It's not just a Wednesday, it's a Mock Draft Wednesday.

The Cincinnati Bengals have less eye-popping needs today as they had Monday morning. And even after agreeing to terms with both Sidney Jones IV and Irv Smith Jr., they may not be done adding veterans as well.

There's not a spot amongst the 22 starting jobs that's currently open, but uncertainty lingers for a handful.  

The biggest variable right now is left right tackle Jonah Williams. If the Bengals had their way, Williams will play bookend to Orlando Brown Jr. for the year before testing the open market. Williams wants no part of that, and his representation is not hiding behind his discontent. 

Williams has already gone to his agent to request a trade, and his camp leaked a report to Cincinnati.com's Kelsey Conway detailing how the former first-round pick was "blindsided" by the request to change positions so suddenly due to the Brown signing. Funny wordplay aside, it's devolving into a real situation, so much that it seems like the Bengals will actually try to accommodate Williams' wishes by dealing him away.

But it takes two to tango in this scenario, and that's tough to project right now.

For the purposes of this mock, Williams will not be traded with the expectation he commits to playing right tackle for the season. I do think the Bengals will have a chance to move him during the Draft, and I'd be inclined to believe they'll take advantage. I just can't predict what it'll look like at the moment.

*Disclaimer: Age is on Draft day

First Round (Pick 28): Michael Mayer

• Position: Tight end
• School: Notre Dame
• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 249
• Age: 21.7 years old

Right tackle in place or not, this still feels like the pick if he's available. The Bengals are in on both Mayer and Dalton Kincaid, but the former being a bit younger with no concerning injury makes him more of an attractive investment. Mayer is also the more likely tight end to go off the board before this pick, and if that's the case, a pivot to Kincaid feels likely should they feel fine with the medical. That's a tough projection, and Smith Jr. also trying to overcome his own injury history doesn't make it less pressing. 

Mayer is fine at this juncture. They'll know what they're getting immediately. Smith Jr. can be the "move" tight end while Mayer puts in work as the Y for his rookie year. A lack of elite athleticism may prevent him from going higher than this, but averaging 2.19 yards per route run as the centerpiece of Notre Dame's passing offense over the last two years gives him a phenomenal floor to succeed at the next level.

Second Round (Pick 60): Zach Charbonnet

• Position: Running back
• School: UCLA
• Height: 6-0
• Weight: 214
• Age: 22.3 years old

The idea of Ezekiel Elliott still makes sense for the Bengals, but again, not to replace Joe Mixon as a bell cow back. Those hardly exist anyways in the NFL now. Whether Zeke or Mixon is on the team by the time the draft rolls around, they'll need some youth at the position to carry it forward with burst into the future. The club also exclusively selects the heir to the position in the second round.

Charbonnet checks pretty much every box they have when drafting a running back. After transferring from Michigan, the multi-dimensional tailback forced 122 missed tackles and averaged 3.82 yards after contact for the Bruins since 2021. His best runs in terms of yards over expectation were gap-scheme concepts, which matches where the Bengals are headed in the run game. 

Third Round (Pick 92): Darius Rush

• Position: Cornerback
• School: South Carolina
• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 198
• Age: 23.2 years old

92 picks in is usually later than when the Bengals draft a cornerback. The signing of Sidney Jones IV helps establish depth, but they could use a talented rookie to solidify the room going forward. Chidobe Awuzie's contract is set to expire this time next year, and they almost always act proactively at the position. 

Rush will probably get drafted after his former teammate Cam Smith due to ball production, but the tools for Rush are there. A big-bodied cornerback with 33" arms and 4.36 speed who was only penalized twice in two years of starting against SEC competition is a worthy swing in the third round. He seems just right for defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.  

Fourth Round (Pick 131): Xavier Hutchinson

• Position: Wide receiver 
• School: Iowa State
• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 203
• Age: 22.9 years old

On the subject of developing heirs, here's one for Tyler Boyd in the slot. Boyd will play out the last year of his contract while the Bengals focus on extending Tee Higgins and then Ja'Marr Chase on the boundary.

Hutchinson was too productive to last over 130 picks in the Draft, but being on the older side with 4.53 speed won't intrigue many teams in a relatively weak receiver class. His size and athleticism almost matches Boyd perfectly. And while he wasn't exclusively a slot for the Cyclones, he averaged 3.2 yards per route run from that alignment on 54 targets last year. It will likely be his home in the league.

Fifth Round (Pick 163): Yasir Abdullah

• Position: Edge defender 
• School: Louisville 
• Height: 6-1
• Weight: 237
• Age: 23.1 years old

The Bengals will probably attack the defensive line at some point. A 3-technique is a good bet, as is an explosive edge. They need one more piece to pair with Joseph Ossai to properly give Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard breaks throughout the season.

There's an argument for Abdullah to become a full-time off-ball linebacker due to his lack of ideal size on the edge, but the production is undeniable. He had a true pass rush win rate of 33.3% last year, one of the best marks in this class. He also blazed a 4.47 40-yard dash. 

Sixth Round (Pick 206): Michael Turk

• Position: Punter
• School: Oklahoma
• Height: 6-0
• Weight: 227
• Age: 25.1 years old

When the Bengals are serious about replacing specialists, they go after it on Day 3. Kevin Huber, Jake Elliott (lol), and Evan McPherson were all fifth-round picks.

Targeting Burk a round later seems completely plausible to give Drue Chrisman a real run for his money. Burk's average hang time of 4.19 since 2021 will be very welcomed in Cincinnati.

Seventh Round (Pick 246): Blake Whiteheart 

• Position: Tight end
• School: Wake Forest
• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 247
• Age: 23.1 years old

Double-dipping at tight end may not be as pressing after the Smith signing, but this late in the draft, you're really looking for special teams contributors. Whiteheart recorded 343 snaps on several special teams units at Wake.