A consecutive Super Bowl berth was missed by the smallest of margins, but the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship proved that Cincy isn’t going anywhere. 

After going 10-7 and making a surprising run to a Super Bowl for the 2021 season, the Bengals went 12-4 in 2022. With nearly all their key pieces returning, the team expected to make another push for a ring. 

Bookies.com oddsmaker Adam Thompson has used his resources of NFL contacts developed over 20 years covering the league and the NFL Draft to create his hypothetical NFL futures odds on who gets selected 28th by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Cincinnati Bengals 1st Round Pick Odds (No. 28)

Who Will The Bengals Take In 2023 NFL Draft?

The Bengals weren’t without needs going into the offseason, and especially now going into the draft. The biggest concern may have been at offensive tackle, but that was rectified in a huge way with the signing of Orlando Brown to a four-year, $64 million contract. Now the attention moves to tight end to replace the departed Hayden Hurst, and defensive back to shore up the NFL’s 19th-ranked pass D. 

Cornerbacks in the draft are modestly deep, but the two most-attainable first-round prospects - Deonte Banks of Maryland and Cam Smith of South Carolina - are likely to be off the board by the time the Bengals are selecting at No. 28. So, too, is Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence, the top-ranked interior lineman in the class. All three players could help the Bengals, but not if they’re already off the board. 

Alabama safety Brian Branch could go as high as No. 15 or could fall to Cincinnati’s spot. Cincy lost Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III to free agency, though they added Nick Scott from the Rams and have 2022 first-rounder Dax Hill ready to assume a big role. 

Tight end is a position of need, especially with Hurst joining the Carolina Panthers. This is a pass-first team with Joe Burrow leading the charge and the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd on the outside. Adding a quality TE frees up those talents to do their thing. 

Cincinnati Bengals Odds To Select Michael Mayer

Anywhere from 2-4 tight ends could go in the first round, but the order and placement is a crapshoot. Michael Mayer of Notre Dame, Darnell Washington of Georgia and Dalton Kincaid of Utah all bring unique talents, and depending on the team could be the TE1 on their board. 

For the Bengals, Mayer is the guy, and he makes the most sense here compared to other potential spots. Why? Because the Bengals aren’t a building team, and Mayer isn’t an unpolished, untapped-potential tight end. While Kincaid and especially Washington could be very good quickly, Mayer is ready to step up and be the pass-catching TE this team wants immediately. 

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Mayer has been compared often by scouts to Jason Witten, who in his second season with the Cowboys was making the first of his 11 Pro Bowl appearances. Imagine what a player with that potential could do in an offense like this.

The Field is led by depth at the all-important offensive tackle spot. Dawand Jones of Ohio State and Anton Harrison of Oklahoma could both be available at 28, and may be the choice if the Bengals' TE of choice isn't around. 

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Complete List of Bengals 2023 Draft Picks

• Round 1 (Pick 28)
• Round 2 (Pick 60)
• Round 3 (Pick 92)
• Round 4 (Pick 131)
• Round 5 (Pick 163)
• Round 6 (Pick 206)
• Round 7 (Pick 246)