Though quarterback Joe Burrow missed seven games with a wrist injury last year, the Bengals still finished above .500 at 9-8.
With a healthy Burrow, Cincinnati should be able to return to being one of the AFC’s top contenders in 2024.
The Bengals currently have 10 selections in this week’s draft, starting with No. 18 overall. On Tuesday, director of college scouting Mike Potts noted that the Bengals feel like they’re in a great position to come away with an impact player early — whether they stay at their original pick or move into a different spot.
“We know we are close,” Potts said, via Geoff Hobson of the team’s website. “We’ve got a really good roster. It’s far from perfect. There’s definitely some holes we need to fill. What our holes may be perceived as of right now are not necessarily what they could be in the future.
“There for sure is a sense of urgency. We think we are right on the cusp of being where we want to be. We’ve got 10 picks. We’ve got flexibility. If there’s certain guys that we really target and really covet and think can get us over that hump, we would be stupid to not go and do what it takes to get a certain player if we think it can make that kind of impact.”
Cincinnati has four picks within the top 100 — No. 18, No. 49, No. 80, and No. 97 — some of which could be used as trade ammunition. Or the Bengals could stand pat and potentially pick up four quality players.
We’ll see how the club proceeds starting tomorrow.