Bengals build around Joe Burrow in 7-round 2021 mock draft

Now that the Bengals’ 2020 season has finally come to an end, all eyes should be pointed at how they build around Joe Burrow through free agency and the draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals‘ 2020 season is officially over. Ending with a record of 4-11-1, things did not go as many had hoped after an offseason that was filled with so much excitement.

In the 2020 offseason, the Bengals spent uncharacteristically in free agency and added franchise quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the draft. For once, Cincinnati fans were happy with how their team had operated in the offseason. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate into much winning.

The Bengals doubled their 2019 win total from two to four, but that is nowhere near the kind of growth fans were expecting. After the exciting offseason failed to pay off, what will the Bengals do next?

Will their seemingly unsuccessful attempts at spending in free agency scare them from doing it again or is this a truly changed front office? Will they go back to pinching pennies or has Zac Taylor changed the front office’s approach for good? Those questions will be answered in due time, but for now, let’s focus on the draft.

The Bengals might have even more holes this offseason than they did last year at this time, and Burrow entering his second year as a pro the pressure on the front office is going to be dialed up. Burrow’s championship window is opening and the team can’t squander that.

In this mock draft, we will look at what the Bengals may be thinking in the 2021 NFL Draft. While free agency will ultimately decide what positions of need are remaining, it’s fun to look ahead and see where things are at now.