After the Superbowl ended, the Bengals started their work to fill the holes in the team. Filling quite a few gaps in the off-season. They set out to conquer the draft with six picks.
With their round 1 pick at 31, the Bengals selected Daxton Hill, safety. Hill was a beast last season for the Wolverines, who took out my Buckeyes from moving into the top four; for the first time in a decade. Hill has worked deep coverage, blitz plays and even sealed off tight-ends. He is a very well-rounded player who will ratchet down the Bengals on D another notch.
In round 2 at pick 60, the Bengals traded up to pick Cam Taylor Britt, a corner out of Nebraska. He has played in various schemes showing off his speed and versatility. His ability to harass any WR on the field will definitely be beneficial against teams like the Browns, who have a breadth of WRs to choose from now.
Round 3 and at pick 95, the Bengals chose Zachary Carter, a DT out of Florida. He is an adaptable lineman who can play inside and outside with ease. The Bengals needed to find a replacement for Larry Ogunjobi, and bets are Carter is the one.
Round 4, with pick 136, Cincinnati chose Cordell Volson, guard, out of North Dakota State. Volson is a beast who can steamroll defenders in the trenches. He is highly competitive and aggressive; he will do his best to fight for a backup position in his first season. He has played both sides of the fence, and I expect he will find a place quickly.
They had already selected two other defensive backs, but they traded up for this one. Going into Round 5, at pick 166. Cincy went with Tycen Anderson, a cornerback out of Toledo. With an impressive speed of 4.36 in the dash, he is projected to be a center of field safety. He adds additional depth and speed to the Bengal’s secondary.
Hitting the final pick for the Bengals in round 7 at 252, they scooped up Jeffrey Gunter, edge, Coastal Carolina. He is a stand-up edge rusher. Surprisingly he wasn’t picked up earlier in the draft with the skillset he has displayed, but I’m not sure he will play a game his first season as the Bengals already possess a decent amount of depth here.
Post-season picks included; the Bengals, in my opinion, have had the best off-season and set themselves up for success. I grade their draft as a B+. I would have liked to have seen an O-line pick just to put another brick in the wall around Burrow. It is essential to remember Joey B was sacked 70 times last season. That said, Ohio teams are showing they now want to rule the path to the Superbowl. It’s almost scary that both the Browns and Bengals are finally looking to build dynasties.
