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The Cincinnati Bengals had a great 2021-2022 season, nearly winning their first Super Bowl championship in franchise history. With Joe Burrow only in his first full season as the Bengals’ play-caller, the odds were stacked against Cincinnati.
They fell just shy of the win, but still managed to have a historic season. In their postseason success, the Bengals won their first playoff game in 33 years, ending the league’s longest conference title game drought in the league.
For insight and predictions on the 2022 NFL Draft, listen below:
Of course, the goal is to win it all, and the Bengals are less than satisfied with a loss in the big game. Many holes in the 53-man roster attributed to the final loss, as well as other tribulations throughout the season.
That being said, the Bengals’ front office had some work to do ahead of the 2022-2023 season. They have made progress in enhancing their roster, but still have plenty of opportunities in the upcoming draft to finalize a Super Bowl-winning team.
They hold the 31st pick in Round 1, 63rd pick in Round 2, 95th pick in Round 3, and five others later on. Here are our three boldest predictions for Cincinnati in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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Bengals Predictions for the 2022 NFL Draft
3. Sign an offensive tackle in the first round
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was the most sacked quarterback this season, hitting the turf 51 times. He was sacked nine times in the AFC Divisional Round against the Tennessee Titans, making him the first quarterback to be sacked at least eight times in a playoff game and win since 2003.
With this in mind, the Bengals need to find more coverage for Burrow. He tends to spend more time in the pocket finding the perfect pass, which means that he needs a more reliable offensive line. The Bengals should prioritize this need in the draft. Expect them to draft an offensive tackle in the first round to pair up with recently acquired OT La’El Collins.
2. Sign a cornerback with their second pick
In mid-March, the Bengals re-signed cornerback Eli Apple to a one-year deal. However, they also released Trae Waynes, creating a vacancy at cornerback in Cincinnati.
With the vacancy, as well as Apple’s less than stellar Super Bowl performance, expect the Bengals to draft a cornerback relatively early. There are many quality cornerbacks in the 2022 draft class that could become immediate contributors to the Cincinnati team.
1. Make that second pick come sooner than 63rd overall
It’s unlikely that many top cornerbacks will make it further than the first round or the beginning of the second. Assuming that the Bengals draft an offensive tackle in the first round, their next chance to pick up a cornerback isn’t until late in the second round.
For this reason, expect Cincinnati to trade their way towards the front of the second round. That way, they’ll have a better chance at picking up either Derek Stingley Jr. from LSU or Ahmad Gardner out of Cincinnati.