After missing the playoffs with a healthy Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals know the defense needs attention. With the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend, the team will get a good look at this year’s NFL Draft class.
With the draft board starting to take shape, there are going to be a number of cap casualties to allow for better, cheaper talent via the draft. Overall, the defensive line was weak. Outside of Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals need to upgrade across the board.
With just under two months to go until the draft, fan mock drafts are taking shape. Defensive tackle is a glaring need and mock drafts are reflecting that fact. Last Word on Sports‘ Mike Kashuba and David Latham got together on the “FantasyFootballRPG Podcast” for a one-round mock draft.
Without any trades, the board was looking a little different than most with the Bengals sitting at 17. Despite that, Cincinnati went with a six-foot-three, 293-pound, consensus All-American freak of nature, Walter Nolen.
Bengals Select Walter Nolen in Latest Mock Draft
Oddly enough, our other Bengals expert, Will Koshover, mocked Nolen to the Bengals in his initial three-round mock draft this week, noting:
“Nolen is powerful, and the hallmark of his game is an explosive first step off the line of scrimmage. He is also an effective space-eater and can take on double teams which allows him to be a three-down player at the next level.”
Cincinnati is desperate for a competent defensive tackle as it has struggled to replace Geno Atkins since cutting him loose in 2021. The Bengals brought in D.J. Reader and he was great as a run stuffer but was not that pass-rushing threat that Atkins was. If you remember, Atkins amassed 75.5 sacks across his first 10 seasons as a pro with three seasons with at least 10 sacks. Is Nolen to the level of a potential Hall of Fame talent? That’s a high bar to clear.
Nolen would step in as the Bengals’ starting 3T on day one and would be the team’s second-best pass-rusher, assuming Hendrickson is still in stripes. He is explosive off the ball and is flexible enough to bend on stunts. He is a tad inconsistent when defending the run, however. Nolen has below-average arm length, had a tendency to play too upright, and was overpowered on double teams.
Nolen on the Bengals
Ideally, a draft pick or two on the defensive line is not all the Bengals do. There are a handful of free agents out there that would bolster the depth as only Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson are the only two defensive tackles currently under contract in 2025. B.J. Hill, Sheldon Rankns (cut), and Jay Tufele are all currently on the market. It would not be surprising to see Hill and/or Tufele return but neither have the juice that Nolen has as a pass rusher.
Plain and simple, the Bengals defense was atrocious last year and it all started with the defensive line. Outside of Hendrickson, there was nothing. Myles Murphy is still a project and needs to take a massive step in 2025. Joseph Ossai is a free agent and could be brought back for cheap. At the same time, they could bring in an Azeez Ojulari for the same.
Cincinnati is going to use at least one pick on a defensive tackle, in reality, a trade-back to stockpile an extra pick or two could be the move. There are a number of timelines that see the Bengals taking Nolen, including here at 17 overall. If Nolen is the pick, it looks to be a slam dunk. He’s young, has the size, and was dominant in the SEC. Four of the past six first-round picks by the Bengals were SEC standouts and the other two were Clemson and Michigan. They like their Power 4 stars. Since the Bengals picked Jason Buck 17th overall out of BYU in 1987, the team has drafted just two non-Power 4/Power 5/BCS AQ/etc players (oddly enough, both from Houston). Playing and standing out in the SEC is something the team obviously looks for.
Nolen looks like he’s going to be a stud. Of course, there’s a lot of time between now and April 26.
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