Not too long ago, a 2020 NFL mock draft had the Cincinnati Bengals picking Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Now it has happened again.
Using a draft order based on Super Bowl odds, the Bengals take Tagovailoa third in a new mock draft from Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling.
The last time this sort of thing happened in a mock draft, it was a little hard to see the Bengals making a top-three selection. But the loss of first-round offensive tackle Jonah Williams has already cast doubt on the season. His absence means the line mostly reverts to the same lineup as last year’s problematic unit.
But the bigger point here is whether the Bengals would take a quarterback at all. If they’re picking third overall, Andy Dalton probably struggled. Mike Brown has already tabbed this as a prove-it year for Dalton with new head coach Zac Taylor. That would indeed seem to open them up to a quarterback.
In this scenario, the Bengals pass on Oregon QB Justin Herbert for Tagovailoa, who threw for 43 touchdowns against six interceptions last year and figures to be in the Heisman Trophy race this season as he keeps developing.
While it’s early, if the Bengals don’t win much, this is likely something the team will end up considering.
