With Week 1 right around the corner, it’s only natural to keep an eye on mock drafts for the 2025 NFL Draft, right? Well, it may be a tad crazy considering the Cincinnati Bengals have yet to suit up for a regular season game. Either way, that won’t stop mock draft machines from looking at what the team could improve upon.
As we sit on September 2, 2024, the Bengals are 0-0 with the entire season ahead of them. As of now, both Tankathon and NFLMockDraftDatabase have the Bengals picking 28th, assuming they make it to the AFC Divisional Round but falling to either the Baltimore Ravens or Kansas City Chiefs and finishing as the third-best team in the conference.
According to NFLMockDraftDatabase, three players are selected more than any others in mock drafts across the internet.
September Bengals Mock Draft Consensus
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State (17.3%)
Even before taking a single snap for his new team, Quinshon Judkins was expected to be a playmaker and a first-round talent. Way back in May, he was considered the consensus pick at 28.
Judkins is a legitimate NFL back but he’s going to share a backfield with another NFL back in TreVeyon Henderson. Picking a running back in the first round is a risk and it would be graded poorly because Judkins will likely not have the counting stats that other top running backs in the class will.
In his first game with the Buckeyes, Judkins split carries with Henderson. Judkins led the way with 13 carries, finished with 55 yards, and scored his first Ohio State touchdown.
He did have to deal with an offensive line that struggled early. Regardless, he managed two chunk plays on the ground and showed a burst the Buckeyes haven’t seen since Henderson’s freshman year.
Taking a running back early is a risk. Judkins could have what it takes to be a successful NFL career, of course.
Patrick Payton, EDGE, Florida State (9.9%)
According to both outlets, the Bengals’ biggest need in the 2025 draft is at EDGE. Considering Trey Hendrickson kind of requested a trade despite being under contract through the 2025 season and the fact that they have two edge rushers expected to hit the market, it makes sense. Plus, the Bengals are planning on devoting a chunk of the salary cap to Joe Burrow and (hopefully) Ja’Marr Chase. They will have to get younger.
Enter Patrick Peyton. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Bengals used their first-round pick on an EDGE with Myles Murphy. He played well down the stretch as a rookie but will have his second year delayed due to injury.
According to The Game Haus’ Joe DiTullio:
“Payton is athletic and long, which makes him tough to block. The Bengals could use more pass rush help, especially with Trey Hendrickson possibly having long-term contract issues and Sam Hubbard not being great at getting after the quarterback.”
Our Tim Rodriguez sees Payton as a top-10 athlete.
He’s flashed in his career but 2024 will be his first opportunity to be the guy for the Seminoles’ defense. Last year, despite being in the shadow of a pair of NFL-bound players, he finished with 44 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 10 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan (7.4%)
Another year, another tight end featured in way-too-early Bengals mock drafts. The fanbase was enamored with both Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers over the last two seasons and perhaps Colston Loveland is the next.
The Athletic is feeding into that, mocking Loveland to Cincinnati:
“Loveland’s not going to have the same gaudy numbers in 2024 while playing with a new quarterback that he had with J.J. McCarthy in 2022 and 2023, but he’s an extremely dependable, agile and powerful pass catcher who has made plays all over the field. If Michigan rolls with young Alex Orji at QB, Loveland also will get a chance to fine-tune his run blocking — which already has been very good.”
In Michigan’s Week 1 win over Fresno State, it was ugly on offense outside of Loveland. He accounted for 87 of the team’s 121 receiving yards and hauled in the only receiving touchdown on the day.
The Wolverines’ offense may be Iowa-esque this year but that bodes incredibly well for Loveland. He’s the consensus top tight end in the 2025 draft and is legitimately one of the top pass-catchers from the Big Ten.
Time for Football!
Naturally, predicting things this far out is a crapshoot. Most mock drafts had the Bengals shooting for JC Latham just weeks prior to the 2024 NFL Draft and he went seventh overall, a good 11 picks before the Bengals took Amarius Mims.
As the season goes on, it’ll be interesting to see how these mocks evolve. Both the NFL season and college football season will have a massive impact on these and there’s a great chance that the Bengals’ first-round pick is not even on anyone’s board at this point.
Main Image: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
