The Latest Buzz Surrounding the Bengals Second Round Pick

With the Cincinnati Bengals set to make their second-round pick shortly, we dive into what analysts are saying about the selection. 

The Cincinnati Bengals are slotted to make their second selection of the 2020 NFL draft shortly after 7:00 pm ET. In a complete 180 from their first pick, nobody really knows what direction the team will go for certain.

Many quality players, arguably with first-round talent, remain on the board. The most reasonable targets at this point appear to be offensive tackle Josh Jones or wide receiver Denzel Mims. According to Ian Rapoport, the latest buzz is that the Bengals are interested in the latter player, Mims, alongside defensive tackle Ross Blacklock.

This buzz has to be taken with a grain of salt, however. Franchises are rarely upfront about their intentions. The only people who know exactly what’s going on are Mike Brown, Duke Tobin, and Zac Taylor. If the information is coming from one of those three, you also have to consider why they’re giving that up. Is it a smokescreen to drive the price up for a trade because they know those players are going to be highly sought after? Or do they simply not care if the information gets out because they hold all the power?

As far as who analysts believe the Bengals should take, the previously mentioned Josh Jones is gaining a lot of traction. Pro Football Focus’s lead draft analyst, Mike Renner, certainly seems to know what he’d do if he were in charge.

Other notable names who think Jones would be a solid pick are ESPN’s Mel Kiper and former offensive line coach Paul Alexander, who described the Houston tackle falling to the Bengals as “manna from heaven in the desert”, pleading the team to take him and thank their lucky stars.

It’s important to note the report that came out before the draft from Dianna Russini, stating that the Bengals were focused on solely drafting the best player available. Fans shouldn’t be analyzing the roster to determine which direction ownership will go. Instead, attempting to figure out who the team has as their most highly rated player would yield a more accurate guess.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that Bengals broadcasters Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham stated in the pre-draft broadcast that they believe the team will trade back at some point to acquire more picks. To gain the most draft capital, they may pull the trigger at the top of round two, no matter how much it might sting to lose out on some of the guys still up for grabs.

Hang in there Bengals fans. The speculation and buzz will soon come to an end and you’ll know exactly who the next player in stripes will be.