The NFL Draft is creeping closer. It will provide a much-needed dose of excitement for football fans, especially those of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Despite criticism from some, the NFL Draft will go on beginning April 23rd. It is a great diversion, especially this year. Every fan is hopeful and optimistic during and after the event. Even if a team blows it in the minds of the so-called experts, many fans convince themselves their team nailed it.
Perhaps no fan base has more reason to be optimistic than that of the Bengals. At 2-14, they truly earned the top draft position last season. With the number one pick comes the opportunity to draft a much needed new franchise quarterback, presumably Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow.
No team ever wants to pick at the top of the draft, but the Bengals roster still needs a lot of help. After they take a quarterback to start things off, they could conceivably focus on almost any position group the rest of the way. The mock drafts reflect a wide array of approaches for fans to wonder about and each provides a hopeful scenario for the future.
I am nowhere near as bullish on Burrow as some people. Even so, there is no way he does not become at least a serviceable NFL starting quarterback and the potential there provides a spark of hope.
Cincinnati also has to feel pretty good, as they had an uncharacteristically pricey free agency period that resulted in a massive influx of proven talent on the defensive side of the ball.
Bengals fans rarely seem to have reason to be excited. However, the draft this year combined with the free-agency period provides plenty of it. No matter what happens over the course of the draft, it will only further the excitement for Bengals fans.
Sports are never the most important thing in the world, but there are a lot of people out there who use sports as a fun respite from the struggles of life. It might be a strange watch, but the NFL Draft will do that more than ever this year.