Bengals Draft Tee Higgins At No. 33
The Bengals kept A.J. Green via the franchise tag and have Tyler Boyd signed to an extension. They are adding to their receiving corps, starting the second round by taking Clemson wideout Tee Higgins.
Cincinnati was linked to Baylor receiver Denzel Mims but will go with Higgins, a top-end deep-ball threat for Trevor Lawrence during two impact seasons at Clemson. Higgins will join national championship game opponent Joe Burrow in Ohio as a pro. Higgins was seen by many as a likely first-rounder earlier on in the process, but he ended up slipping just a bit.
Receiver didn’t seem like a pressing need for Cincy, but they now have great depth at the position. In addition to Boyd and Green, they’ve also got former first-rounder John Ross on the roster. Higgins didn’t even turn 21 until January, and the Bengals clearly think he’ll be a long-term partner for Burrow.
This past season, Higgins finished with 59 catches for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging a robust 19.8 yards per reception.
Bengals Listening To Offers For No. 33 Pick
The Bengals have one pick in each of the draft’s final six rounds. It appears they would like to change that. They are listening to offers for the first pick in the second round, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Cincinnati received interest at No. 1 but did not appear to seriously consider them before taking Joe Burrow. A report earlier Friday indicated the Bengals were considering both wide receiver Denzel Mims and defensive tackle Ross Blacklock at No. 33, but the team may now want to add some draft capital to help fortify their roster after a 2-14 season.
Although the Bengals were uncharacteristically aggressive in free agency, adding D.J. Reader and Trae Waynes to their defense on high-priced deals, they still have several holes on their roster after their worst season in more than 15 years. Trading down from tonight’s top pick would create more chances for Cincinnati to add starter- or rotational-level talent.
It is not certain how far the Bengals are willing to move down, but teams like the Jaguars (No. 42), Broncos (No. 46) and Falcons (No. 47) have made calls about moving up, per Albert Breer of SI.com. The virtual draft’s second round begins at 6pm CT.
NFL Draft Rumors: Bengals, Colts, Bucs, Colts
The Bengals (No. 33) and Colts (No. 34) will kick off the second round and the belief is that they’re both targeting offensive help, Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com tweets. Beyond that, he gets the sense that defensive tackle Ross Blacklock could be the first defensive player selected in the second round. Earlier today, we heard Blacklock mentioned as a possibility for the Bengals, but they might be more focused on providing help for Joe Burrow instead. That could lead them to Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims, one of the most intriguing talents left on the board.
Here’s the latest as we get set for the second night of the NFL Draft:
- More from Jones (on Twitter), who says “everyone” he’s talked to around the league believes that the Panthers will go after Mims. As previously reported, they’ve been getting calls on wide receiver Curtis Samuel, though they’re not shopping him. Mims, or another wide receiver, could wind up taking Samuel’s spot on the depth chart. The Panthers’ currently sit at No. 38 overall (the sixth pick in the second round), which might not be good enough to get Mims.
- Over the last two months, the Buccaneers and Colts have both been high on Washington quarterback Jacob Eason, Albert Breer of The MMQB hears. Eason remains available heading into Day 2 of the draft and both clubs profile as potential fits. Before the night is through, Eason could be tapped as the heir to Tom Brady or Philip Rivers, a perfect scenario for a QB easing into the pro game.
- There weren’t a ton of trades in the first round, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. The Falcons pushed hard to trade up for cornerback C.J. Henderson and the Raiders wanted to move back from No. 12 before taking Alabama wideout Henry Ruggs.
Bengals Eyeing Mims, Blacklock At No. 33?
The Bengals, who hold the first pick in the second round, are high on wide receiver Denzel Mims and defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.
Rapoport also notes several teams looking to move up/down in the order. The Jets, Jaguars, and Falcons are among the clubs interested in making a leap. Potential trade partners include the Colts (No. 34) and Dolphins (No. 39), who are willing to listen on offers to move back.
Cincinnati doesn’t necessarily need any immediate help at wide receiver, as the club boasts A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, and John Ross as its top three options. However, Green and Ross haven’t been able to stay healthy, and each has just one year remaining on his respective contract (the Bengals hold a 2021 option on Ross that they’ve yet to exercise). Mims would add an explosive option for new quarterback Joe Burrow, and give Cincinnati a long-term asset.
