Today in sentences that apparently need to be written is the following: The Cincinnati Bengals like Justin Herbert — it just won’t stop them from drafting Joe Burrow at No. 1 in the 2020 NFL draft.
Chatter about the Bengals liking Herbert, the experienced Oregon passer, is about to heavily make the rounds again in part due to a comment from Peter King of NBC Sports.
King wrote the following: “I’ve heard there are some inside the Bengals who are true believers in Herbert, and if so, such a deal could be intelligent for Cincinnati. But we’ll see how it goes.”
But it has been actually pretty well-known the Bengals — and Mike Brown — really like Hebert. He was a four-year player at a big program, has all the physical tools and did well during the Senior Bowl. What’s not to like?
For one, he’s not Burrow.
We’ve long known the Bengals were reportedly considering four prospects at No. 1. We’ve known they see three of the quarterbacks at the top of the class as top-five worthy.
We also know they like Joe Burrow the most. In fact, we’ve just heard from Zac Taylor and others inside the team again that the odd draft process hasn’t derailed the Burrow plan.
It doesn’t hurt for the idea the Bengals like Herbert a lot to make the rounds. It could prove beneficial from a leverage standpoint if the unthinkable happens. But it is probably gnat-level annoying for Bengals fans who just want the draft — and Burrow — to arrive.
But there’s a key to remember about draft season — cut through the noise. Doing so still lands with the Bengals taking the Ohio kid first and starting a new era.
