The Cincinnati Bengals have All the Tools to Dominate the Draft

Heading into the 2020 NFL draft with plenty of momentum, the Cincinnati Bengals have every tool necessary to dominate the event. 

After making the moves required to fall in the “winner” category of free agency, the Cincinnati Bengals have the ability to come out of the 2020 NFL draft just as successful.

The team has a variety of advantages, stemming from both owning the worst record in the league a year ago and the fact that the draft will be held virtually this year.

Perhaps the most valuable of all the advantages is the fact that the team got to coach the Senior Bowl this year. This means that they got an up-close look at some of the best prospects and leaders across the country, while other teams will have to rely on tape alone, due to pro-days that have been canceled.

Those perks have often been brought up, but it’s been largely overlooked that even before pre-draft meetings were canceled, the number of combine meetings was slashed as well. Instead of the usual 60 meeting slots, franchises only received 45 this year, further adding to the advantage for the Bengals. On that front, fans should expect a large portion of this year’s draft class to consist of Senior Bowl participants.

Zac Taylor mentioned another benefit the team will enjoy this year in a virtual press conference, and that is the fact that the front office will have plenty of time to make their selections because they draft first in most rounds. That means they’ll have a full day to take a look at the prospects still available and make the choice. It also gives them the opportunity to hash out any potential trade details to ensure they get things right.

Finally, in most years, the way the Bengals have their scouting department set up usually puts them at a perceived disadvantage. However, with the ruling coming down from Commissioner Rodger Goodell that teams would not be allowed to meet and would have to conduct their draft virtually instead, the Bengals may have the upper hand in this regard.

The Bengals only have about 8 people solely dedicated to their scouting department, one of the smallest in the NFL. Teams generally have many more people involved in the scouting process. This means the Bengals will have a more streamlined process and should have less difficulty communicating between their smaller group.

With high-end draft capital, more face-to-face time with many prospects, plenty of time to make their decisions, and a scouting department more equipped to handle a virtual draft, the Bengals have every advantage they need to dominate the event.