originally appeared on Bengals Wire