Bengals lend a helping hand to one of their elite players and address the future in latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft
There's only one player the Cincinnati Bengals can count on to sack the quarterback, and his name is Trey Hendrickson. The three-time Pro Bowler leads the NFL with 11.5 sacks through 11 games. No one else on Cincinnati's roster has more than two. When identifying the problems with the Bengals' defense, this is near the top […]
There's only one player the Cincinnati Bengals can count on to sack the quarterback, and his name is Trey Hendrickson. The three-time Pro Bowler leads the NFL with 11.5 sacks through 11 games. No one else on Cincinnati's roster has more than two.
When identifying the problems with the Bengals' defense, this is near the top of the list.
It's clear that Hendrickson can't do everything on his own and the Bengals need another weapon to rush the passer. To make matters more pressing, Hendrickson's contract expires at the end of the 2025 season.
It's going to be such a glaring need that the Bengals may need to invest a first-round pick to alleviate the problem. That's exactly how Rob Gregson attacked the situation in the latest A to Z Sports 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
Bengals draft the first edge defender off the board in 2025 NFL Mock Draft
The 4-7 Bengals are currently on track to land the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Elite prospects such as Michigan cornerback Will Johnson or Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden may end up being out of their range, but those positions could end up pushing the class of edge defenders down for the Bengals to have their pick of the litter
As it happens, that's exactly what happened in this mock as Penn State's Abdul Carter was the first edge defender to come off the board in the mock, which works out perfectly for Cincinnati:
"It’s very late to see the first pass rusher come off the board, and there’s a lot of flavors to choose from for a Bengals team that desperately needs pass rush. Abdul Carter has some of the best traits and upside in the class, making him a slam-dunk decision for Cincinnati." – A to Z Sports' Rob Gregson
Carter is in the midst of a dominant true junior season for one of the best teams in the country. He's already posted career-highs in sacks (8) and tackles for loss (18, the NCAA leader) through just 10 games this year, and he's still just 21 years old.
When looking at the advanced metrics over the past two years, Carter wins extremely often as a pass rusher and is also adept at stopping the run compared to his peers. He's got all the makings of a first-round selection.
Carter would join Myles Murphy as the second edge defender to be a Bengals first-round in the last three years, but it's clear that Carter has the stronger resume of the two and could be a true answer to the defense's pass-rushing woes. Murphy has yet to record a single sack this year.
There will be some changes made to the Bengals' defensive line next year. Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample will be free agents, Sam Hubbard will become a likely salary cap casualty, and Murphy just isn't good enough yet to be the team's second-best option at the position.
All of this while Hendrickson enters a contract year at the age of 30. Talk about stress! Carter looks like a productive first step towards rebuilding the group.
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