Cincinnati Bengals 2020 NFL Draft: 7-round 2020 NFL mock draft

Round 1, No. 1 Overall: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Despite Zac Taylor’s comments earlier this year about being excited to work with Andy Dalton and that Dalton was his guy, he needs to move on and start anew with his own guy. Right now, the Cincinnati Bengals have the top pick in the NFL Draft which means they get who they want.

The obvious pick here is Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tua is the most pro-ready quarterback who could come in and start from day one. He has the best accuracy in the short and intermediate areas of the field and has better arm strength than he is given credit for.

Tua excels in the RPO game and throws the slant route better than anyone. He also understands the nuance of the position and has improved in 2019, especially maneuvering the pocket. There are some slight concerns, such as his durability and handling the blitz at times.

The good news is that Tua shouldn’t be overwhelmed taking over in Cincinnati. The Bengals already have a very talented running back in Joe Mixon to take the pressure off, and a reliable starter at receiver in Tyler Boyd. Having Taylor at head coach will help as well to get him in his best position to succeed in the offense.