New Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor's first NFL
Draft has come and gone and it became clear that his main focus was to select
players that could revamp the run game. So who did Taylor and the Bengals add
to the team in hopes of making a Super Bowl run? Let's take a look.
The first ever NFL draft pick of the Zac Taylor era was
Jonah Williams. He was taken with the 11th overall pick in the first round.
Williams is an offensive tackle out of the University of Alabama and should
help protect quarterback Andy Dalton while also opening up running lanes for
running back Joe Mixon.
In the second round, the Bengals selected Drew Sample. He is
a tight end from the University of Washington. Considered to be one of the best
blocking tight ends available, you can see why the Bengals selected him despite
bringing back both Tyler Eifer and C.J. Uzomah. If he lives up to his
reputation, he could be another asset to amplify the rushing attack.
The third round saw the Bengals pick up OLB Germaine Pratt
from North Carolina State. The linebacker position was a weakness for the
Bengals in 2018, so it is easy to see why the team went with Pratt in round
three. He is a former safety and his versatility could be a great asset for the
Bengals' defense.
The first fourth round pick of the Bengals was quarterback
Ryan Finley. The team traded up six spots to snag Finley. While Andy Dalton is
apparently still their quarterback of choice, Finely will most likely take over
backup duties from Jeff Driskel and could perhaps challenge for the starting
job when Dalton's contract expires in two years.
The second fourth round pick of the Bengals was Renell Wren.
He is a defensive tackle out of Arizona State University. He is a nose tackle,
and his size has already garnered him the nickname of Mt. Wren. He can help
bolster the defensive line and contribute to the pass rush.
The third fourth round pick of the Bengals was center/guard
Michael Jordan out of Ohio State University. Jordan's ability to play either
guard or center gives the team the flexibility it needs to make sure that their
five best lineman are in the field. This enables them to both protect Dalton
and open up the running game.
The Bengals wouldn't pick again until the sixth round when
they selected running back Trayveon Williams out of Texas A&M. The team
needed another running back after they released Mark Walton due to off field
issues. Williams is a versatile player and can play various positions for the
Bengals such as kick returner.
The teams' second sixth round pick was Deshaun Davis. He is
a linebacker out of Auburn. With the Bengals needing help at the linebacker
position, it makes sense that they would pick up Davis. He is considered to
have a high football IQ which is never a bad thing.
The Bengals had one more pick in the sixth round and drafted
another running back. Rodney Anderson played for the Oklahoma Sooners and had
injuries in 2015, 2016, and 2018. It is hard to say where he could fit in with
the Bengals system, but based on the numbers he was able to put up in college,
Anderson has a lot of potential.
The Bengals' final pick of the 2019 NFL draft was in the
seventh round. They selected cornerback Jordan Brown out of South Dakota State.
He might have trouble finding playing time behind Darqueze Dennard and Dre
Kirkpatrick, but his stats from college suggest he could be a suitable backup
for the time being.
Those were all the Bengals' 2019 NFL draft picks. They
addressed their offensive line woes and really made an attempt at boosting the
rushing attack for the offense. A lot of people (including myself) wanted them
to take quarterback Dwayne Haskins out of Ohio State, but you can see why they
decided to go with Jonah Williams in the first round instead. Hopefully all
these picks pan out well and help make the Bengals a contender in the AFC North
Division once again.
Who Dey!
