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Despite losing to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl Bowl 56, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals defied high odds last season. They somehow found a way to end the regular season as the top team in the AFC North division before finding their way to the grandest stage by going on a mesmerizing run in the playoffs, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Kansas City Chiefs. That unforeseen success in the 2021 NFL season is bringing big expectations this time around for the Bengals, who certainly still have holes on the roster they can address through free agency – and in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Bengals got it right in the first round of last season’s NFL Draft, as they used their fifth-overall pick ticket to get Ja’Marr Chase of the LSU Tigers. Chase turned out to be an instant star and an immediate important piece that helped enable the Bengals to raise the ceiling of their potent offense. This time around, the Bengals will have to wait juuuust a little bit longer before taking their turn in the first round, as they hold the 31st pick overall. There’s still plenty of talent to go around during that portion of the draft. With that said, here are three names the Bengals could consider spending that pick, as they look forward to adding another talented piece that can contribute right away.
3 best players for the Bengals' 31st pick in the 2022 NFL Draft
Jalen Pitre
The Bengals’ pass defense still leaves much to be desired. In 2021, the Bengals gave up an average of 248.7 passing yards per game. Opposing teams loved throwing against Cincinnati, as teams elected for passing players 62.81 percent of the time versus the Bengals that season. That was magnified even further in the Super Bowl game against the Rams in which Los Angeles wide receiver Cooper Kupp pulled down eight of 10 targets for nearly 100 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Granted that Kupp was magical in 2021, but there wasn’t really much hope that the Bengals would be able to contain him with just a cornerback room that features Eli Apple and Mike Hilton.
Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie were standouts for the Bengals, but Apple can be upgraded even after he got re-signed by Cincy at a low cost. Apple is just a depth guy at this point of his career and one’s who’s seen as a disaster waiting to happen downfield. It’s a good time to find a cornerback who could rapidly develop into a starter and eventually play ahead of Apple. That could be Pitre out of the Baylor Bears program. Pitre is an intriguing prospect who possesses good size (6’0”) and the versatility that can allow the Bengals to use him under different setups. His man-cover abilities have caught the eyes of NFL scouts as well as his effective and aggressive style in going after the ball vertically.
DeVonte Wyatt
There’s no news yet, as of this writing, on whether veteran defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi will be reuniting with the Bengals or not. But even if he finds his way back to Cincy with a new deal this offseason, drafting a defensive tackle wouldn’t be too shabby of a move for the reigning AFC champions. And Wyatt could be more than just an Ogunjobi insurance for the Bengals.
He has the tools to become a big-name player and is an Energizer bunny on the field, except that he’s a 304-pound bunny who also happens to stand 6’3” with explosive quickness and elite athleticism for a guy his size. He is a mobile operator in the trenches and can shift from one direction to another with excellent speed. At 24 years old, Wyatt has a body and maturity that are definitely NFL ready, just perfect for a rookie landing on a team that is just coming off a Super Bowl appearance.
Logan Hall
Hall is likely going to be available until at least late in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, so he’s someone the Bengals should be keeping an eye on. At 6’6” with a frame that fills nearly 290 pounds, Hall already has great size and the raw power to go with it that can mow down or cause opposing offensive linemen to lose balance on first impact. He commanded double teams in college thanks to that combination and has been observed to have opponents even trying to triple team him. Sure, the NFL is a completely different animal, but Hall projects to have the foundation and the ceiling to become a force in the pros down the road.
His height tends to negatively impact his technique but that’s something that can be addressed with better coaching and advice from veteran teammates. Hall was an effective run blocker in college and is light enough on his feet to surprise quarterbacks with his sudden presence in the backfield. The Bengals were seventh overall in 2021 with just 103.2 rushing yards allowed per game, but that’s partly because opponents tend to pass the ball more against them, as mentioned earlier. That’s also reinforced by the fact that Cincinnati is only 17th in the league that season with 4.4 yards surrendered per carry. Hall can both aid in ensuring the Bengals’ pass rush remains sturdy and in elevating the play of the stop unit against the run.
