It is the start of a new era for the Cincinnati Bengals, one that centers around adding one of the best quarterback prospects of the past decade. Let’s face it, unless the Bengals do something stupid like trade the number one overall pick to the Miami Dolphins, Joe Burrow is going to be a Bengal. But adding a new franchise quarterback is not going to completely fix everything for the team with the worst record in the NFL in 2019. The first pick may be obvious but executing strong picks with the rest of this draft could build a solid foundation for the future in Cincinnati. I will try to do just that using the Mock Draft Simulator from TheDraftNetwork.com
One of Joe Burrow’s best traits is his ability to escape pressure and buy second chances downfield for his receivers. However, that does not mean the Bengals should ignore the offensive line. 2019 draft picks Jonah Williams and Michael Jordan (not that one) are the only real long-term assets they have up front, making the line their biggest offensive need after quarterback. The Bengals were also wise to bring back WR A.J. Green on the franchise tag to provide Burrow with more weaponry, but it remains to be seen if the team can get a long-term deal done with Green or whether they even should, given his inability to stay healthy the past couple of seasons. Adding more pass catchers for Burrow would be smart in order to put him in the best position to succeed.
Cincinnati was very aggressive in free agency when it came to the defensive side of the ball, where they added former Texans NT D.J. Reader to replace the departed Andrew Billings. The secondary was also a main focus and I think the Bengals made some odd moves there. I don’t blame them for moving on from CB Dre Kirkpatrick, but to turn around and overpay Trae Waynes seems like an unwise use of funds. That was not the only former Vikings corner they added either, signing Mackenzie Alexander. I’m a pretty big fan of Alexander and while I think his best football might still be ahead of him, it is a strange add since the Bengals already have an intriguing young slot corner in Darius Phillips. This same gripe applies to the safety position as well, where the team added former Saint Vonn Bell despite having two solid starters in Jessie Bates and Shawn Williams. However, with these moves Cincinnati has addressed a lot of the concerns on the defensive side of the ball, leaving linebacker as the biggest position of need. The team drafted Germaine Pratt a year ago but adding more talent at the second level should be a priority. With all that said, here is my mock draft for the Bengals:
Round 1, Pick 1: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
It becomes very easy to see when flipping on the tape why Burrow is held in such high regard. His ability to read defenses and identify soft spots in coverage are superb and he has incredible accuracy to jam the ball in these tight spaces. Burrow does not have the strongest arm in the world but it is still plenty strong. The only negative I have is that his accuracy does seem to wane occasionally on deeper passes but I think that is more of an issue with his footwork and mechanics getting a little sloppy on occasion, something that can be fine-tuned at the next level. I do not think this is a result from having a lack of arm strength because there are plenty of other examples of Burrow dropping the ball in a bucket downfield and zipping the ball over the heads of defenders. Above all else, Burrow’s best trait is his ability to feel pressure in the pocket, avoid the rush, keep his eyes downfield and deliver strikes to receivers that find ways to break away from coverage. Here is an awesome rep against Texas:
Burrow side steps the pressure in his face, moves up in the pocket, identifies WR Justin Jefferson breaking open and delivers a perfect pass off of his back foot. Burrow has sneaky speed and athleticism that make plays like this one commonplace for him. He has all the tools to be a dominant quarterback for the next decade plus.
Round 2, Pick 33: Lucas Niang, OT, TCU
Lucas Niang is a tough evaluation because of injury, but I feel pretty confident his best football will come in the NFL. Niang played through a hip injury that hindered his play in 2019 so it is actually better to judge him based off of his 2018 tape. That can be problematic though because his technique improved with more experience in 2019. Niang moves extremely well for a big man and it shows in his kick slide and lateral blocks in the run game. He has very long arms and can control rushers really well if he can get hands into their chest. Niang moves to the second level with ease on runs, bullying linebackers that get in his way. Here is a strong pass protection rep from 2018 against Ohio State, where Niang is the right tackle:
That is eventual number two overall pick DE Chase Young that Niang is going up against. He slides his feet and uses his hands really well to lock up the dynamic pass rusher. Niang was excellent in this game against Young and reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa, showing the type of ceiling has as a starting tackle in the league.
Round 3, Pick 65: Willie Gay Jr., LB, Mississippi State
LB Vontaze Burfict departed the Bengals a year ago and I could not think of a better replacement than Willie Gay Jr., a man who was suspended for most of last season after punching his quarterback in the face. Not an opposing quarterback. His own. I just really could not stop myself from putting Gay Jr. on the Bengals and let’s face it, this is totally a team that would take a chance on him. Gay Jr. is incredibly athletic and could very well develop into a starter because of his physical attributes. His biggest negative is that he really struggles to read his keys in the run game and takes really poor angles to the ball. I saw far too many examples of runs becoming more explosive than necessary because he was not in the position he needed to be in to make a tackle. When he does take strong angles to he ball, holy crap can he lay the wood with some powerful hits. He is also a pretty decent blitzer both in terms of shooting gaps from the second level and rushing off the edge. Gay Jr. may have some faults but he can really be a strong playmaker for the team that drafts him. Not only can he get pressure on blitzes, he also finds ways to create turnovers. Here is an example of that on a forced fumble against Louisville:
Gay Jr. steps up like he is going to blitz and then drops back, flashes his incredible athleticism to chase down the receiver and rips the ball out for the turnover. That explosiveness, hit power and tenacity to rip at the ball are all plus traits for young linebacker. He obviously has some questions to answer about his attitude and demeanor after his suspension, but he has the on-field skills to develop into a potential starter in the NFL.
Round 4, Pick 107: Shane Lemieux, OG, Oregon
Lemieux is an excellent zone-blocking guard that can combine with Niang to help rebuild the right side of the offensive line. The team seems to favor Trey Hopkins at center over guard so a Williams-Jordan-Hopkins-Lemieux-Niang line might just make for a strong unit in front of Joe Burrow.
Round 5, Pick 147: Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas
A.J. Green may very well be heading into his final year as a Bengal and Tyler Boyd and Auden Tate are the only two young receivers that Cincinnati can hang their hat on. John Ross was supposed to be a big-time vertical threat for this offense but he has never really lived up to his draft slot. Duvernay is an exciting receiver prospect that can play outside or in the slot and he has the speed to be the vertical threat that Ross never came to be.
Round 6, Pick 180: Jacob Phillips, LB, LSU
Another developmental linebacker prospect for the Bengal defense. A trio of Germaine Pratt, Willie Gay Jr. and Phillips could very well be a strong unit in the future.
Round 7, Pick 215: Stephen Sullivan, TE, LSU
The Bengals severely overdrafted blocking TE Drew Sample in the second round a year ago and he will get a crack at being a starter this season. Sullivan would make for a nice complement as a former wide receiver who has good pass catching skills in the middle of the field. He is still in the middle of transitioning to tight end so his blocking is very raw, but he can make for a nice receiving weapon if he manages to make the 53-man roster.
Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor will have to make big strides in his second year on the job. He is being handed the best quarterback prospect available in this draft and regardless of how the rest of the picks go, he will need to immediately put Joe Burrow in a position to succeed or the Bengals will move on to another coach who can. Adding better blocking, more receiving weapons and further improving the defense can go a long way toward turning around this franchise, but Taylor needs to build a strong offense around Burrow in order to see this team make a quick turnaround in 2020.
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