Could Oregon QB Justin Herbert fall into Bengals favor at the Senior Bowl?

Could the pairing of the Cincinnati Bengals and Justin Herbert at the Senior Bowl make their first overall pick much tougher?

The Senior Bowl is a great opportunity for not just the top senior players in college football, but it also gives two coaching staffs the ability to scout and teach these guys for an entire week. During the week, it’s not hard to understand how players could fall into favor with coaches and end up being a top target in the NFL Draft.

For example, the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan were one of the coaching staffs down in Mobile last year. They had a need at the wide receiver position, and Shanahan was in the front row to watch South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel absolutely dominate the competition all week long. A couple months later, Samuel was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the draft.

A need at quarterback is even more of a reason for coaching staffs to fall for a player down at the Senior Bowl. The Cincinnati Bengals hold the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and they are set to coach the south team this year. One quarterback on the south team of note? It’s none other than Oregon signal caller Justin Herbert.

Herbert has a lot of tools that will have scouts drooling throughout the week. He has excellent arm strength, can make great throws on the move, and has enough athleticism to tuck it and run when he needs to. Herbert has improved with his accuracy on touch passes, and he’s gotten more comfortable resetting his feet while out of the pocket.

So here comes the ultimate hypothetical. Could the Bengals fall for Herbert down in Mobile after he puts together a great week working with head coach Zac Taylor and the rest of the staff?

Of course at the moment it seems unlikely with the season LSU quarterback Joe Burrow put together and his abilities as a potential franchise quarterback. But, it’s a group of questions behind him, especially with health concerns of Tua Tagovailoa.

But, as we’ve seen, teams don’t always agree on quarterbacks and often opt for “their guy” in the draft. It’s also not out of the blue for Herbert, as he’s projected to be a top 10 pick at the moment in most mock drafts, especially with the need for quarterbacks with teams near the top of the order.

If Herbert goes out and dominates as a passer, lights it up during the game on Saturday, and shows great leadership and a demeanor that the Bengals staff, especially Taylor, likes?

It’s entirely within the realm of possibility that the Bengals leave Mobile with a thought that Herbert is their guy and shock the NFL world in April.