The 2025 NFL Draft will take place in April, and the Bengals will have the 17th pick in the first round. We've rounded up the latest projections from media outlets across the league to give you a look at who could be joining the Bengals this year.
Updated: April 3, 2025
EDGE Mike Green, Marshall
"Green, the nation's sack leader in 2024, makes a lot of sense. He was a disruptive force for the Thundering Herd and then went to the Senior Bowl and turned a lot of heads with his performance. The 6-3, 251-pounder posted 17 sacks and 22.5 TFLs in 2024. His old coach at Marshall, Charles Huff, said Green reminds him a lot of former Alabama star Will Anderson, who Huff was around when he was a Tide assistant."
"Cincinnati has met with Mike Green at the NFL Combine, and he'd be a great addition to their team."
"Additional rush help is a need this year."
G Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
"Zabel has had an outstanding predraft process. He was the best player I saw at Senior Bowl practices, proving he can dominate against top competition after starting 41 games at the FCS level. Plus, teams believe he has the positional versatility to play guard or center in the NFL, and he is always in control as a pass protector."
"With all the dollars the Bengals are sinking into their passing game, they'd be smart to make sure they have the protection group needed for it to fire at maximum capacity."
S Malaki Starks, Georgia
"The Bengals go best player available here with Starks, and he'll help to rebuild the secondary in Cincinnati."
"Starks is an elite safety prospect who checks a lot of boxes as an instinctive field general in the secondary."
G Tyler Booker, Alabama
"With Booker's elite-level anchoring ability, size and play-strength, he not only fits the physical archetype the team typically pursues but also bolsters the firmness of the pocket to create room for Burrow to navigate the pocket."
CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
"Hairston melted the turf at the combine with his 4.28 40, providing a big bump to his draft stock."
DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
"Whether it's stopping the run or getting after opposing quarterbacks, Derrick Harmon will be a disruptor on the defensive interior."
"Harmon can come in and become a disrupter inside."