Blacklock, meanwhile, was a draft riser in recent months and was viewed as a potential Day 1 pick. Instead, he’s likely to come off the board at the top of Round 2. The Bengals already have Geno Atkins and free agent acquisition D.J. Reader on the interior of their defensive line, but Blacklock would give them ample depth.
Bengals Select Joe Burrow With No. 1 Overall Pick
The wait is officially over. With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, the Bengals have selected LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.
Burrow, who joins Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield as consecutive Heisman winners to be drafted first overall, has long been the favorite to go to Cincinnati at the top of the draft. The Bengals, who earned the No. 1 pick after finishing 2-14 during the 2019 campaign, will now install what they hope is a franchise quarterback in Burrow.
An Ohio native, Burrow posted arguably the greatest quarterback season in the history of college football in 2019, completing 76.3% of his passes for 60 touchdowns (an NCAA record) against only six interceptions. Burrow, who transferred from Ohio State prior to the 2018 season, put up middling results during his first season as LSU’s starter before winning the National Championship in 2019.
While the Bengals had long maintained that they weren’t interested in moving off the No. 1 pick, the Dolphins certainly attempted to make things interesting. Miami pushed Cincinnati, and was still trying to move up earlier today despite the Bengals previously rejecting offers.
Now, Burrow joins a Cincinnati offense that boasts potential despite the club’s lackluster performance in 2019. Burrow will dropped into a unit that includes running back Joe Mixon and wide receivers A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, and John Ross. Second-year head coach Zac Taylor and general manager Duke Tobin could attempt to find even more offensive talent — perhaps at wideout or along the offensive line — on Day 2 or 3 of the draft.
Despite that firepower, the Bengals are still in the midst of a rebuild even after adding Burrow. Cincinnati did step outside its comfort zone in free agency earlier this year, however, spending ample money to add defensive tackle D.J. Reader, cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, safety Vonn Bell, and linebacker Josh Bynes.
Andy Dalton, the Bengals’ starting quarterback since 2011, remains on the roster. He’s still a candidate to be traded or released, but the veteran recently said there is a “scenario” where he sticks around as Burrow’s backup. Dalton has a $17MM cap figure, however, meaning he’d likely need to accept a pay cut in order for that to be feasible.
Bengals Have Sent Jerseys To Joe Burrow
Just in case it couldn’t get any more official, the Bengals are going to be taking LSU quarterback Joe Burrow first overall. Moments after we heard for the final time that they wouldn’t be trading the pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeted that Cincinnati owner Mike Brown has sent jerseys to the Burrow family.
They’re #9 Bengals jerseys, and Schefter adds that will officially be the number he wears in the NFL. Burrow donned the same number in college. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner will be tasked with turning around the 2-14 Bengals, and commissioner Roger Goodell will be announcing his name just over an hour from now.
The Dolphins apparently tried hard to get the Bengals to trade the pick, but their attempts at a Godfather offer ultimately proved futile. The draft is of course happening remotely and Burrow unfortunately won’t be able to celebrate in person, but at least the family will be able to rock some Bengals/Burrow gear in their living room.
Bengals Will Not Trade No. 1 Pick
The Bengals will officially not trade the No. 1 overall pick, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
All throughout the predraft process, Cincinnati hasn’t expressed any willingness to move off the first selection, but that hasn’t stopped other teams from trying. The Dolphins, specifically, have reportedly even tried to acquire the No. 3 pick with the intent of packaging it with the fifth overall selection in exchange for No. 1. But even an offer that attractive hasn’t swayed the Bengals.
It’s hard to fault Miami for trying, of course, as the club had embarked on a 2019 tanking campaign in order to land a top quarterback. Cincinnati is widely expected to draft LSU signal-caller Joe Burrow with the No. 1 selection.
Dolphins Still Pushing For Bengals’ No. 1 Pick
The Dolphins are hoping to acquire the Lions’ No. 3 choice and package it with their own No. 5 for the Bengals’ first overall pick, Mike Florio of PFT hears. The Lions have told the Dolphins that they won’t give up the No. 3 pick without the No. 5 pick in the package, but Miami GM Chris Grier seems to think they can be swayed. 
