2. Chase Young
If the Bengals aren’t going to address the quarterback position with the first pick in the draft, they should add an edge rusher capable of dominating opposing tackles. Young is clearly the best defensive player available in this year’s draft class.
That’s why almost every mock draft on the planet is projecting him to go No. 2 overall to the Redskins. Moving him up a single selection in the draft really isn’t a big leap. Quarterbacks are kings on draft night, but edge rushers aren’t that far behind them in terms of value.
Again, going with Young over Burrow would require a ton of guts from the Bengals’ front office. He is a player who could probably give them multiple extra wins in 2020 though. Cincinnati doesn’t have anyone with his talent level in their front seven. Carlos Dunlap and Sam Hubbard could both massively benefit from the addition of a pass rusher of Young’s quality.
Ideally, the Bengals could try to trade out of the No. 1 spot for a big haul and still land themselves in position to secure Young. That almost certainly would require a trade directly with Washington. The odds are stacked against that sort of move, but it’s a scenario Cincinnati’s decision-makers should at least walk through in their minds.