With a new head coach and the 11th overall pick, there are reasons for Bengals fans to be excited again. In this 2019 three-round NFL mock draft, Cincinnati grabs plug-and-play starters with their first two selections.
The Cincinnati Bengals have begun a new era. Gone is Marvin Lewis, who for the last 16 years has led the Bengals to mediocre results and nothing to get genuinely excited about. His replacement, Zac Taylor, has already changed that.
Taylor, 35, served as one of Sean McVay’s top assistant coaches with the Los Angeles Rams the last two seasons and held the role of quarterback coach in 2018, a year in which Jared Goff enjoyed his best season so far. The Bengals are hoping Taylor will bring some of that McVay magic, as well as his ability to coach up a quarterback, to Cincinnati with him.
But will Taylor be spending his time with Andy Dalton or will the Bengals take a swing on one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2019 NFL draft?
One thing we know for sure: Cincinnati won’t be in a position to draft Kyler Murray. He’s expected to go No. 1 overall to the Cardinals, and if for some reason he doesn’t, he won’t last beyond the fourth pick (Raiders.)
But there are three other first-round quarterbacks in this class, including Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, Duke’s Daniel Jones and Missouri’s Drew Lock. All three of them could be on the board when the Bengals pick at No. 11 and with Dalton having just two years remaining on his contract, they’ll take a long, hard look at what could be his potential replacement.
The timing seems right to find QB-next.
Will it be in 2019? Let’s take a swing at what a three-round draft haul could look like for the Bengals later this month.