Trading down is almost an annual tradition for the Cincinnati Bengals. They’ve made a habit out of moving back in the draft order—typically in the second round—in order to acquire more late-round selections.
Now that they’re slated to pick at the end of the second round, a trade out of the first round might be the way they go in order to get the best return package.
That’s precisely what Mel Kiper Jr. has them doing in his latest 2-round mock draft. In this scenario, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum makes it all the way to pick 31, and instead of the Bengals staying put and selecting him, Kiper has the New York Jets trading up with them and taking Linderbaum.