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Bold Predictions for the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2020 Draft

By Aaron Burd

IOWA CITY, IOWA - SEPTEMBER 07: Defensive end A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates his sack during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on August 31, 2019 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA - SEPTEMBER 07: Defensive end A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates his sack during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on August 31, 2019 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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PALO ALTO, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Calvin Throckmorton #54 of the Oregon Ducks looks on during pregame warm ups prior to the start of an NCAA football game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Calvin Throckmorton #54 of the Oregon Ducks looks on during pregame warm ups prior to the start of an NCAA football game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

They won’t draft an offensive lineman in the first four rounds

The Bengals’ offensive line has been a problem ever since Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler left in the 2016 offseason. In that time, they have struggled to draft good offensive linemen. While many will agree that the line should be a priority, I expect the Bengals’ to wait until later in the draft.

As it stands right now, the coaching staff is much higher on their offensive line than the fans and media would agree with. Jonah Williams, the 11th overall pick in the 2019 Draft, will be healthy this season after sitting out his rookie year with an injury. The staff also expects Michael Jordan to be a longterm starter on the line despite a rough rookie season. Trey Hopkins was signed to a 3-year contract this offseason. These three players give the coaching staff young players to be excited about already on the offensive line.

At the right guard and right tackle spots, the Bengals have some healthy competition that they feel comfortable in. Xavier Su’a-Filo, Billy Price, and Alex Redmond will compete for the right guard spot while Bobby Hart and Fred Johnson will compete at right tackle. This may not comfort Bengals’ fans, but the staff feels good enough about these players that they won’t force a pick on the line.

Some names to look out for on Day 3 of the draft are Jack Driscoll, Calvin Throckmorton, and Trey Adams. Driscoll is a versatile prospect out of Auburn who tested well athletically. Throckmorton and Adams are players who were once projected to go high but fell due to injury concerns (Adams) and poor athleticism.