Of course, even if Grier can swing that deal with Detroit, he still has to convince the Bengals to part with the No. 1 pick and pass on Joe Burrow. The Bengals say that’s not happening. So far, the Bengals have laughed off every offer, but it’s hard to imagine them hanging up on a team offering two Top-5 picks. At minimum, it’s something that they’d have to consider.
Burrow, by all accounts, is the Bengals’ favorite QB by a mile. But, with Nos. 3 and 5, they could tap their second-favorite passer and one of this year’s elite tackles. Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert would likely be available for them with the third pick. Then, they’d probably have at least three of this year’s top four tackles, if not the whole bunch, available to them. Tua/Herbert + Jedrick Wills/Tristan Wirfs/Andrew Thomas/Mekhi Becton would be a pretty excellent haul by any measure.
It remains to be seen what else Miami would have to give up in order to convince Cincinnati to forego the right to draft Burrow, and one wonders if the team’s No. 18 or No. 26 selections — at least one of which would presumably have to go to Detroit in this scenario — would also be in play. For a rebuilding outfit that has a lot of needs to fill and that has spent a long time stockpiling premium draft capital, that would be an exceedingly steep price to pay.
On the other hand, franchise QBs don’t grow on trees, and not only does Burrow have limitless potential, he has fewer red flags than Tua and Herbert. Though he may have benefited from LSU’s stacked roster in 2019, his otherworldly Heisman-winning campaign, which featured a 76.3% completion rate, 5,671 passing yards, and 60 passing TDs, make Burrow a tantalizing prospect.
If a team knew that a player would turn out to be Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, etc., that team would have no issues trading away its entire draft haul in a given year to draft such a player, regardless of how rich that haul might be. And while no prospect is really a sure thing, if the Dolphins are convinced that Burrow is a future Hall-of-Famer — and they seem pretty sure — then it would be hard to fault them for swinging this kind of deal (at least not until a couple years have passed).
Miami hasn’t been able to make any progress on talks yet, but deadlines spur action, and the NFL Draft is just hours away.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Bengals Reject Dolphins’ Offer For No. 1 Pick
The Dolphins have called the Bengals on multiple occasions to inquire on the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Bengals told the Dolphins “in no uncertain terms” that they would not give up the top choice. 
No surprises on either end here. The Bengals have been laser-focused on tapping Joe Burrow as their quarterback of the future and the Dolphins probably see him as the best passer in this year’s class as well. The Dolphins’ love affair with the LSU star has been a poorly-kept secret throughout the year and they’ve been pondering a move up to No. 1 since January.
The Bengals, meanwhile, have been hitting the b-button on teams asking about the pick. Unless they’re playing really, really, really hard to get, Burrow to the Bengals is a done deal.
Unable to climb to No. 1, the Dolphins may move up to No. 3 via trade with the Lions. Initially, they tried to make the move without sacrificing their No. 5 pick, but that doesn’t seem to be on the table.
After a strong 2018 season, Burrow shattered all expectations with a 76.3% completion rate, 5,671 passing yards, and 60 (!) touchdowns through the air. He also added another five rushing TDs for good measure.
Bengals Still Won’t Consider Trading No. 1 Pick
The Bengals got a few calls from teams looking to move up, but they’re not even going through the motions. One Bengals source told Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that they “could just turn our ringers off on our phones” when it comes to trades for the No. 1 pick. 
It’s no surprise. The Bengals are locked in on LSU star Joe Burrow as their quarterback of the future. They’ve been burning up bandwidth and using as much of their allotted time as possible to get familiar with him, go over the playbook, and strategize for their future together.
Other teams near the top of the order are at least giving thought to trading down. Giants GM Dave Gettleman could very well move the No. 4 pick, even though it’s not in his nature. The Lions are also willing to listen on offers for the No. 3 pick, though they’re high on cornerback Jeff Okudah, defensive tackle Derrick Brown, and Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons. Okudah is very unlikely to be available past No. 10 and there’s no telling where Brown or Simmons could land. The Redskins, supposedly, are willing to listen on offers for the No. 2 pick, but they’re probably still keyed in on Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young.
Nothing is certain in this year’s NFL Draft, but Burrow-to-the-Bengals seems like a done deal.