Bengals' Draft Position Rises Following Loss to Washington
CINCINNATI — The Bengals lost much more than the game on Sunday in Washington.
Rookie phenom Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third quarter. The 23-year-old was carted off the field.
He will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, but initial tests indicate that he suffered a torn left ACL. The results will also show any other potential damage that could've occurred from the hit.
“The players have responded to him, the coaches have responded to him, the city has responded to him and all that is equally as important. He energizes this team and he's been a tremendous player," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said after the game. "Everything we’d hoped he would be, and we'll get him back at some point."
Once Burrow went down and the injury was clearly serious, fans began to think about the future. Naturally, their attention shifted to the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Bengals entered Sunday's game with the seventh overall pick. The loss to Washington and every loss moving forward will give them a better chance of having a higher pick in April's draft.
Cincinnati fell to 2-7-1 on the season and every NFC East team except Philadelphia won on Sunday, which means the Bengals would have the third pick if the NFL Draft started tomorrow. It's going to be hard for them to bypass the Jaguars or Jets, but their chances of having a top five pick increased tremendously after Sunday's loss and Burrow's injury.
Check out the projections for the rest of the league below.
Note: Doesn't include teams that would currently qualify for playoffs
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1. Jets (0-10)
2. Jaguars (1-9)
3. Bengals (2-7-1)
4. Cowboys (3-7)
5. Washington (3-7)
6. Chargers (3-7)
7. Giants (3-7)
8. Dolphins [Houston Pick] (3-7)
9. Falcons (3-7)
10. Panthers (4-7)
11. Lions (4-6)
12. Patriots (4-6)
13. Vikings (4-6)
14. 49ers (4-6)
