With a Week 6 bye and a 3-2 record in hand, the Bengals have a little breathing room before the season gets back into gear. They also have a few obvious areas that still need attention, which makes this a natural time to look down the road and map out a possible 2027 draft haul using PFF’s mock draft simulator.
The biggest swing in this exercise comes early, where Cincinnati is projected to address the offensive line with Jordan Seaton at pick 15. The Bengals’ front has been better in recent years, but it has taken a step back to open this season, and Orlando Brown Jr.’s decline is a central part of that story.
Brown has given up three sacks and 12 pressures through the first five weeks, a sharp drop from the level he once played at. Meanwhile, Amarius Mims has been excellent at right tackle, and there have already been conversations about shifting him to left tackle.
Seaton, listed at 6'5 and 311 pounds, gives Cincinnati a chance to land a left tackle who could protect Joe Burrow’s blind side for years.
The ground game gets attention next. Chase Brown’s early tape hasn’t exactly popped, even as the Bengals tried more under-center looks to get him rolling.
That approach hasn’t solved the broader problems, and Brown’s lack of broken tackles stands out - he has just three through five games. In this mock, Cincinnati goes after a back with more burst and a bigger splash-play profile in Isaac Brown, whose explosiveness could give the offense a needed jolt even if he is a little undersized.
Defensively, the Bengals are still trying to sort through some mixed results in the secondary. Jordan Battle remains one of the more puzzling pieces on the roster: he had a huge outing against the Miami Dolphins with two interceptions before the bye, but his tackling remains an issue for a defense that has improved overall.
That opens the door for Smith, who would make sense if his stock keeps climbing. He has missed three tackles on 19 total attempts, but that sits against a larger body of work that has been much stronger, including only four tackles last season in ten games.
Linebacker is another spot that could use more help even though Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter have both taken steps forward from last year. That’s not saying much, though, because last season set a pretty low bar.
Knight brings more force against the run, Carter offers better coverage, and the Bengals would love a player who could blend those traits. Sammy Brown, who has looked solid against both the pass and the run this season, fits that search in the fourth round.
His 25% missed tackle rate is a concern, but the source points to last season - when he had a 6% missed tackle rate in 13 games - as the better indicator of what he can be.
Up front, Cincinnati also gets a long-term answer at center in Echols. Ted Karras has been steady, but he’s 33 and has plenty of wear on him.
Bringing in a big-bodied center to develop behind him would help set the Bengals up for the future. The offensive line insurance doesn’t stop there, either.
Dylan Fairchild has posted a 56.5 PFF grade through five weeks at left guard, so adding another left-side guard gives Cincinnati depth and could push Fairchild to raise his game.
Cornerback gets a look as well with Frederique Jr., whose season debut ended almost immediately after a dislocated shoulder two plays in. Even with that setback, the Bengals have reason to be encouraged by what he did in 2024, and that makes him a worthwhile developmental swing.
The Bengals also double up at running back later in the class with White, who has been productive for North Texas. Through five games, he has 687 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, while also hauling in 23 of 27 targets for 192 receiving yards.
Finally, Cincinnati adds more edge depth with Perkins, the mock’s Mr. Almost Irrelevant pick.
The Bengals have loaded up on edge rushers over the past few years, so the move fits the pattern. Perkins has two sacks this season and could offer some run-stopping upside for the defense.
In Other News...
Justin Herbert Questions Grow After Chargers Make Sudden QB Move
The Chargers are making a change behind center ahead of Sundays game against the Chiefs, adding veteran Jake Browning to the roster as Justin Herberts season continues to draw scrutiny. Herberts play has fueled plenty of outside questions in 2026, and any quarterback move in Los Angeles naturally sends ripples through the rest of the league, especially for a division-rival audience watching how firmly the Chargers are willing to stand behind their starter.
For all the noise around Herbert, the teams stance has been much less dramatic than the speculation suggests. Los Angeles has not discussed trading him, and the idea was never considered internally, even as the performance questions keep piling up. Brownings arrival adds another layer to the conversation, but it does not appear to have changed the Chargers basic view of Herbert, at least for now. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Finally Have Reason To Feel Better About Burrow Up Front
The bye week has given Cincinnati a little extra time to appreciate one of the quieter reasons the season has stabilized: Joe Burrow has been getting better protection up front. Coming off a 31-24 win over the Miami Dolphins, the Bengals can point to an offensive line that has held up well enough to keep the passing game humming and let Burrow work effectively in the red zone, where he threw four touchdown passes in the victory.
For a team that has spent plenty of recent seasons worrying about life in the pocket, that matters. The bigger picture is still mixed, with the defense continuing to raise concerns, but the front five has at least given Cincinnati a sturdier foundation than it has had at times in the past. In a season where margin for error remains slim, the Bengals have reason to feel better about how Burrow is being protected, even if the larger questions around the roster are still waiting on answers. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Bye Week Just Put One Defensive Need Front And Center
The win over Miami offered a reminder of why Cincinnati can still feel dangerous when Joe Burrow is rolling and Jordan Battle is making plays, but it also left the secondary conversation hanging in plain sight. Even in a game the Bengals controlled, the defense gave up too much on the ground, and the back end still looks like the spot that could use the most attention as the season settles into its next phase.
With the Week 6 bye in front of them, the Bengals have a rare chance to address that issue before the schedule stiffens again. The ideal move would be one that adds both experience and size to the defensive backfield, and Tampa Bay has a corner who checks those boxes while having started every game so far this season. For a team trying to keep pace in a crowded AFC race, this is the sort of window front offices are built to use. [Read more 🡒]