First-round pick must make immediate impact
The Cincinnati Bengals own a top-10 pick in the NFL draft for the first time since 2011. Their roster is aging and depth has been riddled with free-agent defections.
That means the Bengals will need the player they select at No. 9 tonight to be a difference-maker as a rookie. There are no glaring needs, but there are plenty of holes.
Working under the assumption that Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett and Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas will be gone, here are five players the Bengals are likely to draft:
Howard gives the Bengals everything they are looking for. He could make an immediate impact, plus he would give the team leverage in negotiations with Tyler Eifert, who is entering
the final year of his contract. Given Eifert’s injury history, the team could deem it too big of a risk to give him the kind of contract his numbers could dictate when he’s healthy. Drafting Howard keeps them covered at the position.
Foster’s shoulder is a concern, but the Bengals wouldn’t even consider him if their medical staff had any doubts. Linebacker is one of the biggest areas of need for the Bengals, so if Foster is available, it will be hard to pass on the most complete player at the position. But this is one of the best linebacker classes in recent years, meaning the Bengals could find value at linebacker in the second or third round.
Allen is the type of player you wouldn’t expect to still be on the board at No. 9; he may be gone by No. 5. But there are a handful of teams in the top eight that need quarterbacks, and a couple outside the top 10 who might be willing to trade up to take one. It wouldn’t take much for Allen to fall into the Bengals’ lap. With Domata Peko leaving in free agency and Brandon Thompson and Andrew Billings coming off knee injuries, the Bengals would be thrilled to land Allen, whom many scouts view as one of the top four prospects regardless of position.
The Bengals have a need for speed, which is Ross’ greatest asset. He broke the 40-yard dash record at the scouting combine with a time of 4.22 seconds, making him an ideal fit to line up opposite A.J. Green. Ross caught 17 touchdown passes last season, but whatever production he would provide as a rookie, the mere threat he presents with his speed would make Green that much better.
Regardless of the type of year Jeremy Hill has, it’s unlikely he resigns with Cincinnati. The Bengals may have gone rogue in a sense last year by giving Giovani Bernard an extension, but that just makes it all the more unlikely they give Hill a second contract. Fournette is viewed by many as the best back in the draft, and he would be an ideal replacement for Hill and an ideal complement to the shiftier Bernard.