The Bengals went the safe route with their 11th overall pick. Does it mean that Andy Dalton is still their quarterback of the future?
Despite much speculation that the Bengals would select a quarterback with the 11th overall selection in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Mike Brown and company played it safe and selected offensive lineman Jonah Williams.
Both Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock were on the board when Cincinnati’s time came, but the 2018 All-American lineman from Alabama was the pick.
Williams was dubbed by many as the top offensive lineman in the draft and ended up being the first to come off the board.
What makes Williams unique is his ability to play both the guard and tackle positions and do so effectively. He also stated numerous times that he would play whichever position was needed by the team that drafted him. This shows maturity and intelligence.
While the pick on paper seems safe and smart, does it mean the Bengals still believe Andy Dalton is their franchise quarterback?
Dalton is coming off a 2018 season that saw him play some solid football before a season ending injury. In 11 games he threw for 2,566 yards, tossed 21 touchdown passes and posted a 61.9 completion percentage.
In 2019, Dalton will be entering his age 31 season and for the first time in his career will be under a new head coach in Zac Taylor. The former Sean McVay understudy is thought to be a quarterback guru,
With Taylor being a young offensive mind, many figured the Bengals would let him choose “his guy” at quarterback in the first round. Just like the Cardinals took Kliff Kingsbury’s man, Kyler Murray.
Instead, the Bengals drafted a lineman to help protect the veteran quarterback. Does this mean Andy Dalton is still the Bengals guy?
We will likely find out tonight. Both Drew Lock and Will Grier are on the board and could very well be Cincinnati’s second-round selection even with significant needs on defense.
If the Bengals pass on these quarterbacks, the Williams selection would indicate Dalton is Taylor’s guy and will be the Bengals quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Want to read more about Cincinnati’s offseason? Be sure to check out all of our Bengals coverage on Stripe Hype!
"NFL Draft 2019: The Cincinnati Bengals Select Jonah Williams"