Mock drafts are undeniable. A select few are even useful. Any mock draft conducted before free agency would not be one of them.

That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the exercise.

In the case of this Cincinnati Bengals four-round mock draft based on Dane Brugler’s top 100 players, it’s a great chance to consider the depth of options at critical positions come April.

What Cincinnati needs, specifically, could change dramatically once free agency rips through the NFL, but we can accurately say no matter what they do in March, they will still need more defense in April.

I won’t be held responsible for, or consider this an official prediction of, what Cincinnati will do since it’s so early — hence, 0.5 — but using Brugler’s rankings, we can take a closer look at the direction and depth available in the first four Bengals picks.

(As for criteria, I use the 80 percent rule. Any player 80 percent of the way to the pick in each round in the top 100 is available. So, at No. 10, the top seven are considered off the board. At No. 41, the top 33 are not available. At No. 72, the top 57 are gone. At No. 110, the top 88 are crossed off.)

First round (No. 10): Rueben Bain Jr., edge, Miami

Thank the body-type police for this gift. Brugler has Bain listed as the No. 9 prospect, which makes him available to Cincinnati in this exercise. Bain doesn’t have the jaw-dropping get-off that’s the most accurate predictor of NFL pressure. He doesn’t have the length boasted by the game’s best edges.

If those dings pushed him down from the top five to the Bengals’ lap, there would be no hesitation in their draft room, just an avalanche of man hugs.

Bain wrecks games. He did so repeatedly on the biggest stages college football had to offer. He’s exactly what the Bengals need if they were so lucky for him to still be around.

If looking for hope, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah had Bain going ninth to the Chiefs, and Brugler has him at the back of the top 10 as well. You can project he won’t be around for Cincinnati, but there’s reason to believe it’s possible as teams consider great players at less premium positions such as linebacker Sonny Styles, running back Jeremiyah Love and safety Caleb Downs, along with a rising group of receivers and offensive tackles in the top 10 after quarterback Fernando Mendoza goes off the board.

Honorable mentions

• Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami. Immediate, needed offensive line depth plus starting tackle of the future.
• Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama. Intrigued by his potential rise (see: Wright, Darnell) as his traits get teams buzzing. Plus, the Bengals could give him time to develop behind Orlando Brown Jr.
• Keldric Faulk, edge, Auburn. Bengals fans know the drill. Crazy upside, rare traits, limited production.
• Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee. Could be a steal at a premium position after missing 2025 with a torn ACL. True best-player-available pick.

Second round (No. 41): Christen Miller, DT, Georgia

The Bengals should never hesitate to select Georgia defensive tackles, especially since they still haven’t found a game-changing defensive tackle since former Bulldog Geno Atkins retired. Miller doesn’t operate like Atkins, but he looks the part and would bring immediate value against the run while learning to advance his pass rush technique. Cincinnati can hand him to defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery and keep taking swings at finding answers up front. Nobody would fault them for that strategy.

The notable trend when parsing through options in Brugler’s top 100 in this zone is the number of defensive linemen in this range. Five of the seven players ranked between 33 and 39 are on the defensive front. That’s a clear pocket where the Bengals would be looking to take advantage.

Honorable mention

• Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State. Raw, but physically imposing and rising fast. Would be ideal to put behind Amarius Mims/Brown for now.
• Zion Young, edge, Missouri. Every pass rusher makes sense. Pick one.
• T.J. Parker, edge, Clemson. Every pass rusher makes sense. Pick one.
• D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana. Small corner, but a team that embraced Mike Hilton’s play style should embrace his replica.

Third round (No. 72): Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern

The Bengals will be hunting tackles in the first three picks unless a reliable tackle is added in free agency. I don’t love one as much in this range, but they’d be better leaning into a higher-traits prospect who just requires a bit of development in the background, since that’s an advantage the Bengals would possess in this case. Still, finding a tackle with a specialty as a pass protector would provide a snug fit. Tiernan brings more polish from 43 straight starts for the Wildcats and could slide into a swing tackle role for now, then see what happens.

Honorable mention

• Keionte Scott, S, Miami. The way he tackles and plays aggressively would offer a nice change of pace.
• Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech. Many are higher on Hunter than Brugler, and you wouldn’t hesitate to go back-to-back defensive tackles, a move the Bengals have utilized before.
• Dani Dennis-Sutton, edge, Penn State. Every pass rusher makes sense. Pick one.
• Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State. Here strictly so we can lean into the nickname “Big Citrus.”

Fourth round (No. 110): Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke

Corner could be a sneaky position for the Bengals in this draft. They are set with DJ Turner and Dax Hill on the outside but must figure out the slot/safety combo spot. Beyond that, they need to add depth to the position. That’s why I listed McCoy among honorable mentions in the first round. There’s not much behind Turner and Hill right now, and also no certainty that the Bengals can lock both up long-term.

In Rivers’ case, he’s available because he’s undersized, but he plays bigger than 5-feet-10, 185 pounds. It’s hard to imagine much tolerance for tape that lacks effort in tackling, considering what defensive coordinator Al Golden witnessed in his back seven last year.

Honorable mention

• Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State. This would be the point at which the Bengals start thinking about receiver. Looking for speed and a pick similar to Andrei Iosivas from 2023.
• Malachi Lawrence, edge, UCF. Every pass rusher makes sense. Pick one.
• Chris McClellan, DT, Missouri. Looks the part and plays with strength. Start there and bank on development.