Monday Night Football: team needs for Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans

The Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans are in very different places as far as the state of each franchise is concerned. Cincinnati is eyeing a Super Bowl run while the Texans could have a pick in the top-10 of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Both teams are still focused on the current season but here at With the First Pick we are always thinking about the NFL draft. This article will look at the biggest roster needs of each team and who they could address them through the draft.

Cincinnati has one of the deepest and strongest rosters in the NFL. They’ve done a great job using the draft to supplement their lineup and add young players where they have aging veterans.

The best example was last year’s draft where they selected Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher in the first two rounds. They provide depth this year but will likely battle for Andre Whitworth’s starting job a year or two from now.

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This year they could target a few areas including tight end, linebacker and defensive end. Tight end isn’t a need as Tyler Eifert is playing at a Pro Bowl level. However, his injury history is less than ideal.

Andy Dalton has looked terrific this year and a lot of that has to do with the presence of Eifert. Cincinnati would be smart to bring in another tight end with similar pass-catching potential. This would protect help keep the offense flowing in the event of another Eifert injury.

Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson have done a great job generate pressure so far this year. However, the depth at this position is in question. Defensive end seems like an area the Bengals could address early in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Someone like Georgia’s Leonard Floyd would make a ton of sense. He shows potential as an edge rusher, but also flashes the ability to play a traditional linebacker role. This works for Cincinnati because they also have a need at the linebacker spot.

The Houston Texans have a lot more holes to fill than the Bengals. Their main concern is at the quarterback position where Brian Hoyer is nothing but a stop-gap solution. Bill O’Brien’s strength is developing quarterbacks, but he has yet to have a good piece of clay to mold.

Houston’s final draft position will decide whether or not they could address the quarterback issue in the first round. There are several players they could target including Califorina’s Jared Goff, Michigan State’s Connor Cook, Memphis’ Paxton Lynch and Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg.

Most will point to O’Brien’s history and affection for Hackenberg and make a connection. He has the physical tools to be a top-level NFL quarterback but is far from a finished product.

Houston will need to make a tough decision during the offseason regarding the future of Arian Foster. His contract and durability issues could mean a separation. If this is the case, the Texans will need to bring in another running back.

An interesting 1st-round option would be Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott who is an every-down back capable of moving the chains.

There’s still plenty of time left this season, but it’s never too early to start thinking about draft needs.

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