Bengals draft targets to know in heavyweight Alabama vs. LSU showdown

Saturday marks one of, if not the biggest game in the college season as No. 2 LSU takes on No. 3 Alabama in a game that will undoubtedly shake up the next round of College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday. It’s also chock full of prospects that the Bengals may have interest in.

 

The boys under center

Aug 31, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) rolls out to pass against the Duke Blue Devils during the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The two obvious prospects to start out with are Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa and LSU QB Joe Burrow. The Bengals are currently holding the No. 1 overall pick as the only winless team in the NFL. That means right now they would have their pick of the two signal-callers, though many in media are starting to link the Tiger to the Bengals, fittingly enough. It has almost become a consensus that Tagovailoa and Burrow are Nos. 1 and 2 in the quarterback discussion for the 2020 draft. The question is who goes first and to where. Keep in mind, the Dolphins still have plenty of ammo to move up and still play the Bengals in Week 16.

A.J. Green’s replacement?

Oct 26, 2019; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (4) carries the ball in for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

But let’s say the Bengals, for whatever reason, trade down, including possibly with the Dolphins. Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III are big-time playmakers for Alabama. Jeudy is seen as a top-ten prospect while Ruggs may slide somewhere in the teens. With the way the Bengals are handling A.J. Green, it’s possible one of these two could be the next star in Cincinnati.

LSU’s secondary can geaux get it

Oct 12, 2019; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers safety Grant Delpit (7) waits for the ball to be snapped by the Florida Gators in the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Those receivers from Alabama will be facing a really good LSU secondary littered with top prospects, including S Grant Delpit and CB Kristian Fulton. The Bengals always seem to have questions in the secondary and are always seemingly grabbing players at that position. Imagine a secondary with both Delpit and Jessie Bates (though there are some critics of Bates, for sure). But that would be a nice young duo. Or they could beef up the outside with maybe the best cornerback in the class in Fulton, a potential shutdown star at the position. And that’s big in a division that fields players such as Odell Beckham and Juju Smith-Schuster.

Don’t count out Alabama’s defensive backs

As good as LSU’s secondary has been touted, and for good reason, Alabama’s is right there with them. Trevor Diggs and Jared Mayden help fill out what continues to be an NFL pipeline in the Tide secondary. Jonah Tuls of The Draft Network even had Diggs ahead of Fulton when he ranked the defensive backs in this game. Diggs has three interceptions to his name this season. If there’s a spot to watch outside of the quarterbacks, it’s the players those quarterbacks will be throwing against.