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The Cincinnati Bengals earned plenty of rave reviews for the performance by the front office in the 2020 NFL draft.
Experts still just keep bringing up the Bengals as a stellar performer, too.
In a poll of experts at ESPN, two pointed directly at the Bengals when asked which draft classes will have the biggest immediate impact in 2020.
Here’s Dan Graziano:
“Joe Burrow could be the only rookie quarterback to start in Week 1. Tee Higgins could be a valuable contributor, given all of the question marks in the Cincinnati wide receiver group. (Is A.J. Green going to be there? Is John Ross going to be healthy?) The linebackers they took in the third and fourth rounds could matter this year. And does 2019 first-rounder Jonah Williams, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, count as a rookie?”
And Field Yates:
“The selection of quarterback Joe Burrow certainly accounts for most of this, but it should come as no surprise if their top three selections — wide receiver Tee Higgins and linebacker Logan Wilson included — make substantial contributions right away. I really like their class.”
It has been an odd offseason for the Bengals when it comes to expert analysis. The team earned a ton of good reviews for the big-spending in free agency and now has great grade after great grade for the Joe Burrow-led draft class.
And these high remarks come on the heels of Mel Kiper Jr. suggesting Cincinnati’s seventh-round pick was really a Round 2 or 3 value.
Given the nature of the roster rebuild and quality of the draft class, it seems obvious the Bengals will have one of the most impactful performances by rookies of any team — and that extends far beyond Burrow.
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