Top contenders to hold No. 1 selection in the 2021 NFL Draft
4. Cincinnati Bengals
As you know, the Cincinnati Bengals took quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. As impressive as Burrow is, this team still lacks impact talent on both sides of the ball. They are going to struggle to consistently protect Burrow and I have a hard time believing that the Bengals will significantly improve on their 2-14 record from last season.
light. Related Story. Cincinnati Bengals 2020 NFL Draft Grades
Burrow is great and I have full confidence that he is the right guy to lead the Bengals going forward, but it’s not like he is guaranteed to come right in and immediately light the league on fire. The Bengals undoubtedly have a chance to hold the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. I doubt that the Bengals would give up on Burrow after one season, so a trade down with a quarterback-needy team would be likely in this scenario.
3. Carolina Panthers
Is Teddy Bridgewater too good for the Carolina Panthers to bottom out and grab the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft? That may be the case, but this is a team that is clearly building towards the future and if they start slow, the tank could quickly be on.
Related Story. Carolina Panthers 2020 NFL Draft Grades. light
Head coach Matt Rhule signed a seven-year contract with the Panthers this offseason and he seems to have a ton of job security. As long as the Panthers aren’t a complete disaster over the next few years, Rhule will be the man in charge for the foreseeable future. A head coach with that kind of job security could easily sacrifice the present to help his team grow for the future.
Carolina is probably just a bit too good to land the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but a lot of that depends on Bridgewater. If he does not play as well as most of us expect, they could lose a ton of games and certainly be in the running.