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The Cincinnati Bengals turned some heads with almost every pick Duke Tobin and Co. made during the 2020 NFL draft.
After the predictable with Joe Burrow, most picks married a nice tandem of value with need, securing the Bengals immediate and long-term impact at notable spots like linebacker and wideout. The NFL draft grades department, understandably, loved the results.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper, for example, slotted the Bengals with a “B+” grade:
Linebackers Logan Wilson (65) and Akeem Davis-Gaither (107) improve one of the league’s worst units from a year ago, and Wilson in particular could be a steal. Khalid Kareem (147) had 26 tackles for loss over the past two seasons.
Cincinnati probably isn’t going to win many games in 2020, but it’s going to be fun to watch. This draft and offseason has set the stage for rise, and I’m excited to see where it goes next.
Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling was especially impressed with how the Bengals handled Day 3, giving out an “A” grade:
Day 3 should be about maximizing value and building depth, and that’s exactly what the Bengals did at every pick to close out their class. The triple-dipped at linebacker by adding Appalachian State’s Akeem Davis-Gaither and Purdue’s Markus Bailey, and were rewarded for their patience at offensive line by landing a versatile blocker in Kansas’ Hakeem Adeniji. Notre Dame pass rusher Khalid Kareem in the fifth round was icing on the cake.
Likewise, Yahoo — while giving out an “A” grade, loved the picks after Round 2, too:
“Wilson was insanely productive (94+ tackles four times) at Wyoming, was PFF’s No. 2 linebacker against the run, and is a 64th percentile Adjusted SPARQ athlete. He should have been in my top-100 rankings to be honest. He’ll be a starter for most of his rookie contract… Davis-Gaither can be an asset as a blitzing linebacker and willing tackler against the run, as evidenced by his 101 tackles last season. He can play meaningful snaps for a rebuilding linebacker group… “
Sports Illustrated’s Andy Benoit went with an “A-” and noted the impending return of Jonah Williams, as well as the long-term outlook for Tee Higgins:
“Getting Burrow to quickly maximize the potential of those tasks will require better play at offensive line and wide receiver, areas the Bengals could address later in this draft but will also improve by default with wide receiver A.J. Green and 2019 first-round left tackle Jonah Williams returning to health. This can be a whole different Bengals offense in 2020, especially if second-round pick, Tee Higgins, builds on the drastic growth he showed from 2018 to ’19 at Clemson and carves out a meaningful role as a rookie in 2020. His college improvements were especially poignant inside—a significant note given that in Taylor’s play-action heavy offense the receivers often align in tight splits, working the middle of the field.”
Pro Football Focus, while going with an “A” mark, went longer on Markus Bailey near the end of the draft:
“With multiple ACL injuries over his career, Bailey’s draft stock is in the hands of doctors now. He’s one of the most productive and versatile linebackers in the class when healthy, though. He ranked inside the top-50 among qualifying off-ball linebackers in PFF grade in 2017 and 2018.”
Then there’s NFL.com, which graded every single day and the draft class as a whole at an “A” mark with interesting perspective on Day 3:
“They started the festivities on Saturday by picking another good linebacker in Davis-Gaither, who will track and attack the ball on defense and special teams. Kareem was an excellent edge rusher selection in Round 5, and Adeniji has a chance to start at guard or tackle very soon. Bailey would have been a top-100 pick if not for his history of knee injuries.”
At this point, it’s a little weird to see an outlier grade that isn’t an “A” for this Bengals’ class. That speaks to the need-value balance — as it should given the team’s position as selecting first in each round. If it pans out, this is the sort of foundational class that alters the direction of a franchsie.
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