Teams tend to fall into a couple of different categories when it comes to the NFL Draft. There are some who are already stacked, but who are looking to fill a couple of holes or add depth. Then there are those that need a rebuild from the ground up, and who are probably still at least a full season or two away from being anywhere close to competitive. The team that gets the first pick overall in the draft usually falls into the latter category, which is where the Cincinnati Bengals landed this year. In order for a rebuild to begin to make any sort of inroads, teams need to pick well in the draft, so lets’ take a look at what the Bengals did over the weekend and how it affects their odds to win the Super Bowl.
Cincinnati Bengals SB Odds & Analysis After Draft For 2020
Round 1
Not a single person was surprised when the Bengals selected QB Joe Burrow with the first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Burrow is coming off a spectacular year with the LSU Tigers, leading them to a National Championship while also putting up some amazing numbers in his final college season. This was a draft that as deep in QB’s, but Burrow is the one who would appear to have all the tools to be a legitimate starting QB in this league. He will be under center for the Cincinnati Bengals from day one of the coming season.
Round 2
When you are building a team around the top QB in the draft, there are a couple of areas that need to be addressed. The Bengals needed to focus on the offensive line, while also giving Burrow some weapons to throw to. They addressed the latter of those needs by taking former Clemson WR Tee Higgins. It’s not entirely clear what the status of #1 receiver A.J. Green will be this coming season, so it was smart for the Bengals to add a receiver that could prove to be a future #1.
Round 3
After addressing the skill positions, the Bengals needed to focus on getting a linebacker in the fold. They were probably more than a little happy to see that Logan Wilson was still available when the 3rd round began, as this is a player that they had rated very highly heading into the draft. This really was the best case scenario for the Bengals, as they addressed all their major needs in the opening three rounds.
Round 4
Cincinnati decided to go LB again with their 4th pick in the 2020 Draft, selecting Akeem Davis-Gaither out of Appalachian State. The middle of the defense was a weak spot for Cincy last season, so their two linebacker picks should help them shore things up there.
Round 5
The Bengals were also looking to add some players who could prove to be disruptive on the defensive side of the football. With 13 sacks over his last 3 seasons with Notre Dame, Khalid Kareem may well be able to deliver the goods.
Round 6
OL Hakeem Adeniji is a player that the Bengals were impressed with after seeing him at the Senior Bowl. He can play on the right side of the defense or as a guard, so he is certainly a versatile piece.
Round 7
LB Markus Bailey was the final pick for the Bengals in the draft. He missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but if he recovers well, this could prove to be a savvy pick.
This was a fantastic draft weekend for the Cincinnati Bengals, but as we mentioned at the top of this piece, there is still a lot of work to be done before they compete. The bookies seem to agree, as they have them in at +10000 to win the Super Bowl.
