The Cincinnati Bengals struggled last season because of injuries. Joe Burrow was never fully healthy, and the team couldn’t hang around in a tough AFC conference. This team comes into 2024 with high hopes. They still have high-quality players all over the field, including Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson. What do they need to get in the NFL Draft?
Cincinnati Bengals NFL Draft Needs
The Cincinnati Bengals have a war chest of picks in this year’s NFL Draft. They currently have ten draft picks with four of them being in the top 100. It gives this team a lot of options. They can reload on young, cheap talent, or they can package some picks to trade up for the player they want. What are their biggest needs?
Offensive Tackle
Orlando Brown solidifies the left side of the line, but the Bengals need a right tackle. Protecting Burrow is the number one priority. Burrow’s contract is one of the biggest in the league, and he needs to be on the field. The good news for the Cincinnati Bengals is this is a very deep tackle class. They don’t need to reach to get a tackle and can focus elsewhere with their top picks.
Defensive Line
The defensive line is the greatest area of need for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL Draft. DJ Reader left in free agency, and he was their best run defender. Even with Reader, the Bengals were near the bottom of the league in rush defense. Beefing up the defensive line should be on the list of things to do. One name to watch would be Illinois defensive lineman Jeh’Zhan Newton. He is the top lineman in the draft, and given the need for tackles and wide receivers, the Bengals could stay put and get a top-tier talent.
Wide Receiver
This one isn’t a glaring need but something the Cincinnati Bengals should prepare for. It seems like the Bengals will make one more run with the combination of Chase and Tee Higgins at wide receiver. However, they need to prepare for the future. Tyler Boyd is likely not coming back either, and they need a receiver behind Chase. With the class being deep, the Bengals should be able to find some good value in the top 100.
Cincinnati have some holes, but overall, their roster has a lot of talent. Can they nail the NFL Draft and take down the rest of the AFC in 2024?
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