The Cincinnati Bengals enter draft season early again for the second consecutive year. The orange and black have plenty of needs on both sides and how they address free agency will dictate their direction in the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. Let’s examine three potential first-round targets at pick 17 in a critical season for head coach Zac Taylor and his men in stripes.
3 Potential Cincinnati Bengals Defensive First-Round Draft Targets
Kenneth Grant – DT | Michigan
The best possible outcome would be if Kenneth Grant were still on the board at 17 when the Bengals select, as they would rush to the podium to turn their card in. Grant has had a solid career for the Wolverines and was named an All-American selection by the Associated Press (third team) and an All-Big Ten selection (second team, coaches and media) and has the ideal size and body composition for a defensive tackle at 6’3″ and 340 pounds.
Grant has improved immensely this season and had excellent coaching under the direction of former NFL defensive coordinator Wink Martindale where he honed his skill in pushing the pocket and clogging up rushing lanes.
Not many 340-pounders can run like this. Kenneth Grant (78) can move. pic.twitter.com/kO9NqGOAQJ
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) November 11, 2023
Even though the Bengals drafted two defensive tackles last season in Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson, they need all the interior defensive help they can get. Grant would only add to a solid rotation and help keep this group fresh for four quarters.
Jalon Walker – LB | Georgia
The linebacker position is a sneaky need for Cincinnati with questionable depth and starters Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson getting older. Enter Jalon Walker from UGA who would infuse much-needed athleticism into this room. Walker had a fantastic year in Athens where he earned plenty of accolades including, the 2024 AP All-America Third Team, 2024 Walter Camp All-America Second Team, All-America First Team – AFCA (2024), and was named the 2024 Butkus Award Winner as the nation’s top linebacker.
Walker is extremely young at only 20 years old and still an ascending player which the Bengals love. He possesses good sideline-to-sideline speed and plays aggressively with the ability to rush the passer and drop into coverage if needed all of which would help in the rugged AFC North.
Jalon Walker is a coaches dream.
➖ Pass-rush + linebacker versatility
➖ Run game discipline/fundamentals
➖ Rapid trigger + athleticism20-years-old with limited experience btw… pic.twitter.com/GsKj3GqcIB
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) January 17, 2025
Malaki Starks – S | Georgia
The Bengals love Georgia products and might consider Walker’s teammate and safety Malaki Starks at 17. Communication issues plagued Cincinnati’s secondary all season and Starks is an intelligent player who could step in immediately to help alleviate some of these issues. While at Georgia, he earned, 2024 AFCA, FWWA All-America First Team, 2024 AP, The Athletic, Walter Camp All-America Second Team, 2023 Consensus All-America First Team, and 2022 The Athletic Freshman All-America First Team awards.
He is a seasoned player with three years of experience and has logged over 2500 snaps. Starks is elite against the run with excellent ball skills and hitting ability.
Malaki Starks is a blue chip prospect.
Starks is effective in both man and zone coverage and has unbelievable ball skills and instincts.
He’s even better against the run, missing just 6.9% of his tackle attempts and posting an 85.6 PFF grade.
Top 10 player for the 2025 Draft. https://t.co/48XwvJ660x
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 19, 2025
Cincinnati has been missing strong safety play and someone who can close out games since Jessie Bates left. The selection of Starks would go a long way in remedying this mistake.
Main Photo: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
