The Cincinnati Bengals have to be disappointed to not be in the playoffs. After consecutive seasons with appearances in the AFC Championship, with one of those leading to a Super Bowl appearance. Every year is a precious opportunity to contend for a Super Bowl, but that just wasn't in the cards for the Bengals in 2023. Injuries to Joe Burrow in training camp as well as the second half of the season and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins put the Bengals in a hole they could not get out of.
Bengals looking to get help via 2024 NFL Draft
But the good news for the Bengals is they have plenty of avenues to improve their team in 2024. One of those is through the draft. Cincinnati owns the 18th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and should be able to land an instant contributor with that pick. The team has a few glaring holes that need addressing. A couple of draft prospects stand out as options for the Bengals to look at during the 2024 NFL Draft that can help them next season.
Byron Murphy, Defensive Lineman
The Bengals' run defense was putrid in the 2023 season. Cincinnati ranked 25th in the NFL in EPA allowed per rush this season, ahead of only the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, and Carolina Panthers. Running backs had some big games against the Bengals to close the season. Players like Ty Chandler (23 carries 132 yards and a touchdown) and Isiah Pacheco (18 carries, 130 yards; 7 receptions 35 yards) gashed the Bengals on the ground and that was a trend all season long. The Bengals' best run stuffer in DJ Reader tore his ACL as well, which didn't help matters.
Someone who could help? Texas' Byron Murphy. Murphy is a load up front against the run with a physical style reminiscent of former Bengal run stuffer Geno Atkins. But Murphy also adds value as a pass rusher. Not only did he produce five sacks in the 2023 season, but he also generated 36 pressures, which ranked fourth in all of college football. The Bengals badly need a difference-maker in the middle of their defensive line. That guy just might be Byron Murphy.
Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tight End
What's better than one Texas Longhorn? Two! The Bengals are chock-full of playmakers on offense, from Ja'Marr Chase to Tee Higgins to Joe Mixon and even Tyler Boyd and a plethora of young, interesting receivers. Higgins and Boyd are going to be free agents, but it seems likely that Higgins will stick around one way or another. Boyd could be gone, but rookies like Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas have already shown they can step up and make plays.
If the Bengals want to add to their offensive arsenal, it would be wise to do so at tight end. While Tanner Hudson came on at the end of the season at that position, he's also a journeyman who hasn't been able to find a spot in the NFL. The Bengals don't have a long-term answer at that position yet. Texas' Ja'Tavion Sanders could be that guy.
The Bengals are almost certainly out of the Brock Bowers sweepstakes, but Sanders is probably the next-best tight end in this draft. He can be a matchup nightmare at 6-4 243 pounds with all the attention that Chase and Higgins garner. In two seasons at Texas, Sanders brought in 99 balls for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns. That's roughly the same production Sam LaPorta put up during his final two seasons at Iowa. Granted, there is a big difference in Texas and Iowa's passing attacks, but still. Sanders looks the part of a legit tight end. In the second round, the Bengals could snag him and make their pass attack even more difficult to stop.
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