CBS Sports writer, Sean Wagner-McGough, released an article and his mock draft where he has Lamar Jackson going 12th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals.
12. Cincinnati Bengals
Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville: The Bengals do the unexpected by drafting Dalton’s successor in Jackson, who is definitely a quarterback and definitely not a receiver. It’s time to move on from Dalton — if not this year then next year. Once the Bengals do move on from Dalton, Jackson will be their quarterback of the future, most likely under a new coach too.
I am a huge Bengals fan and an even bigger Lamar Jackson fan, so for me, this is a dream come true. However, being a long-time Bengals fan, I am fully aware that they will probably screw this up for me.
The thought behind drafting Lamar at this spot is that the Bengals current QB, Andy Dalton, is not the long-term answer. He is 30 years old and has been labeled as “mediocre.” I won’t disagree as I have watched him have several pretty good regular seasons only to fizzle in the playoffs. Since 2011, Dalton has made 4 playoff starts throwing 6 interceptions and 1 touchdown. That play has led to a total of ZERO playoff wins.
Therefore, it’s time to start looking to the future. Lamar Jackson could be exactly that if they use him correctly. Lamar needs some work on his passing but seeing how quickly he picked up and adjusted to Bobby Petrino’s complicated pro-style offense, I think he will be just fine if given some time.
Lamar isn’t the guy to come in and start day 1 in the NFL. No matter where he gets drafted, he needs to sit for probably a year to learn. I have no doubt in my mind that he can be successful if handled the right way. I just don’t have a lot of faith in the Bengals to handle him the right way.
If I had my way, he would get drafted by the New Orleans Saints and learn from Drew Brees for a year or two. I think that is the most ideal spot for Lamar to succeed and have a long fruitful NFL career.
I don’t put a ton of stock into this mock draft but it’s fun to talk about. I actually believe the Bengals will draft an offensive lineman at that spot (I’m OK with that if it’s not Lamar).
As Always, GO CARDS!
