Bengals take surprising route in 2025 NFL Draft re-run

The Cincinnati Bengals have some major needs when considering the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, the wide receiver position is typically not one of those.

Still, a new mock draft from ESPN’s Matt Miller has the Bengals selecting Texas receiver Isaiah Bond at No. 25:

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Tee Higgins may have signed his franchise tag, but that doesn’t mean the Bengals have a long-term solution for the talented WR2 yet. The Bengals selected Jermaine Burton to replace Tyler Boyd, but they could still have a receiver at the top of their needs list in the upcoming draft. Bond, a transfer from Alabama, will fill Xavier Worthy’s role in the Texas offense with his elite speed on the ground. He averaged 13.9 yards per reception with four touchdowns last season, though Alabama’s offense struggled to find consistency in the passing game. And in Steve Sarkisian’s system, Bond has tremendous potential.

Generally speaking, it is a foolish mistake to rule out anything in an upcoming project, especially at this stage.

But the Bengals have invested a lot of resources at wideout over the past two years. Rookie Jermaine Burton and sophomore Andrei Iosivas could both replace Tee Higgins on the edge, while sophomore Charlie Jones could eat snaps in the slot.

Still, a fast receiver who can stretch the field is also something the team could use, so who knows? For now, the offensive line and pass rush seem to be bigger concerns, but that’s well before the start of the 2024 season.