Bengals: Senior Bowl storylines overview

2020 is finally here and the offseason is in full swing for Cincinnati. The Bengals finished with a 2-14 record in 2019. Outside of owning the first pick of the 2020 NFL draft, the Bengals also earned the opportunity to coach the South team at this year’s Senior Bowl.

The Senior Bowl is one of the biggest events on the NFL offseason calendar. All the top senior prospects looking to get drafted are invited. Every team in the league will be there to watch as many of the players participating will be first to third round prospects. Other prospects may get drafted later. The  Senior Bowl is an early chance to see prospects in game action.

The game itself will draw a crowd. However, it is the week of practices that will get the most attention from scouts. In the NFL, coaching in this event gives you an advantage. The staff will get to spend hours of individual time with the players. Thus, the Bengals get a more in-depth look at who they may want to select in April.  Who are some of the players participating that Bengals fans should be most aware of as potential additions to the team?

Joe Burrow is eligible to participate. As of now, it is unknown if he will. He still has the college championship game. It is a short turnaround to the Senior Bowl on the 25th of this month. It would be a tremendous opportunity for the Bengals if he does. Zac Taylor and his staff would get a chance to actually coach him before the draft. That in itself is something to keep an eye on. They will get to work with Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

Offensive line prospects are sure to get a strong look from the Bengals staff. Their drills are usually some of the most interesting during the week’s practices. Some names to look out for on the South team are Josh Jones of Houston, Logan Stenberg of Kentucky, John Simpson of Clemson, Prince Tega Wanogho of Auburn, and Terrence Steele of Texas Tech.

Also, keep an eye out for guys like Trey Adams of Washington and Ben Bartch of Saint Johns for the North. Bartch will be especially interesting. At least one small school guy tends to show out at these events every year.

Linebacker will also be a position of interest for Bengals fans. Troy Dye of Oregon is probably the most interesting name that has committed to this point, but there are others to keep an eye on. Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Lewis of Alabama, as well as Zack Baun of Wisconsin, are names of interest. These two positions are widely considered Cincinnati’s biggest areas of need, but not the only ones.

There are a few interesting receivers to watch during the week such as Michael Pittman Jr. of USC, K.J. Hill of Ohio State, Collin Johnson of Texas, Bryan Edwards of South Carolina and Denzel Mims from Baylor.

Cornerback is a sneaky need in Cincinnati. There are a few names of note participating. Kristian Fulton of LSU is the biggest name. However, he is likely a first round pick and may not be available for the Bengals. Jeff Gladney of TCU is certainly someone the Bengals could be interested in. Other notable names include Lamar Jackson of Nebraska and A.J. Green of Oklahoma State

Of course, there are others that are sure to show a solid skillset capable of contributing and possibly even starting in the future at the NFL level. There will also be more names to commit to the game that could make a major impact.

This is a major opportunity for the Bengals coaching staff in a pivotal offseason. This organization  needs to nail this draft. The Senior Bowl should provide a solid start in finding what could be a franchise changing class.