CINCINNATI BENGALS

Round 1 (1): QB Joe Burrow, LSU
Round 2 (33): WR Tee Higgins, Clemson
Round 3 (65): LB Logan Wilson, Wyoming
Round 4 (107): LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, App State
Round 5 (147): Edge Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame
Round 6 (180): T Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas
Round 7 (215): LB Markus Bailey, Purdue

1st Round: Burrow was an easy pick for the Bengals with the first overall selection. He was the best prospect in the class, coming in at first on the PFF Big Board, and he is coming off the best season at quarterback that we’ve seen since we started grading college games in 2014. His 94.1 passing grade in 2019 was over three points higher than any other qualifying SEC quarterback over these past six years. “He demolished college football in a way we’ve never seen before. Burrow is easily the most accurate quarterback we’ve ever scouted and looks NFL ready in every regard,” said PFF.

Balance Of The Draft: There were all kinds of options available to Cincinnati at the top of the second round, and Higgins at that selection makes a lot of sense, both as A.J. Green insurance and as a target for Burrow. Higgins caught passes from Trevor Lawrence the past two seasons and will now be on the receiving end of the top pick in this year’s draft. He has a monstrous catch radius and his 15 receptions of 20 or more yards downfield last season were the most in the class among Power 5 wide receivers ... Wilson showed at the Combine that he was athletic enough to be a three-down linebacker in the NFL. He led the FBS over the past three seasons in tackles and interceptions and was almost on LSU’s Patrick Queen’s level in terms of pass-coverage potential ... Davis-Gaither got the starting nod in the overhang role for App State back in 2018 in his redshirt junior season. He put on a show that year, earning an 83.6 run-defense grade and a 75.9 coverage grade while generating seven pass breakups. He added to his bag of tricks when he returned for his senior year and the coaching staff decided to deploy him as a blitz weapon. He rushed the passer 190 times this past season, registering 25 pressures and an 82.2 pass-rushing grade in the process ... Bailey suffered multiple ACL injuries over his career, and his draft stock is in the hands of doctors now. He's one of the most productive and versatile linebackers in the class when healthy, though.

Steal Of The Draft: Logan Wilson

Draft Grades: Playbook A-

ESPN: B+... PFF: A... SI: A-... Composite: A-