The cats did well. With the number one pick of the 2020 NFL Draft in their pocket, they didn't do anything cute. The club stuck to their board each round and drafted a solid player. Very unusual for this club. These are the Cincinnati Bengals 2020 NFL Draft Grades.
Cincinnati Bengals 2020 NFL Draft Grades
- 1/2 Joe Burrow, QB, LSU - A-
- 2/33 Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson - A
- 3/65 Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming - B
- 4/107 Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State - A
- 5/147 Khalid Kareem, DE, Notre Dame - A
- 6/180 Hakeem Adeniji, OT, Kansas - A
- 7/215 Markus Bailey, LB, Purdue - A
QB Joe Burrow - 6'3", 221 lbs is not Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck or Jesus. He is Joe Burrow and he is damn good. He can make all the throws, seems to have his head on straight. He does not have a "cannon for an arm" but is a heady QB who knows how to do his job. Think Kirk Cousins with more size and less speed. He won't be the big-arm game changer but he can be a pro-bowl QB who can get the job done if you surround him with talent.
WR Tee Higgins - 6'4", 216 lbs, 34 1/8" arms had all the production you would want in college. He played all the WR positions, can run solid routes and has excellent hands. He can contest for the catch and has a HUGE catch radius, which he uses. He has long legs/speed and his separation is between cuts due to it. A.J. Green Jr. Fantastic pick.
LB Logan Wilson - 6'2", 241 lbs 4.63 40 yard dash, 21 reps 225 lbs, 32" vertical had a heck of a collegiate career. He was 1st team all-conference and 3rd team All-American as a senior with 104 tackles, 9.5 for loss, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, and 6 pass breakups in 13 starts and that was a drop off from his previous season! The three-year captain is a work-a-holic, a great student, and will only get better no matter where you plug him in. He is a three-down guy you can put in your lineup and forget about.
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither - 6'1", 224 lbs, 21 reps 225 lbs was SBC Defensive Player of the Year in his senior season for the Mountaineers with 104 tackles, 14.5 for loss, 5 sacks, 1 interception, and 8 pass breakups. Almost forgot, he blocked a kick too. He may be a bit small, but he is a playmaker. He is a splash-play-king. Get him in the lineup on the weak side and until he gets that down let him be a special team ace.
DE Khalid Kareem - 6'4", 268 lbs, 34 3/8" arms he tied for the team lead in sacks (5.5) as a senior. He also led the Irish in total forced fumbles on the year with three. He has a perfect size, length, and strength to plug into the line on the strong side. He doesn't have that sudden first step, but a solid motor and will win with work.
OT Hakeem Adeniji - 6'4", 302 lbs, 33 3/4" arms, 10" hands, 5.17 40 yard dash, 26 reps 225 lbs, 34" vertical - all-conference, captain's letter, right AND left tackle. The versatile big man checks all the boxes and will most likely move inside at the NFL level. The Bengals got him in the 6th round.
LB Markus Bailey - 6', 235 lbs the walk on starter was injured his senior year but tabbed 115 tackles, 9 for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 1 interception as a junior. The knee is reportedly good to go and so is Bailey. You get that much production from a Purdue LB in the 7th round, you got a steal.
Cincinnati Bengals 2020 NFL Draft Final Grade - A+
When almost all of your picks are A's ... the plus gets added on. The top rounds were solid. I absolutely love some of the late round picks. Again, nothing fancy, Cincy just stuck to their board and brought the talent home. Well done.
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