Yes, Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is still sitting there. It's doubtful the Bengals would take him in this scenario. Unless, of course, the Andy Dalton extension negotiations are right there with the Obama-Putin phone calls.

All kidding aside since they've just barely started talking about talking and not much may be done by the draft, anyway. But what this mock seriously shows is there will be a guy or two there they don't expect, commonly known as a "slide." And since they are sitting rather pretty by not being in desperate need of an Opening Day starter, they may be able to re-stock some positions already teeming with talent.

Many mocks have the Bengals taking a cornerback here, but what if a Bridgewater, or a Mike Evans, or a Zack Martin type of guy made it to them? They'd have to at least think about them even though they're full on the depth chart at those spots. What has earned the Bengals high marks in the past five drafts is sticking to the grades and making the pick despite the position.

Here's the case for the 6-5, 275-pound Ealy:

First of all, wouldn't having a first-rounder named Kony in Cincinnati be perfect? Think of the possibilities. Forget Revis Isand. How about Kony Island? When he makes the move to three-down player, how about Three-Way Kony? What about when he comes up with his first NFL fumble? The Kony Krate?

Better yet, check the menu at NFLDraftScout.com. Its prospect rankings as of Tuesday when the Bengals went to pick in the Bengals.com Media Mock Draft scenario had the three highest-rated guys on the board as Bridgewater (9), Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan (18), and Ealy (22).

Obviously, Bridgewater would be quite a bargain at No. 24. But the Bengals can get their backup quarterback later, they just gave nose tackle Domata Peko an extension that keeps him here through 2016, and they've got two young emerging tackles in Brandon Thompson and Devon Still.

Who knows how the Bengals have these guys graded? But on Tuesday's NFLDraftScout.com big board there's not enough difference in the Jernigan-Ealy rankings to prevent taking Ealy, a pass rusher they're seeking to add with the free-agent departure of right end Michael Johnson.

Ealy has been compared to 19-sack man Robert Quinn of the Rams with dynamic athleticism that has carried all over the front seven at linebacker and tackle.

"He's very athletic. If you're looking to start a basketball team, he's the guy," says Gil Brandt, NFL.com's draft guru. "He's the kind of guy that can also play inside for you at times."

The scouts talk about Ealy's length and burst and the more you hear about him the more he sounds a little bit like Johnson: "Very good recognition to disrupt passing lanes. Times his leap well; long arms, good hand-eye coordination. Undeniable upside."

Rob Rang, the senior analyst for NFLDraftScout.com who has Ealy ranked 18th on his latest big board, is "just scratching the surface of his potential." Perfect fit. They don't have to rush him and can even do what they did with SMU rookie Margus Hunt last year and de-activate him for early-season games.

So that's the next question. Didn't they take Hunt in the second round last year in case they lost Johnson? Sure, but don't stop now. One of the reasons the Bengals have made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons with a top seven defense is they've realized how important the trenches are. In all but one of the drafts since 2008 (2011), they've drafted a defensive lineman in the first three rounds.

That's what makes the world go around in the AFC North. Tough, fast, physical fronts. As they say, you can never have enough linemen in this division. Especially when you're looking at a board that has you reaching.

The pundits are talking about the Bengals looking to shore up their roster at cornerback and maybe tackle and safety. But Rang's highest rated corner when the Bengals pick is TCU's Jason Verrett at No. 29, his highest-rated tackle is Alabama's Cyrus Kouandijo at No. 34, and the highest-rated safety is Northern Illinois' Jimmie Ward at No. 35.

Advice to the Bengals?