Any Cincinnati Bengals fans worried about how the 2026 NFL Draft played out on Friday, or how their Day 3 picks will play out, should find this here article an effective antidote to those concerns.
Optimism runs rampant across the NFL this time of year. Almost every fanbase believes they're one draft class away from Super Bowl glory. However, we all know that an elite quarterback like, say, Joe Burrow, goes a long way in determining a team's fate in any given season.
After seeing two of Burrow's last three seasons cut short by injury, one renowned expert believes a major Bengals resurgence is imminent thanks to the Dexter Lawrence trade, a solid start to the draft, and yes, Joe Burrow.
ESPN's Kevin Clark names Bengals as favorites to win the AFC in 2026
In a SportsCenter interview with Scott Van Pelt after Day 2 of ESPN's NFL Draft coverage, four-letter network analyst Kevin Clark dropped the ultimate hot take that'll have Who Dey Nation feeling themselves.
Taking into account the team's Day 2 draft haul in addition to the aforementioned Lawrence trade, Clark suggested the Bengals are the No. 1 favorite to represent he AFC in Super Bowl LXI:
"The Cincinnati Bengals are my favorite to win the AFC…Pick 10 for Dexter Lawrence. The most double-teamed human on Earth. He can’t walk down the street without a guard and a center trying to rough him up. He still gets to the quarterback despite that. And then today, Cashius Howell, a guy I really liked. He’s another one of these guys that has short arms. It’s not gonna matter…Tacario Davis, a 6’4” cornerback who can run and be physical. But when I think about the Bengals. I think about a team that just needs to be average on defense. […] If they’re the 15th-best defense in football, they can get to the Super Bowl with Joe Burrow. […] In a landscape where we don’t know about the Bills this year. We don’t know about the Ravens. The Chiefs obviously, with Patrick Mahomes coming back from injury. There’s a lot in flux here."
A lot of Clark's logic checks out. The only problem is, myself and many other Bengals fans have thought along similar lines in recent years, right?
Since Burrow entered the NFL in 2020, every season in which Lamar Jackson has started at least 15 games for the Ravens, they've won the AFC North. Jackson's reliance on his legs will diminish as the years go on, but until he's no longer a lethal dual threat QB, we're not banking on that.
Sure, there's uncertainty around the Buffalo Bills. Such is the case every year. Josh Allen finds a way to lead his team to no fewer than 11 wins every single time.
And the Kansas City Chiefs have earned the benefit of the doubt. Patrick Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl champ. He's proven he can win from the pocket to complement his all-world knack for improvisational clutch plays. The Chiefs bottomed out last year, but they're poised to bounce back if Mahomes' entire career is any precedent to go by.
All those qualifiers aside, though, I get why Clark is bullish on the Bengals. This year really does feel different. Trading for Lawrence signaled a long-awaited paradigm shift in Cincinnati. The front office actually appears to be all-in to score that first-ever Lombardi Trophy. They spent big in free agency outside of Lawrence for myriad upgrades on the defense.
Theoretically, fielding a league-average defense seems doable. Burrow and the offense can score almost at will. Just a stop or two here and there goes a long way. The Bengals just haven't been able to pull that off en route to three straight years of missing the playoffs.
Jake Browning played at a high level in relief of Burrow in 2023; Joe Flacco did so this past season. Didn't matter. Cincinnati's defense let everyone down.
Good news: Adding a lethal designated pass rusher in Cashius Howell via the draft further fortifies a defensive end position led by Myles Murphy, free-agent signing Boye Mafe, and 2025 first-rounder/elite-of-elite athlete Shemar Stewart. Lawrence and Jonathan Allen give the Bengals a legit interior pass rush for the first time in Burrow's career.
Combine all that with the ascending play of boundary cornerbacks DJ Turner and Dax Hill, and it's not outlandish to suggest the Bengals could, in fact, field the NFL's 15th-best defense in 2026.
Seeing is believing, though. It's OK to be excited about all the new additions. It won't mean much if Burrow can't stay healthy, or the defense can't jell in enough time to get in the AFC playoff picture.
But you know what? Just get Joe Burrow a ticket to the dance. Get him to the postseason. As long as he's there and playing up to his abilities, the Bengals indeed have as good a chance as anyone at coming out of the AFC and winning that darn Super Bowl.
Thank you for your bullishness, Kevin Clark. Full interview below.
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