The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the best offenses in the NFL led by quarterback Joe Burrow. He is surrounded by arguably the best wide receiver trio in the NFL in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Irv Smith Jr. was brought in to replace Hayden Hurst at tight end and Joe Mixon still leads the backfield.
There aren’t many franchises in the NFL that can stack up at the skill positions with Cincinnati. But, just because they look to be in good shape now, it doesn’t mean that they won’t add more talent to their offense in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Bengals would be smart to start adding some depth to prepare for the future. There are some concerns that they will not be able to pay Higgins and Chase, as Burrow will be up for an extension in between them as well.
The backfield picture is also a little cloudy at the moment. There is a chance that the Bengals move on from Mixon this offseason, as designating him as a post-June 1st cut would save the team over $10 million. Based on his production, that is something the team will seriously consider.
But, a move of that magnitude will only be possible if the Bengals can find a suitable replacement. His backup Samaje Perine departed in free agency, signing with the Denver Broncos. That leaves Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans as the only other running backs on the roster.
If Cincinnati wanted to add more explosiveness to that backfield, Devon Achane would be a good target in the draft. The Bengals were named the best fit for the Texas A&M product and it is easy to see why.
Despite standing only 5’9” and weighing 188 pounds, Achane plays much bigger than his listed size. He possesses explosive athleticism, running a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. With the Aggies last season, he averaged 5.6 yards per carry as well. That is actually the lowest YPC average he had in his three years in college, as he averaged 8.5 as a freshman and 7.0 as a sophomore.
Not only does Achane get the job done on the ground, he is a capable pass catcher as well. In 2022, he caught 36 passes and scored three touchdowns through the air to go with the eight he had on the ground.
Even if the Bengals opt to keep Mixon, Achane would be a quality addition to their backfield. He would bring some much-needed big play ability as Mixon averaged over 4.1 yards per carry only once in six seasons.
