From historical symmetry to hometown flavor to positional need to schematic fit, there couldn’t be a more perfect pick for the Bengals than Michael Mayer. Dane Brugler pegged the Notre Dame tight end from Covington Catholic High School as Cincinnati’s selection at No. 23 in his first 2023 mock draft.
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Brugler pointed to the Bengals taking another Fighting Irish tight end 10 years ago when they selected Tyler Eifert in the first round, but the difference is, Mayer is a much better fit under the circumstances. The Eifert pick in 2013 was a shock. They already had Jermaine Gresham, whom they took with the 21st pick in 2010, and there were more obvious positions of need.
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As things stand today, there is no greater position of need for the Bengals, who don’t have a tight end signed beyond 2022. That could change by draft day, but there’s no chance the Bengals go get an elite starter in free agency, not with quarterback Joe Burrow about to sign what could be the biggest contract in NFL history and wide receiver Tee Higgins and linebacker Logan Wilson also eligible to sign big extensions.
The offense has been among the league’s best with mid-tier tight ends such as C.J. Uzomah in 2021 and Hayden Hurst this year, so the idea of adding a guy like Mayer with tools to become one of the best in the league, and doing so on a rookie deal, should scare the headsets off defensive coordinators around the league.
Mayer could probably jump right in and be the top receiving weapon for a lesser offense. Throw him as option three or four behind Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Higgins, and Burrow and the Bengals could be unstoppable.
Imagine adding a 6-5, sure-handed tight end as an option in the red zone, where the Bengals already rank as the league’s second-best team.
Even if the Bengals were to re-sign Hurst, it likely wouldn’t be a long deal and they wouldn’t hesitate to draft Mayer as a longer-term answer.
Whether he’s actually still sitting there at 21 is the key variable. We’ve seen tight ends such as Kyle Pitts and T.J. Hockenson go in the top 10 in recent years, so the biggest question won’t be whether Mayer would be a fit, but whether he’s actually still available.
Another big question Dane’s draft poses is whether the Bengals actually will be picking in the 23 range, or closer to 31 again.
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Secondary: Starting safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell will be free agents, as will starting cornerback Eli Apple. The team’s top corner, Chidobe Awuzie, will be entering the final year of his contract and coming off an ACL injury, and there isn’t any proven depth at either corner or safety. The Bengals drafted safety Dax Hill in the first round this year to be Bates’ replacement following a contentious offseason where Bates sat out OTAs and most of camp after being franchise-tagged, but Hill has barely played this year.
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Beefing up the roster by signing starters in free agency just isn’t going to be an option this offseason the way it has been the last few years, so you could argue that the secondary is the greater position of need, while Mayer would be more of a luxury given all the offensive weapons surrounding Burrow.
Offensive line: The Bengals picked up the fifth-year option on 2019 first-round pick Jonah Williams, but he hasn’t come close to proving he should be the starting left tackle beyond 2023.
And while right tackle La’el Collins is under contract through 2024, he’ll be 30 when training camp starts and he’s already taking every Wednesday off as a vet day. The Bengals have some young guys on the interior of the line they still believe can develop into starters, but there’s no long-term vision for any of the backup tackles. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where they don’t draft a tackle by the end of Day 2, and taking one in the first round isn’t out of the question.
Defensive line: Immediacy is not an issue at edge rusher as Trey Hendrickson has two more years left on his deal and Sam Hubbard is signed through 2025, but there are a lot of questions when it comes to the depth behind them. It’s not a shortage of bodies, just a lack of proven experience.
The same is true on the interior of the line, where DJ Reader is signed through 2023 and B.J. Hill through 2025, but no one behind them projects as a future starter.
The Bengals haven’t drafted a defensive lineman in the first round since 2000, but the franchise has been bucking trends at every turn the last few years, which is a big reason for its resurgence. Looking at Brugler’s draft, there are seven defensive linemen in the first 17 picks. The chances of a couple of them sliding to 23 are pretty high.
The urgency is greater in the secondary, but if the Bengals can re-sign Bell and pair him with Hill as their starting safeties, targeting an edge rusher or 3-technique defensive tackle absolutely would be in play.
(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)