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The San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins made a blockbuster trade that will propel the Niners into the top five. With the Niners now selecting at No. 3, it may widen the Bengals options at No. 5.
The Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa in last year’s draft. They were expected to get help on their offensive line or draft another threat for Tagovailoa. Moving back made sense for them.
However, the Niners will likely take a quarterback, as several mock drafts have them moving up to select Trey Lance. Zach Wilson, and Justin Fields may also be an option at No. 3.
Thankfully, it may only help Cincinnati. That said, let’s dive into how mock drafts look following the big-time deal between the three teams with just one month until the real fun begins.
“Veteran Riley Reiff was brought in to replace waived right tackle Bobby Hart. If Sewell is available, it wouldn’t be surprising for the team to move Reiff or former first-rounder Jonah Williams inside to put their best five linemen on the field. Joe Burrow’s injury in the pocket last year simply confirmed the team’s need to improve the line,” Chad Reuter wrote.
Pro Football Network — OT Penei Sewell
This is the dream scenario for Cincinnati. Clearly, they have an obvious hole at right tackle. Joe Burrow is begging for protection after his injury in the 2020 season. The Bengals have yet to address that spot in free agency as well. Penei Sewell has plenty of upside and already advanced in technique. They run this card as fast as they can to the podium,” Nick Farabaugh wrote.
CBS Sports — OL Rashawn Slater
“Cincinnati passes on Penei Sewell and selects Rashawn Slater, who has five position flexibility. The Bengals must do right by Joe Burrow and invest further in the offensive line,” Josh Edwards wrote.
“He is coming a year too late to save Joe Burrow from the gut-wrenching knee injury that ruined his impressive rookie season, but Bengals fans (and Burrow) can take solace that Sewell is a generational talent well worth a top-five selection,” Rob Rang wrote.
“Joe Burrow will need better protection, but veteran free agent RT Riley Reiff helps opposite LT Jonah Williams, and a 6-foot-6, 240-pound unicorn more than fills the void left by the departure of WR A.J. Green,” Steve Serby wrote.
“After taking Joe Burrow first overall last year, the Bengals must protect him. Especially after he suffered a gruesome knee injury last season. So, at No. 5, Cinci takes the best O-Line prospect in the draft in Oregon’s Penei Sewell,” Ethan Cadeaux.
Touchdown Wire — OL Rashawn Slater — Move back to No. 8 (Sewell was still available)
“And now the Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock and they indeed address the offensive line. The overwhelming consensus is that Penei Sewell will be the first lineman selected in this draft, perhaps by the Bengals themselves in the fifth spot, but I keep coming back to the idea of Rashawn Slater. His versatility up front might be very attractive to Cincinnati given the recent additions they made up front, and if you turn on his film from 2019 when he matched up against Chase Young, you might think two things. First, he is a tackle in the NFL, not a guard. Second, he might just be OT1 after all,” Mark Schofield wrote.
What do you think of these mocks? Let us know in the comments section!