Grading the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2020 NFL Draft

Cincinnati Bengals NFL draft grade
Dec 7, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks to pass in the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs of the 2019 SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals 2020 NFL Draft, if everything goes right, will be circled as the one that changed the future of the franchise. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was chosen with the first overall pick, and barring a shocking turn of events (like a devastating injury), his projection as a top-shelf starting quarterback is about as safe as any have been in recent years.

The Bengals’ 2020 draft, believe it or not, is about more than just Burrow. They added talent on both sides of the ball that will immediately contribute to the team’s long-term turnaround.

2020 Draft Class

1.01: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
2.33: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
3.65: Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
4.107: Akeem Davis-Gaither
5.147: Khalid Kareem, Edge, Notre Dame
6.180: Hakeem Adenji, G, Kansas
7.215: Markus Bailey, LB, Purdue

Best Pick: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

Jow Burrow 2020 NFL draft Cincinnati Bengals
Not much to discuss here with the Burrow selection. He’s been likened to Andrew Luck, among other elite-level quarterback prospects. He’ll be the Day 1 starter in Cincinnati and will be expected to produce wins early in his career. Granted, it won’t entirely be up to him so secure those victories, but there will be an immense amount of pressure on him to do for the Bengals what he did for the LSU program.

In case you’ve forgotten, Burrow elevated the Tigers to a perfect 15-0, national championship season in 2019 in which he won the Heisman Trophy for his efforts.

Beyond Burrow, the selection of Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins was great value for a player who, but for his membership in such an elite class of wideouts, would’ve been a first-round pick. Higgins will pair with a healthy AJ Green to provide Burrow with an exciting (and big) tandem of wideouts in 2020.

Worst Pick: Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming

This is where I'm meant to be": UW's Logan Wilson drafted by ...

The problem with the Bengals’ selection of Wilson isn’t that Wilson is a bad player; it’s that they passed on Houston offensive tackle Joshua Jones to select him.

Had Cincinnati come away with Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Jones with their first three picks of the 2020 draft, the offensive revolution would’ve been very, very real. Jones could’ve paired with last year’s first-round pick, Jonah Williams, to give the team a formidable young duo at offensive tackle.

Wilson has starter’s upside at linebacker, but with so much invested in Burrow, it would’ve been smarter to go offensive line here.

Bryan Perez

Bryan is the founder of Pro Football Draft. His work has been featured on The Draft Network, NBC Sports and USA Today. Former CFL scout.

Follow him on Twitter: @BryanPerezNFL