Four players the Bengals could pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft
By Rhys Knott
The feast or famine Bengals will pick 17th when the draft begins in Green Bay. Cincinnati has won their division three times in the last decade. But when they didn’t finish the regular season as AFC North champions they finished third three times and fourth on four occasions!
There’s no denying the Bengals know what to do to provide success. The problem is that it never seems to work (they don’t call them the “Bungles” for nothing). Since they drafted Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, they have used first-round picks on Daxton Hill (PFF’s 62nd cornerback), Myles Murphy (PFF’s 134th EDGE defender) and the 6-foot-7, 340-pound Amarius Mimms (who should be a lot better than PFF’s 96th left tackle).
So whoever they draft will probably be a hideous disappointment, but Burrow and Chase will paper over most of the cracks for as long as they’re healthy. Still, at least they’re not the Browns!
After having to spend big on Chase, Burrow and Higgins there’s a bit of a cap crunch on the banks of the Ohio River. The Bengals only signed six players in free agency.
Samaje Perine returns from the Chiefs (who refused to believe he was their best running back), and two new linebackers arrived. T.J. Slaton provides some defensive line depth and there are two more new faces on offense.
Mitchell Tinsley is nominally a wide receiver, but unless there are some injuries, he will figure more on special teams (he only played 10 snaps in total last year, though). Lucas Patrick will give Cody Ford some competition at right guard, but they may still need some offensive line depth in the draft.
In 2024, the Bengals had the best passing attack in the league, ranking first for passing yards and touchdown passes. The run game wasn’t as impressive, ranking 30th for yards and 25th for touchdowns. But when the passing game is so successful, why would you try to run the ball?
The defense was absolutely disastrous, though. The Bengals’ 2024 display on the defensive side of the ball ultimately cost Lou Anarumo his job. They ranked 21st for passing yards allowed and 19th for the number of rushing yards they conceded. Only seven teams recorded fewer sacks than the Bengals, and with Trey Hendrickson looking for a better deal, they might need two new EDGE defenders.
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Similar to Hendrickson, Scourton is a warrior. In a normal year, his combination of size and athleticism would stand out above the rest of the EDGE class. But 2025 is not a normal year (in and out of football), Scourton is one of several athletic freaks in this class.
Standing 6-foot-3 tall and weighing 257 pounds, Scourton is only in the 32nd percentile of this class for height and the 24th percentile for weight (it’s a really freaky class). His 4.70 40-yard time (the same as Shaq Lawson) ranks him in the 79th percentile, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
The 20-year-old can beat tackles with speed, but he’s more likely to manhandle and grind them down. Scourton’s unique combination of strength and agility is what makes him impossible to block. If a blocker plants their feet he can use his footwork to step around them, but if they try to move him he will just push them over.
During his three years in college, he played 37 games, recording 109 total tackles and 17 sacks. The All-SEC standout also made a frankly ridiculous 31 tackles for a loss! He defended five passes and forced three fumbles.
Somehow Scourton’s draft stock has fallen steadily since December when he was expected to be the 16th overall pick. He now projects as a late first-round pick, most experts think he will be the Lions pick at 29. If the Bengals have to trade Hendrickson away Scourton would be an ideal replacement. If they somehow manage to keep their disgruntled pass rusher he would love to meet Scourton at the quarterback.
Nic Scourton (EDGE, Texas A&M, #11) having this kind of lateral agility at over 280 pounds is just silly. 🤪
— EJ Snyder (@footballej.bsky.social) March 25, 2025 at 6:46 PM
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Jahdae Barron, Cornerback, Texas
Find yourself a CB that fits the run like this Jahdae Barron (7) drops to one knee to stick & stop Skattebo in the B gap, and then lets the ASU sideline know about it after
— Anthony (game script enthusiast) (@proant.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 6:25 PM
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Calling Barron a cornerback is like calling Cynthia Erivo an actress. He lines up as a cornerback, but he tackles like a linebacker, catches the ball like a receiver and gets into the backfield like an EDGE defender. The 23-year-old is going to improve any defense in the NFL.
Barron won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2024 for being the best defensive back in College football. And according to PFF, he was the most valuable non-quarterback, holding opposing QBs to a passer rating of just 33.1!
The Texas native played 57 games, recording 262 total tackles throughout his career in Austin. He also made 21 tackles for a loss and two sacks whilst recording eight interceptions.
He put up a mixed showing at the combine. Running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash that ranks in the 86th percentile, but his 35-inch vertical jump is only in the 36th percentile of the class. And his 123-inch broad jump was slightly above average, landing in the 57th percentile.
Barron projects as a late first-round pick, although some analysts have mocked him to the Raiders with the sixth overall pick! If he falls to the 17th pick, the Bengals need to take him.
Jihaad Campbell, Linebacker, Alabama
Jihaad Campbell (#11) is not here for your shenanigans
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes.bsky.social) March 30, 2025 at 4:44 PM
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Campbell is a linebacker who can do everything. Even though the Bengals already added Oren Burks and Joe Giles-Harris in free agency, Campbell would bring some much-needed star power.
The 21-year-old played 35 games for the Crimson Tide, recording 184 tackles over that time (117 last year alone). He also made 16 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks. But if that isn’t enough, the New Jersey native also forced two fumbles, recovered three fumbles, defended five passes and made two interceptions.
Campbell stands 6-foot-3, ranking him in the 75th percentile of this class, but he only weighs 235 pounds, ranking in the 30th percentile. His relative lack of size means he’s far more dynamic than most of the linebacker class though. The first-team All-SEC defender clocked a 4.52 40-yard time, that ranks in the 92nd percentile! His 1.53-second 10-second split is even more impressive, ranking in the 93rd percentile. That’s not all, Campbell performed a 127-inch broad jump at the combine landing him in the 94th percentile!
Predictably, the former IMG Academy student’s draft stock skyrocketed after the combine, but it has since regressed toward the mean. Campbell projects as the 17th overall pick, so it’d be rude for Zac Taylor not to draft him.
Malaki Starks, Safety, Georgia
Not many defensive backs settle straight into the NFL at safety, Malaki Starks may well do just that. It’s exactly what he did as a true freshman at Georgia. He led the defense in snaps and ended the season second in tackles at the tender age of 19.
Starks isn’t the biggest safety in the class. At 6-foot-1, he’s only in the 61st percentile, and at 197 pounds, he’s only in the 25th percentile. But he plays like someone twice that size. New Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulrich said Starks “might be the safest pick in the draft.”
The Georgia native ran a 4.50 40-yard time, putting him in the 73rd percentile of the class. He has a 77 and 6/8-inch span, which is in the 78th percentile, so it’s no surprise he’s great in coverage. But he can also defend the run. The first-team All-American wins collisions like a 250-pound linebacker. Georgia even lined him up on the line of scrimmage as an EDGE defender on some snaps.
Some analysts have voiced concerns that he can rush into tackles and over-pursue the ball carrier. But no self-respecting coach is going to have an issue with a defender showing too much enthusiasm.
Starks’ draft stock has fallen in recent months when he was expected to be a top-10 pick. He now projects as a late first-round pick, with a lot of people expecting him to be drafted by the Vikings at 24. The Bengals’ defense could really use his talent and energy though.
Malaki Starks (24) fitting the run. Love how he lowers his pad level in the hole to get better leverage for the stop
— Anthony (game script enthusiast) (@proant.bsky.social) February 22, 2025 at 2:17 AM
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RHYS KNOTT
NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST
Rhys has been watching the NFL for 30 something years and still hasn’t managed to pick a team to support. When he’s not fixatED on pass rushers you can find him blithering on about most sports on Twitter @wrhys_writes