Bengals’ Top 2021 NFL Draft Targets
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The Cincinnati Bengals chanced on their franchise quarterback within the 2020 NFL draft, and now they’ll flip to the 2021 match to surround him with the abilities he wants to thrive.
The Bengals are in a stable situation to beef up by the draft over all once more. Following a 4-11-1 campaign in Joe Burrow’s first season, they are going to procure the fifth different to make certain final three hundred and sixty five days’s No. 1 preserve has what he wants to lift on the field and be profitable.
Within the recent present, the Bengals are the first team suppose to preserve that can rule out taking a quarterback. The indispensable three are certain candidates and the Falcons, who preserve fourth, might maybe make a choice to take Matt Ryan‘s successor or alternate again to a quarterback-needy team.
That theoretically gives the Bengals the different to take basically the most efficient non-quarterback at No. 5. Here’s a procure a examine two of the pause candidates they’ll must make a choice between and a top goal for the 38th preserve where they would well add one other influence player.
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Joe Burrow overlooked the final six weeks of his rookie season after suffering a torn ACL and MCL with extra injure performed to his PCL and meniscus. Combining sacks and hits, he absorbed 79 shots in six games. That’s a number that has to head down within the event that they wish to get basically the most out of their younger quarterback.
Whether it happens within the first or 2nd spherical, the Bengals must receive a quality tackle to companion with Jonah Williams. The addition of Riley Reiff in free agency is a correct temporary resolution, but he’s 32 years faded and on a one-three hundred and sixty five days deal.
The finest fix might maybe be to take Oregon’s Penei Sewell. The 6’6″ 325-pound tackle brings elite athleticism to the placement and interprets it to his play model. In conserving with PFF, he allowed one sack and three quarterback hits in 706 passing snaps in his 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Sewell is never in level of fact glorious. He’s produced in his time at Oregon but opted out of the 2020 season and hasn’t develop into 21 years faded but. There will seemingly be a studying curve.
That’s where Reiff comes in to this point as his match with the Bengals is enthusiastic. He might maybe play guard this season while Sewell adjusts to the tempo of the NFL after a three hundred and sixty five days out and takes his rightful plight at tackle in 2022.
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Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Scoot dominated college football in 2019. The Bengals will seemingly be taking a look to reunite the pairing and hope for the an identical finally ends up within the NFL.
Earlier than DeVonta Smith set up Heisman-a hit numbers at Alabama, Scoot used to be shattering SEC secondaries to the tune of 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns as LSU received the national championship.
The 21-three hundred and sixty five days-faded also opted out of the 2020 season, however the production is already there. He’s a produce-it-all receiver whose game interprets to the NFL and already has glaring chemistry with the signal-caller.
Together with him to the fold would give Burrow an array of targets that would come with Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Scoot with Joe Mixon working the ball, with the general receivers on reasonable contracts for quite so much of seasons.
That’s a promising crew of talent avid gamers. If the Bengals are assured they’ll receive ample safety for Burrow initiating air of the first spherical, then Scoot is radiant as a player who can take their offense to the subsequent stage.
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Can procure to peaceable the Bengals make a choice to head the Ja’Marr Scoot route with the fifth preserve, Alex Leatherwood would make sense as a 2nd-spherical goal.
The Alabama product started three seasons for the Crimson Tide and demonstrated the abilities and traits it takes to prevail within the NFL.
Leatherwood played his final two seasons at Alabama as a left tackle but started his profession as a starter in 2018 as a honest guard. Making the transition to the NFL, he might maybe initiating at guard and kick out to tackle when Riley Reiff’s time with the Bengals comes to an pause.
He looked cherish a surefire first-rounder after the 2019 season. After making the transition to left tackle, he gave up no sacks and right one hit in his first season retaining for Tua Tagovailoa.
This three hundred and sixty five days confirmed some holes within the 22-three hundred and sixty five days-faded’s game as he used to be beaten for three sacks and 4 hits, per PFF recordsdata.
In actual fact, Leatherwood showcased his ceiling in 2019 but we can also procure viewed his ground in 2020. The questionable play he placed on tape might maybe imply the Bengals are getting a glorious deal on a prospect who has the functionality of a indispensable-rounder.