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Wide receiver Tee Higgins is a top priority for the Cincinnati Bengals entering the offseason. Perhaps Priority No. 1. Fixing the defense is 1B. That\u2019s the task facing Duke Tobin and new defensive coordinator Al Golden.<\/p>\n
The draft could be a great opportunity for the Bengals to get their defense back and track and, in turn, get their championship hopes back on track. The first (sort of) mock draft from Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic aims to do just that \u2014 he considered this his Mock Draft 0.5, rather than 1.0.<\/p>\n
The highlight of the mock draft is Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in the first round at No. 17. The Bengals need help all across the defensive line and Harmon would be an excellent piece for the interior. Harmon had 27 tackles and five sacks for the Big Ten champions last season and is considered one of, if not the most disruptive defensive tackles in this class.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs (The Athletic draft analyst Dane) Brugler says, \u2018there wasn\u2019t a more disruptive defensive tackle in college football this year,\u2019 wrote Dehner. \u201cThat sentence should sound like the chorus of angels in the Cincinnati Bengals\u2019 draft room. They desperately need a disruptive interior defender like they need air. Perhaps they take an aggressive approach in free agency, but either way, they\u2019ll be dependent on a premium pick making a difference with last year\u2019s second-rounder Kris Jenkins and third-rounder McKinnley Jackson taking a Year 2 leap.<\/p>\n
Harmon plays like an AFC North defensive tackle. He\u2019s not the most physically dominant player on the interior, but he skillfully finds ways to muck up every snap. Immediately plug Harmon into a three-technique rotation with Jenkins and hope he grows into \u2014 and beyond \u2014 the next BJ Hill.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dehner is then able to turn around and take the stud safety out of Notre Dame, Xavier Watts. Safety is also a huge need for the Bengals after miscalculating on Jessie Bates. Watts would be a strong get for a couple of reasons. No. 1, he\u2019s already one of the best safeties in what is a strong class at the position. No. 2, Watts would be reunited with Golden, who was his defensive coordinator at Notre Dame and helped lead the team to a spot in the National Championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake this 108th out of 2,922 mock drafts that connect Watts to the Bengals. Cincinnati has been trying to solve its safety problem since the moment Jessie Bates walked out the door to Atlanta. Now, Watts\u2019 defensive coordinator in South Bend, Al Golden, is directing the Bengals\u2019 defense. It\u2019s almost too easy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatts is a two-time All-American and one of the most decorated defenders in Notre Dame history. He picked off 13 passes and didn\u2019t allow a touchdown reception over the last two seasons. He\u2019s not going to leave jaws dropped at the combine as an average athlete for the position in the NFL, but his knack for finding the ball, taking the right angles and being in the right place at the right time leap off the film.<\/p>\n
The rest of the picks were as follows:<\/p>\n
No. 80 \u2013 Princely Umanmielen, Edge, Ole Miss
\nNo. 118 \u2013 Luke Kandra, OG, Cincinnati
\nNo. 154 \u2013 Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
\nNo. 195 \u2013 Cody Simon, LB, Ohio State<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Bengals go heavy on defense for their new coordinator in a new mock draft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[295,879,880,65,881,303],"class_list":["post-14270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cincinnati-bengals","tag-2025-nfl-draft","tag-2025-nfl-mock-draft","tag-bengals-mock-draft","tag-cincinnati-bengals","tag-derrick-harmon","tag-latest-news"],"yoast_head":"\n