ZekuNFL'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

ZekuNFL'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON OCT 26, 2025

Jets

  • ZekuNFL DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
Peter Woods Head Shot
PICK: 7 RND: 1 (CIN)
Peter Woods
DL-EDGE Clemson
Nyck Harbor Head Shot
PICK: 42 RND: 2 (CIN)
Nyck Harbor
WR South Carolina
Anthony Lucas Head Shot
PICK: 73 RND: 3 (CIN)
Anthony Lucas
DE-EDGE USC
Akheem Mesidor Head Shot
PICK: 108 RND: 4 (CIN)
Akheem Mesidor
DL-EDGE Miami
Adepoju Adebawore Head Shot
PICK: 190 RND: 6 (CIN)
Adepoju Adebawore
DL-EDGE Oklahoma
James Smith Head Shot
PICK: 204 RND: 6 (CIN)
James Smith
DL Alabama
Bear Alexander Head Shot
PICK: 226 RND: 7 (CIN)
Bear Alexander
DT Oregon
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall B-
ValueC+ NeedB- TradesB- FutureB-
The Bengals checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.

The Bengals did not so much draft James Smith as overpay for him, 30 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. No fireworks, but a solid B-.

It is not that Lucas is a bad player; it is that the Bengals had louder needs to answer first. That cornerback hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Interior defensive lineman is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.

Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.

Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.

Pick Analysis
Pick7 Rnd1 Peter Woods
In pick No. 7 they get a problem off the edge at fair value.
Pick42 Rnd2 Nyck Harbor
By-the-book stuff, Nyck Harbor at No. 42 squarely in line with his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick73 Rnd3 Anthony Lucas
A curious use of pick 73. Cornerback, tight end and other spots needed the pick; an edge rusher in Anthony Lucas did not.
Pick108 Rnd4 Akheem Mesidor
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went edge rusher with Akheem Mesidor while clear needs at cornerback, tight end and other spots sat open.
Pick190 Rnd6 Adepoju Adebawore
Adepoju Adebawore in the 190th overall pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Pick204 Rnd6 James Smith
James Smith in the Round 6 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick226 Rnd7 Bear Alexander
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Bear Alexander. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.