Bengals Draft Recognition

[jj22]

Having one of the best draft classes since 2019. It's just Bleacher Report but it's something.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2950486-ranking-nfl-teams-best-draft-classes-from-the-last-3-years

[Shake n Blake]

I know this seems kinda "duh", but hitting on your draft picks is really all the difference between terrible teams and playoff teams.

Through the 90s, we whiffed on guys like Klingler, Akili, Ki-Jana, Reinard Wilson, etc and didn't have many big hits in later rounds.

People associate the turnaround in 2003 with Marvin, but we drafted Justin Smith, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson and Housh in 2001, and they all started slow. We also got Palmer in 2003.

After a rough patch, we rebounded with the 2010 and 2011 drafts, which netted us Atkins, Dunlap, Dalton, Green, etc.

Then we fell hard with the drafting of guys like Ogbuehi, Fisher, Bodine, Price, Ross, etc.

Now we've rebounded with Burrow, Higgins, Logan Wilson, Chase, etc.

A couple great or terrible drafts can drastically change your fortunes.

[fredtoast]

Missing on draft picks hurt the Bengals worse than any other team due to their refusal to sign top free agents.