Best, worst-case first-round picks for Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals currently own the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

It is difficult to project how the board will fall come Thursday night, so here are the best and worst-case first-round picks for Cincinnati.

Best case: Georgia tight end Brock Bowers

The Bengals have put a Band-Aid over the tight end position for the past two years. It may work out this time around with Mike Gesicki, who signed a one-year deal with the team in free agency. However, Irv Smith Jr. was far from good enough in 2023 with just 18 catches for 115 yards and one touchdown.

Bowers may be long gone by the time Cincinnati is on the clock as he ranks as the best tight end and No. 7 overall prospect on Pro Football Focus's big board.

However, if he falls, which some believe he could, it should be a no-brainer for the Bengals to add him to QB Joe Burrow's arsenal of weapons for many years to come.

Bowers has 175 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns in the past three seasons at Georgia.

Worst case: Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins

Cincinnati lost starting cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (Titans) in free agency, so it would not be surprising if Wiggins is the pick depending on how the board falls.

Wiggins will likely be a first-rounder when it's all said and done. He registered 58 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and 17 passes defensed the past two years. However, he is undersized, standing at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds.

The Clemson product needs to put on more weight before entering the physical AFC North. Until then, he'll likely have trouble jamming larger receivers at the line of scrimmage.

Plus, the Bengals still have cornerback DJ Turner II, their second-round pick in 2023, ready to take on a larger role.

Wiggins currently ranks as the fourth-best cornerback and No. 24 overall prospect on PFF's big board.