ClutchPoints
Although the Cincinnati Bengals almost made a heroic end-of-season push to make the NFL Playoffs, they fell just short after the Kansas City Chiefs lost 38-0 in Week 18 against the Denver Broncos. However, the Bengals are a team that has holes in their roster. So, with the 2025 NFL Draft coming up, specific parts of this Bengals roster need dire attention.
Yes, they have the quarterback.
Yes, they have the receiver(s).
Yes, they have the edge rusher — as long as Trey Hendrickson gets a contract extension.
Yes, they have pass protection — as long as Trent Brown and Orlando Brown Jr. stay healthy.
And with the free agency window opening up for the Bengals shortly, they can address some of their needs there.
The Bengals are in the top half of the league in cap space, having approximately $49.5 million of cap space to work with in 2025, ranking 12th in the NFL, per Spotrac.
Here’s where the PFF Mock Draft Simulator comes in handy. This tool is a database comprising of PFF’s NFL Draft big board date and user-submitted mock drafts, giving fans an idea of where prospects could get drafted.
Now, it’s not a perfect product, but it can at least give fans the ability to feel like a general manager of an NFL franchise — which is a pretty cool feeling.
So, here’s who the PFF Mock Draft Simulator has the Bengals selecting in the first three rounds.
Once the Bengals traded Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans, Cincy had to rely on a backfield that consisted mostly of Chase Brown and Zack Moss. The Bengals also added Khalil Herbert from the Chicago Bears in a trade midseason, however, he wasn’t much of a factor in the offense.
As a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Brown led the Bengals’ rushing attack in the 2024 season. Brown ended the season with 229 carries, 990 rushing yards, and seven rushing touchdowns in 16 games.
So, while Brown was a competent back for the Bengals in 2024, Ashton Jeanty would be an immediate upgrade as one of the best prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Jeanty was the 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up, trailing Colorado football’s Travis Hunter.
However, that shouldn’t diminish the talent Jeanty brings to the football field.
Jeanty ended his three-year college career as a one-time All-American (2024) and a two-time MWC Offensive Player of the Year (2023, 2024).
In his final year of college football, Jeanty had one of the most prolific seasons by a running back ever. In fact, Jeanty was just 27 yards short of breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards.
Through 14 games, the Boise State running back had 374 carries, 2,601 rushing yards, and 29 rushing touchdowns.
Although there’s a knock against him since he played at Boise State and faced lower-level opponents, Jeanty is still the top running back in the 2025 class, and...
