The Cincinnati Bengals still aren’t viewed kindly under the national microscope from a season-long outlook despite checking out well in the 2019 NFL draft grades department.
The post-draft NFL power rankings department isn’t as excited.
For NFL.com’s Elliott Harrison, the Bengals rank 30th after the draft:
Quiet draft for the Bengals, who acquired the appropriate talent in the first round to bulk up their prospects in the erstwhile AFC North. You see, no division has morphed more than this one over the last two years. Thus, while pundits mill about with their Cincy projections, they aren’t considering that the Steelers are weaker, the Ravens took a huge risk in going with Lamar Jackson full time (what if the rest of the league catches up?) and the Browns are promising, not proven. First-round grab Jonah Williams (No. 11 overall) was one of those rare need/probable-BPA picks. He’s not only an upgrade, but upgrades Andy Dalton’s upside. Uh, something like that, anyway.
That puts the Bengals above only the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.
The description is nicer than the ranking seems to suggest, though it once again stresses how little most seem to trust the new Bengals coaching staff.
As always, the new-look Bengals will have to prove the on-paper talent and solid draft class that hit on big needs can create results on the field.
