The Cincinnati Bengals landed their edge defender in the first round by selecting Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart at No. 17 overall.
The Bengals still have plenty of work to do with six more rounds of the draft coming. Cincinnati is currently scheduled to pick at No. 49 and No. 81 on Friday.
Here are some of the top players available for the Bengals heading into Day 2 of the draft, using the team-specific big board from Pro Football Focus.
Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
Ezeiruaku was second in the nation with 16.5 sacks. He was only behind…
Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
Green had 17 sacks last season and was a popular pick in the top half of the draft, particularly to the Falcons, who double-dipped at the position with Jalon Walker and James Pearce.
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
His medicals must have been more concerning than we thought. A very talented player but his knee injury keeps him on the board for Day 2. If he’s healthy and can play like his 2023 form, he’ll be a steal.
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Shemart Stewart’s running mate remains on the board. Length knocked his value down a bit but he’ll make for a nice addition in round two.
T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina
There was some late buzz that Sanders could land in the first round. He had 16.5 sacks over the last two seasons.
Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
Some developing still needs to happen, but Dane Brugler of The Athletic compared some of his peak play to that of Leonard Williams.
Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina
Before the knee injury, Revel was a first-round talent. He should be good for the season, but as expected, Revel fell out of the first round. His wait shouldn’t be long Friday.
Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
Many pegged Amos as a possible fit for the Bills at No. 30, but they went with Maxwell Hairston of Kentucky. Amos is very athletic and can play in multiple schemes.
Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
Think new defensive coordinator Al Golden wouldn’t love the opportunity to coach Watts in the NFL?
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Burden brings good YAC ability but didn’t wow on the deep ball and didn’t crack 700 yards last season, leading to him falling down boards. He’ll be part of a wide receiver run early on day 2.
Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Another receiver in that day 2 run, Bech was one of the feel-good stories this draft cycle after scoring the winning touchdown at the Senior Bowl just weeks after his brother, Tiger, was tragically killed in the attacks in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
Another talented player with injury concerns. Shoulder and hip injuries caused him to miss ten games last season. But when healthy, Morrison was one of the better cornerback prospects.
Tate Ratledge, OG, Georgia
The Bengals still would like to address the interior offensive line and Ratledge would be a great fit on Day 2.