As I am sure we all know, in recent years the Cincinnati Bengals have not been very successful. Last season, they were the worst team in the NFL.

However, this year the team hopes to turn that around with several key additions in the offseason. Head coach Zac Taylor is working to get this team back on track. So far, the Bengals are 0-2 on the season after tough losses to the Chargers and the Browns. However, I still think the rookies from this year’s draft will make a solid contribution to the team.

First, and most importantly, with the first overall pick in the NFL draft, the Bengals selected quarterback Joe Burrow from LSU.

In his last college season, Burrow had arguably the greatest year ever by a college player. Along with this, he also won the Heisman and the National Championship. LSU head coach, Ed Orgeron says Joe is “one of the greatest players to play at LSU”.

When Burrow was drafted by the Bengals, Orgeron also said that Burrow will represent the Bengals organization in the best way possible. Burrow has high hopes for the Bengals not only this season, but for hopefully many years.

Burrow said in an interview ,“I’m not here to go .500 and squeak into the playoffs. I’m out here to win games and win championships.” Hopefully, Burrow, as a team captain, can motivate this team to work harder than they ever have and get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

I think the only thing holding him back is the Bengals’ offensive line. We have easily one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and it has shown in the first two games of this season. Despite this team struggle, I think Burrow individually will shine this year.

The Bengals picked up another offensive weapon in the second round, wide receiver Tee Higgins from Clemson. Higgins played against Burrow in the National Championship last season. He also is not used to failure, coming from Clemson, one of the best teams in the country. In college, Higgins was a very successful receiver; he played in two National Championship games with Clemson. He proved himself early and entered the NFL draft after his junior season. Hopefully, Burrow and Higgins can become a solid duo in the coming years, like Andy Dalton and AJ Green used to be.

In the third and fourth rounds of the draft, the Bengals selected two linebackers. Logan Wilson from Wyoming and Akeem Davis-Gaither from Appalachian State. Both are excited to be with their new teammates. These two new guys are expected to make an impact on defense this season, and hopefully for several years in the future.

With the 107^th overall pick, the Bengals picked defensive end Khalid Kareem from Notre Dame. Kareem was a solid DE for the Fighting Irish last season and hopes to continue his success into the NFL. In the sixth round, with pick 180, the Bengals made their only pick to help out the struggling offensive line, OT Hakeem Adeniji form Kansas. Hopefully, he can step up to protect his quarterback this season. With their final draft pick, the Bengals selected another linebacker, Markus Bailey from Purdue. With picking three linebackers, these guys hopefully can step up in their rookie season and improve the Bengals’ defense.

The team, as well as fans hope that these rookies can become stars on the team within the coming years. If they do their job well and work hard, they can greatly improve this team, and maybe make them a legitimate playoff contender.