The 2019 NFL Draft is just over a month away, which means that The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for every team. is back. Each NFL team will be looked at heading into this year’s draft including what their needs are and who they could be targeting. The Cincinnati Bengals will be the 11th team evaluated.

Summary

The 2018 Season was not a good one for the Cincinnati Bengals. They finished 6-10 after starting 4-1 and were last in the AFC North. This was enough for them to fire 16 year Head Coach Marvin Lewis. They decided to replace him with former Rams’ Quarterback Coach Zac Taylor.

The offense averaged 23 points per game, which ranked 17th in the league. They were not necessarily high powered but were solid through the front half of the season. Then Andy Dalton went down and Jeff Driskel had to come in. While Driskel wasn’t a turnover machine, only throwing two interceptions to six touchdowns, it was clear that he just doesn’t have it. Injuries derailed this offense quite a bit as Tyler Eifert and A.J. Green were both out for the majority of the season. This did allow for Tyler Boyd to show that he is a reliable option and possibly even a star in the making. Joe Mixon showed that he is already a star as he led the AFC in rushing yards.

The defense allowed 28.4 points per game and were on track to be the worst defense in the league and possibly in history before Teryl Austin was fired. The only major bright spots were the Geno Atkins still having 10 sacks in a down year and the younger players. Jesse Bates had a very solid rookie year finishing with three interceptions including one for a touchdown and the most overall tackles on the team. He was all over the place and while he has work to do in coverage he still looks like he will be a solid player for the Bengals for years to come. Same can be said for Nick Vigil, Darqueze Dennard, William Jackson and Sam Hubbard. They all made major plays or were generally consistent throughout the season. This team has plenty of talent on the defensive side but clearly, 2018 was a down year for just about everyone.

2019 NFL Draft Picks

Cincinnati will have eleven picks to use in the 2019 NFL Draft.

First Round (one pick): No. 11

Second Round (one pick): No. 42

Third Round (one pick): No. 72

Fourth Round (one pick): No. 110

Fifth Round (one picks): No. 149

Sixth Round (five picks): No. 183, 198, 210, 211, 213

Seventh Round (one pick): No. 223

Team Needs

Offensive Tackle- Cordy Glenn was solid when he was in and the Bobby Hart signing was extremely confusing. Either way, with no depth at this position the Bengals need to spend an early pick on it.

Offensive Guard/Center- Last year’s first-round pick Billy Price looks to be a solid option when healthy. Clint Boling is getting older but is still solid. After them there is not much to talk about, Cincinnati should also put some major focus here.

Outside Linebacker- Vigil was solid but unspectacular and with Burfict out of the picture, there is a gaping hole that must be filled before the beginning of the season.

Inside Linebacker- Preston Brown when healthy is a good option here. Hardy Nickerson, on the other hand, played way too much in 2018. An early pick here would not be surprising either.

Secondary- Dennard believes the Bengals should have one of the best secondaries in the league. Their bottom end defensive passing stats from last season would suggest otherwise.

Quarterback- Andy Dalton is not getting any younger and Driskel is clearly not the future, present or even the backup in any way. They need to either draft Dalton’s future replacement early or at least find a project to try and let new head coach Zac Taylor work his magic.

Tight End- Bringing back Tyler Eifert is great for the Bengals, if he’s healthy and while C.J. Uzomah showed that he is a solid option the Bengals need another for if either of them get hurt.

2019 NFL Draft Targets

First Round:

Pick No. 11: Devin Bush, Linebacker, Michigan

While he is a bit undersized and not Devin White, Bush may end up fitting with the Bengals a little better. He is quick and covers well which should allow him to play Outside Linebacker and be the first solid coverage Linebacker the Bengals have had in a long time. Either Devin should be strongly considered here for Cincinnati.

Second Round:

Pick No. 42: Dalton Risner, Offensive Tackle, Kansas St.

At 6-foot-5 is a big body who is strong and has good body control. He struggles a bit with speed rushers which could be a problem with today’s NFL but many believe that this is something he can work on. Risner has a ton of potential and would lineup opposite of Cordy Glenn nicely. If not many believe he could move inside very easily and the Bengals could use help at guard anyways which makes Risner seem like a can’t miss for Cincinnati.

Third Round:

Pick No. 72: Irv Smith Jr, Tight End, Alabama

Many Mock Drafts have seen Smith falling due mostly to Hockenson and Fant out of Iowa. He also only played one season, for the most part, but showed that he definitely has the talent to be a top tier tight end in the NFL. If the Bengals were to draft him it may be the perfect situation for him. He could learn from Eifert and Uzomah while still giving them plenty of rest. Should he end up in Cincinnati he could definitely thrive.

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