NFL Draft expert reveals the prize awaiting the Bengals in the 2025 NFL Draft should disaster strike
Absolute travesty would have to befall the Cincinnati Bengals if they continued down the path that begins with an 0-1 record. There's still ample time to get the season back on track, but what if this year ends up being like 2019? What would the Bengals have to look forward to if they finished with the […]
Absolute travesty would have to befall the Cincinnati Bengals if they continued down the path that begins with an 0-1 record.
There's still ample time to get the season back on track, but what if this year ends up being like 2019? What would the Bengals have to look forward to if they finished with the worst record in the league?
A new pass rusher would likely be the answer.
In his latest 2025 NFL mock draft, A to Z Sports draft expert Ryan Roberts opted to use the current draft order according to NFL Mock Draft Database, which has the Bengals picking first overall.
And with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, he paired the Bengals with Tennessee edge defender James Pearce Jr.
Now a 20-year old true junior, Pearce put together an elite 2023 season as a sophomore against SEC competition. He had the sixth-highest pass rush win rate against true pass sets last year, legitimizing his 10 sacks to pair with 14.5 tackles for loss.
While the start of his 2024 campaign hasn't quite been as exciting, the talent with Pearce is obvious. Roberts believes he has All-Pro upside as a consistent sack artist.
"The Bengals drafted at No. 1 overall isn’t the best situation. If trades were included, you can bet there would be a move back in the works. If stuck there, you can never have enough great pass rushers. Pearce has the upside to be an All-Pro player and a double digit sack artist every year." – A to Z Sports' Ryan Roberts
Every team could use a pass rusher like that, and the Bengals are no exception. Week 1 showed, along with major tackling issues, how much Cincinnati relies on 29-year old Trey Hendrickson to get to the quarterback. Hendrickson along with fellow starter Sam Hubbard will enter contract years next season, so the club needs to think about replacing them in the long-term. Myles Murphy can't play for both.
Pearce would be an elite solution if they're able to draft him, but again, it would take many more games like last Sunday to get to that point.
Bengals LT Orlando Brown Jr.’s change in technique has already improved Joe Burrow’s pass protection
Brown switched things up from last year in his impressive 2024 debut.
