2018 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting every first round selection

The Cincinnati Bengals thought they’d picked up the steal of the 2017 NFL Draft when they selected Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon with the No. 48 pick. The first round talent had fallen down draft boards because of his off-field issues, but the talent was never in question.

Mixon plus a backfield that featured NFL veterans Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill were supposed to be the perfect balance to a passing game that already had plenty of weapons. That included the Bengals’ first round pick last year, John Ross.

The Bengals finished 30th in the NFL in open field yards, defined by Football Outsiders as the percentage of carries in which running backs earn more than 10 yards. The team isn’t going to bail on Mixon, but they can beef up their offensive front and add the most experienced, elite running blocking lineman in this year’s class, Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey.

Teammate of fellow projected first rounder Quenton Nelson, McGlinchey was also named a first team All-American. He paved the way for Josh Adams and dual threat quarterback Brandon Wimbush in college and can create a running lane off the edge for Mixon. The Bengals need to get Mixon into open space and there’s not a better way to do that than a road-grating tackle like McGlinchey.