Bengals grab a DE in ESPN mock draft following Trey Hendrickson trade request

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty ImagesTrey Hendrickson wants a new deal, and without one, he wants out of Cincinnati.

While the Bengals don’t have an intent to trade the star, keeping the band together while not paying long-term deals to stars may not be a recipe for success as the 2024 NFL Draft inches closer.

Cincinnati has the No. 18 pick in the first round, and defensive end really didn’t seem like a position group they would target here, especially after spending a first-round pick on Myles Murphy last year.

Could Hendrickson’s request for a trade change that with multiple big-name talents likely on the board when Cincinnati is on the clock?

At ESPN, the final NFL Mock Draft projection by Field…