It’s no secret the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t get much from the 2019 rookie class during Zac Taylor’s debut season.
But it wasn’t so cut and dry to think the draft class was the outright least productive last year.
A new set of metrics says otherwise, as ESPN and Pro Football Focus teamed up to measure rookie class productivity by throwing a WAR metric against where players were selected.
The Bengals finish last:
32. Cincinnati Bengals
Why they’re ranked here: Things were ugly for Cincinnati’s 2019 draft class. All five players who played at least 150 offensive or defensive snaps earned wins above replacement values below zero, but none of the selections were a bigger disaster than Ryan Finley in his stint at starter. The fourth-round pick’s 29.3 overall grade rivaled only Grier’s for the lowest of any quarterback in 2019.
Some of this just couldn’t be helped. Jonah Williams got hurt. Drew Sample was a questionable pick in the second round who couldn’t break onto the field, then got hurt. Germaine Pratt didn’t shine until late in the season. Ryan Finley self-destructed when asked to replace Andy Dalton. Michael Jordan was in and out of the lineup. It goes on and on.
Part of this also stems from the Bengals not turning over the roster much at all despite having a new head coach, which is unorthodox. There just wasn’t a ton of room for rookies to make a difference.
That figures to change for the 2019 class going into Year 2. The 2020 class should have a bigger chance to contribute too, especially with the No. 1 pick leading the charge.
[vertical-gallery id=27171]