ESPN Mock Draft Slots Illinois Defensive Tackle Jer'Zhan Newton to Bengals in First Round

Cincinnati has some decisions to make at this position.

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati hasn't drafted a first-round defensive tackle since 1994, but ESPN's Matt Miller has the franchise going in that direction with the 18th pick in the outlet's latest 2024 mock draft.

The Bengals targeted Illinois's Jer'Zhan Newton.

"Free agency will be huge in truly determining the Bengals' draft needs; wide receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are currently set to hit the open market," Miller wrote. "We're operating here under the belief that at least one will be back in 2024. If it plays out that way, the Bengals can bypass receiver in this spot and grab the best interior defender in the class. Newton is slightly undersized at 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds, but he has a devastating first step and has used it to accumulate 16.5 sacks and 92 pressures over the past three seasons."

One player this largely hinges on could be DJ Reader. If the Bengals sign him to a new deal this offseason it wouldn't make as much sense to take Newton.

Although he could be the best player available either way as one of the nation's top defensive tackles over the past few seasons. The Bengals last selected a first-round defensive tackle in 1994 (Dan Wilkinson).

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