The Cincinnati Bengals have the 17th overall pick in the NFL Draft. They missed the playoffs despite a thunderous charge down the stretch from Joe Burrow and the offense. Their lack of moves in free agency has left a glaring need on the defense. The Bengals and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson have not agreed on an extension, pointing to the end of his time in Cincy. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has Cincinnati taking a Hendrickson replacement at 17.

Jeremiah projects Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College edge rusher, to the Bengals with the 17th overall pick. He defends it with this: “Ezeiruaku is a skilled pass rusher with some similarities to Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, whose future with the team remains murky.”

Ezeiruaku led the ACC with 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in his senior season in Chestnut Hill. The Eagles won only seven games despite the great season, but the Bengals could benefit from that level of production. Jeremiah does not project a trade-up from Cincinnati, which should be their plan. They need to hit as many picks as they can to have a competitive roster next year.

The Bengals should be prioritizing defense and the offensive line in this year’s NFL Draft, and this pick fits those needs. They drafted Jermaine Burton in the first round last year as their third wide receiver, and he was miserable. That forced them to give contracts to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, handcuffing their cap sheet in free agency.

The Bengals and Hendrickson are still working on a contract extension. If it leads to him being traded, they should be looking to do it this weekend. If they can immediately replace him with a haul of prospects all over the defense, they could get better immediately. The Bengals need help on defense, and Ezeriruaku could be the answer.