Draft Tendencies Suggest Bengals will get Protection for Joe Burrow

Looking at the past 10 years of the Cincinnati Bengals’ draft tendencies can give fans a better idea of what to expect come this weekend. 

There isn’t much mystery surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals’ first overall selection. A report from Fox’s Jeremy Rauch indicated that the team has informed Joe Burrow he will be in stripes. After that, however, what the Bengals decide to do is anybody’s guess.

Or is it? Perhaps looking at the front office’s tendencies over the past 10 years could give fans a clue of what to expect. Thanks to Vivid Seats, we have that information available to us.

When it comes to the second round, there could be any number of positions that offer good value. Based on historical actions, a wide receiver seems to be the most likely position the Bengals attack. The team has drafted 14 wideouts since 2010, with the corner and linebacker units commanding the second most draft capital at 12 and 10 picks, respectively.

For those who are hoping the Bengals secure Burrow some extra protection, there’s hope for that scenario as well. The front office has used 7 picks on guards, 5 on tackles, and 4 on centers. If you’d rather categorize the three under one offensive line group, that would make the unit the most drafted.

Moving on to the Bengals college conference preference, the SEC seems to run supreme for those who run the operation in Cincinnati. The team has spent a whopping 22 picks (23.6% of their draft capital over the past decade) on players reigning from the south, with the next closest conference being the BIG-12 at 16.

Duke Tobin and company seem to have a particular affinity for players from Georgia, calling the names of 5 prospects from the school, the most out of any college.

The data also seems to suggest there may be a location bias in the Bengals war room. The Ohio State Buckeyes have 5 players who have exchanged the scarlet and grey for the orange and black, giving the Georgia Bulldogs a run for their money.

For the fans who just can’t wait to see who the next player to don a Bengals jersey will be, statistics like these can help predict just what conversations are being held in the team’s virtual meetings.