The Cincinnati Bengals are heading into quite a defining offseason.
Last season, the club posted a 9-8 record, something that should have been better considering quarterback Joe Burrow posted an MVP-caliber season.
On top of that, superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was the very best at his position during the season.
Despite the explosiveness and stature of the offense, the Bengals were unable to win double-digit contests and fell short of the postseason, which was always going to be a tall task after a 1-4 start to the season.
Dealing with some defensive woes, Cincinnati made a defensive coordinator change for the first time in six seasons. The vacancy led to the hiring of Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden, who has experience with the club in the past.
While nailing a coordinator hire was essential, the Bengals now have to build a roster talented enough for the team to support Burrow and the offense.
The 2025 NFL Draft will pose a big opportunity for Cincinnati to do exactly that -- and analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently dropped his first mock draft of the upcoming cycle.
In Jeremiah's mock, the Bengals use the No. 17 overall selection to land Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen, who was remarkable last season for the Rebels.
"Nolen is a dynamic interior disruptor. He would be a key part of a turnaround under new Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden," Jeremiah wrote.
The 6-foot-3, 304-pound defensive tackle garnered 6.5 sacks during his junior. Prior to his lone season in Oxford, MS, Nolen spent time in College Station, TX, with Texas A&M.
Adding a talent like Nolen to the defense would be a remarkable start to turning around the Bengals' defense with Golden taking the job in Cincinnati.
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