Hey, look! Another mock draft with the Bengals drafting a wide receiver with the 24th pick.
You've seen it before and you'll see it again before the 2016 NFL Draft begins. After an offseason that saw Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones leave to sign big deals elsewhere, the Bengals are in need of a young, talented receiver who can be a complementary running mate next to A.J. Green.
So that's why ESPN's Todd McShay once again has Cincinnati grabbing the best receiver on the board with the 24th selection. In this case, that ends up being TCU's Josh Doctson.
Doctson would look good lining up opposite of A.J. Green. The TCU product is a natural pass-catcher who shows the ability to contort his body in contested-catch situations. He's not a burner (4.50 40), but Doctson is fast enough to threaten when he gets a seam after the catch.
But while McShay thinks Doctson is the pick, my biggest takeaway from all the recent mock drafts is that it continues to look more and more likely Doctson won't make it to 24. He's someone for whom you could make a good argument for being this draft's best receiver, so it only seems fair that such a player doesn't last until the mid-20s.
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Another takeaway from these mocks is that it's possible the Bengals have to reach for a second-round receiver like Oklahoma's Sterling Shepard or Notre Dame's Will Fuller if they want a receiver in Round 1. Between the Saints (12), Titans (15), Bills (19), Texans (22) and Vikings (23), it's very possible the top 4-5 receivers are off the board by the time Cincinnati is on the clock. You could also toss the Giants (10) in there depending on how they see Victor Cruz's health coming along.
And one final takeaway: No one knows nothing (unless they guess right). It's clear there's no real consensus around the NFL as to who the top receiver prospects are. This just isn't a great class with any elite talent, but instead a bunch of guys who'd normally go in the mid-to-late 20s that will go higher because there are no prospects who promise to be truly elite.
That means any of these receivers could still be on the board when Cincinnati is on the clock. It's just a matter of how other teams shape their boards and where various receivers rank on them.
That said, Doctson would be a great pick for the Bengals if he's available.