The Cincinnati Bengals made a major move early in the offseason by replacing defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo with Al Golden, who spent the past several seasons serving as the defensive coordinator in Notre Dame. Golden also previously served as the linebackers coach with the Bengals prior to joining Notre Dame.

Now that he’s in charge of the defense in Cincinnati and heading into his first NFL Draft in that role, there’s a real chance that Golden will want to bring in some familiar faces through the draft. After all, he probably knows Notre Dame’s draft-eligible defenders better than anyone else.

With that in mind, here’s a look at three Notre Dame players that the Bengals could potentially target in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

Benjamin Morrison, Cornerback

The Bengals need to solidify the secondary at both positions, and Benjamin Morrison from Notre Dame is one of the top cornerback prospects in the entire draft class. Over his three years in Indiana, Morrison recorded 61 solo tackles and nine interceptions. He has solid size for the position and could potentially be an immediate contributor.

The main concern with Morrison is health, as he suffered a season-ending hip injury midway through the 2024 season. Otherwise, he checks all the boxes as the type of corner teams would love to add and it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Golden was interested in bringing him to Cincinnati.

Xavier Watts, Safety

The other spot in the secondary is safety, and Xavier Watts could be an answer there. Watts had a decorated collegiate career at Notre Dame that included 117 solo tackles, 13 interceptions and a couple of All-American nods. He’s the second-rated safety prospect in the draft class, according to Pro Football Focus.

Golden had some high praise for Watts at the NFL Scouting Combine back in February.

“Very important. He was an integral part of it,” Golden said when discussing how important Watts was to Nortre Dame’s defensive success. “There’s a comfort level when you’re play-caller and you know someone has the same heartbeat, someone understands exactly what you’re looking for. I’m excited for him and the opportunity he has here moving forward.”

With that quote, Golden certainly sounds like a guy who would like to continue coaching Watts.

Rylie Mills, Defensive tackle

In addition to improving the secondary, the Bengals also need to bolster the defensive line, and defensive tackle Rylie Mills could help there. Before suffering a season-ending knee injury last season, Mills recorded a career-high 7.5 sacks, demonstrating an elite ability to put pressure on opposing QBs.

There is obviously some concern about how quickly he’ll bounce back from that knee injury and that could potentially impact his draft stock. As a result, he’ll probably be in the range of a Day 3 pick. If he is still available on the final day of the draft, perhaps the Bengals would look to bring him in and reunite him with Golden.