Cincinnati Bengals first overall pick should be locked in

4 of 5

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 07: Chase Young #02 of the Ohio State Buckeyes eyes the quarterback in the Big Ten Championship game against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

Edge rusher Chase Young is the best overall player in the draft and would make an immediate impact on a defense.

There is a persistent section of the Bengals fanbase that would love to see the first overall pick used on Ohio State defensive end Chase Young. The basis of their argument is generally that they need more than just a QB, so they should build up the defense and draft the passer next year instead. The Bengals could agree with that.

By any metric, Young has had an absolutely dominant season. In 2019, he has recorded 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss. He’s seemingly disruptive on every play, whether it’s a pass or a run. He might be the best pass rusher to come out of college in quite some time.

There is little doubt that Young is going to blow up any workouts he goes through this coming offseason. He’s a sure-fire top two pick. Is there a scenario where the Bengals decide to take him instead of risking it on a QB? Sure. As an Ohio State player, he automatically gets a bump. They love to take former Buckeyes. They could also be persuaded by his status as the draft’s only “bust-proof” player. There’s no doubting that he is a near sure thing, and it’s easy to see how a team could be lured into taking him at the top of the draft.

Home/Cincinnati Bengals