6 prospects from 2022 draft that Bengals fans would hate to see in AFC North

Cincinnati Bengals fans won’t only be interested in their draft selections come April 28; Part of the fun of the process is seeing who their biggest rivals select. The AFC North looks set to be a tight battle, and impact rookies could be critical.

The $230 million fully-guaranteed contract the Browns just handed to new quarterback Deshaun Watson will put the front office under pressure in Cleveland. It means the Browns will need to add cheap starters through the draft. They will need to rely on mid-round picks to produce and play more prominent roles in the future.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in search of a new face of the franchise. The retirement of Ben Roethlisberger ushers in a new era but with a strong roster not too far removed from the playoffs, this is not a complete rebuild. Pittsburgh will be hoping for a smooth transition that allows them to still compete for the divisional title.

Finally, the Baltimore Ravens have question marks over their quarterback, given Lamar Jackson is yet to sign a long-term contract. They will be in win-now mode before they have an expensive deal hanging around their neck. The Ravens have a penchant for finding quality starters in the draft, and they will be looking to repeat that in 2022.

In this piece, we’ll be focussing on the worst-case scenarios for Bengals fans. The players that fans will hope don’t end up as divisional rivals. We will offer up an offensive and defensive player for each team that would cause sleepless nights for Cincy.