Cincinnati needs to bolster their offensive and defensive lines. On offense, it's all about the interior. They need better play from their guards. And on defense, they have to find a way to generate more pressure—both on the edge and up the middle. The good news is one of the strengths of the 2025 NFL Draft appears to be the trenches.

NFL mock drafts already have the Cincinnati Bengals keying on Ole Miss interior defensive lineman Walter Nolen. It would appear the Bengals themselves like the idea, too. As pointed out in footage from the Senior Bowl,

In the third round, Cincinnati lands Iowas State wide receiver Jayden Higgins. This is notable, as Tee Higgins could be on his way out. Jayden is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds -- so he could be a seamless replacement for Tee. The Iowa State star caught 87 passes which went for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns during his 2024 college football campaign.

First, at No. 17, the Bengals take a potential replacement for Higgins in Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Egbuka had over 1,000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in two of his last three seasons. He missed three games in 2023 due to an injury.

The Cincinnati Bengals need quite a bit of help. However, for the first time in quite a while, they aren’t highly expected to go offensive line with their first-round pick. That will be addressed later in the draft,