Good chance Bengals trade down in the draft, given draft history

The Bengals will be on the clock in under a month, and the team could end up making some moves to acquire more picks in this year's NFL Draft.

Cincinnati has selected eight or more players in every NFL Draft since 2007, and because the team only currently holds seven draft picks, the odds the Bengals trade down at some point in this year's draft are relatively high. The Bengals have no compensatory picks, which have increased their draft pick totals in past years, nor do they have any picks from other teams as a result of a trade.

Which round the team could potentially choose to trade down in, however, remains to be answered. With rumors of the Dolphins looking to trade for a running back, it's possible the Bengals could trade back in one of the early rounds for the right price. AJ McCarron has been at the center of trade speculation, specifically with the Broncos. While I don't see the Bengals trading their backup quarterback to Denver, or any other NFL team for that matter, the prospect of an additional first round or second round pick could be enough for the Bengals to send McCarron packing.

However, I don't see either of these potential trades happening. Rumors are rumors, and nine times out of ten, trade speculation is just speculative, ending in nothing rather than a blockbuster move. An in-draft trade, however, is not out of the question.

In 2012, the Bengals traded their 21st overall pick for the Patriots' 27th overall pick and an additional third round pick. From the deal, the Patriots were able to draft Chandler Jones, while the Bengals got Kevin Zeitler and Brandon Thompson. The trade was a win-win, as New England was able to draft a Pro Bowl-caliber edge rusher and Cincinnati was able to acquire an additional third-rounder, which the team was able to use in an attempt to upgrade the defensive tackle position. In retrospect, the trade wasn't really a huge win or loss for either team. Jones was a solid pick for New England, but the team traded him before his rookie contract expired because it knew Jones would be out of its price range next season in free agency. Zeitler has been solid for the Bengals, but Thompson has yet to show he's capable of replacing Domata Peko on the defensive line.

Trade possibilities are always intriguing, and speculation will dominate discussions up to, during and after the 2016 NFL Draft. Trading down in the draft is a serious possibility for the Bengals, especially given the team's reported interest in Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas. If the Bengals think Thomas will come off the board at some point between their 24th overall pick and the middle of the second round, a trade down could seriously be in play.

Another somewhat unrelated, yet somewhat relevant nugget: Cincinnati has selected two players from the same school in consecutive drafts in every season since 2009. The odds of the Bengals taking a guy from either Texas A&M, Oregon, Rutgers, TCU, USC, Arizona State, Auburn, Fresno State or West Virginia are pretty high, though the team's selection of players from the same school in consecutive drafts seems a bit coincidental.