05-06-2021, 01:11 AM
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2021-nfl-draft-heres-how-these-10-teams-helped-their-young-qbs-including-ol-help-for-justin-herbert/
The Bengals already had Joe Burrow on the roster. They secured one piece of the infrastructure last year, when they nabbed Tee Higgins at the top of the second round. There was a debate regarding whether they would take go tackle-wide receiver or wide receiver-tackle with their first two picks this year, and they went with the latter option.
Burrow's former LSU teammate, Ja'Marr Chase, was the pick at No. 5. It makes sense to pair your star quarterback with a receiver with whom he has a pre-established rapport, and Chase makes for a good schematic fit alongside Higgins and slot man Tyler Boyd. The issue comes with Jackson Carman, who was a surprising early second-round selection. There was better value on the board at tackle at that time, but there was also considerably better value at receiver, lending credence to the idea that the Bengals should have opted for Penei Sewell at No. 5 and a wideout in the second round.
Cincinnati obviously has time to build out their offense around Burrow, but they simply cannot allow him to be hit as often as he was last year. He's at his most comfortable operating from the shotgun and in empty-backfield sets. That type of alignment places a premium on both tackle play and receivers who can get open quickly. The Bengals are betting that the second half of that equation is the more important one.
The Bengals already had Joe Burrow on the roster. They secured one piece of the infrastructure last year, when they nabbed Tee Higgins at the top of the second round. There was a debate regarding whether they would take go tackle-wide receiver or wide receiver-tackle with their first two picks this year, and they went with the latter option.
Burrow's former LSU teammate, Ja'Marr Chase, was the pick at No. 5. It makes sense to pair your star quarterback with a receiver with whom he has a pre-established rapport, and Chase makes for a good schematic fit alongside Higgins and slot man Tyler Boyd. The issue comes with Jackson Carman, who was a surprising early second-round selection. There was better value on the board at tackle at that time, but there was also considerably better value at receiver, lending credence to the idea that the Bengals should have opted for Penei Sewell at No. 5 and a wideout in the second round.
Cincinnati obviously has time to build out their offense around Burrow, but they simply cannot allow him to be hit as often as he was last year. He's at his most comfortable operating from the shotgun and in empty-backfield sets. That type of alignment places a premium on both tackle play and receivers who can get open quickly. The Bengals are betting that the second half of that equation is the more important one.
