With six weeks left in the 2019 regular season, the Cincinnati Bengals have the coveted first overall pick in their hands. They’ve made it this far into the season without winning a single game, but their lead over the Washington Redskins is only one game. For now, they hold the most sought-after prize in football (that isn’t the Lombardi trophy), and that’s a shot to bring their franchise back to relevancy. If the year finishes with the Bengals securing the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, what should they do with it?
State of the Team
First, we should look at what’s going on in Cincinnati. Why are they performing the way they are? Many were quick to blame QB Andy Dalton, but it’s not him that’s been the issue. We can find answers by looking at the offensive line. Last year, they were one of the worst units in the league. Then they lost veteran LG Clint Boling to retirement due to blood clots. Going into this season, the Bengals expected to start 2019 first-round pick Jonah Williams at LT, Cordy Glenn at LG, 2018 first-round pick Billy Price at C, John Miller at RG, and Andre Smith at RT. Williams was expected to make a big difference, but he tore his shoulder labrum in preseason, ending his rookie season before it even began.
Due to multiple injuries, in Week 10, the Bengals offensive line had John Jerry at LT, Billy Price at LG, Trey Hopkins at C, John Miller at RG, and Bobby Hart at RT. That’s not a recipe for success. On the year, the unit has ranked last in the league in both pass-blocking and run-blocking. They’ve allowed the second-most sacks and have yet to provide a rushing touchdown.
You could easily look and say it’s rookie HC Zac Taylor’s or Andy Dalton’s fault. However, you can’t put it all on them. They’re working with what they have. The problem is, there’s just not a lot there. Owner and GM Mike Brown deserves a lot of the blame. But, even he probably couldn’t have foreseen the health issues they’ve dealt with. A.J. Green, probably still their best player, has yet to play a snap this season.
2020 Free Agents/Future Decisions
Obviously, the biggest decision to be made is what to do with the QB. Andy Dalton is on the books for a manageable $17 million next season. However, cutting the TCU product wouldn’t put any dead money on the books. Freeing up that $17 million to get some quality free agent talent would certainly help. Dalton isn’t a difference maker, and the money could be more well-spent somewhere else. There may even be some teams interested in trading for Dalton. The Bears, who seem to only need a competent QB, could give a pick or a player in return.
A.J. Green, Darqueze Dennard, Tyler Eifert, Andre Smith, and Trey Hopkins are set to be free agents. Those are guys who’ve played valuable snaps in Cincinnati. Some of the Dalton savings could be used to retain some of this group. Green probably won’t make the $15 million he was this year, creating even more space.
They should be looking to add to the offensive line and the defense. Bring back the days of the rough-n-tough AFC North.
2020 NFL Draft
There are three directions to go in the draft for the Bengals. The first is QB. Tua Tagovailoa from Alabama and Justin Herbert from Oregon are garnering the most attention at the position in the upcoming draft. Guys like Joe Burrow from LSU, Jacob Fromm from Georgia, Jacob Eason from Washington, and Jalen Hurts from Oklahoma are also receiving interest. So, they may be able to trade down with a team interested in drafting Tua if they’re not interested. Tua makes me nervous because we haven’t seen many left-handed QBs succeed in the NFL.
In the second scenario, Cincinnati could fall back in the first round. Even if it’s only a few picks, they can grab some picks later in the draft to give them more chances at improving their team with young talent. They may be able to continue solidifying their line or grab a top-level CB while still going after a QB later on.
Finally, they could go after Ohio State’s Chase Young. The Buckeyes have a knack for this whole “DE” thing. They produced Nick Bosa last year, the second-overall pick, and now they have Chase Young vying to be the first pick this year. Young has recorded 13.5 sacks this season, despite missing a game. He’s been in the news recently, as he’s been suspended by the NCAA for “accepting a loan from a friend.” This is another example of the NCAA’s ridiculous overarching power. This instance wasn’t suspension worthy and shouldn’t affect his draft stock. If I were a team, I’d certainly consider taking him first overall.
In my opinion, the Bengals may be best off taking Chase Young and waiting til the second round or 2021 to draft their QB. If they’re still poor offensively, they may be able to get either Trevor Lawrence from Clemson or Justin Fields from Ohio State who could be every bit as good or even better than any of the QBs in this class. If there’s a team right behind the Bengals that may be willing to give you a pick or two to guarantee they get a QB, I’d listen to that offer as well.
They can move on from Dalton in the offseason, using the money to keep some of their impending free agents and bring in more veteran talent. The Bengals can then either ride out a full season of Ryan Finley or find a placeholder for the year. Hell, they may even get lucky and a talented QB can fall to them in the second round. Either way, I’m trying to get Chase Young with that first pick.