New mock draft has Bengals picking a new franchise quarterback

We’re only three weeks into the 2019 season and about 31 weeks away from the 2020 draft. But it’s never too early to start looking into the future.

CBS Sports already has a new mock draft, since the Dolphins have acquired an extra first-round pick from the Steelers in the last few days. In this mock, the Bengals are picking third (the draft order comes from SportsLine Super Bowl odds projections).

In a surprise move, the Dolphins pass on star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and opt for Oregon’s Justin Herbert instead. This leaves the Bengals with the number three pick, looking for a franchise quarterback.

Here’s what they said about the Bengals:

Andy Dalton looked good in Week 1, less so last week and the reality is that the Bengals will be in the market for a franchise QB at some point in the near future. Tagovailoa is undersized by traditional NFL standards but thanks to Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, his lack of ideal height won’t prevent him from being among the first players taken.

On paper, the Bengals should be looking for a quarterback soon, and this would be a good year to pick one. Dalton will have one more year left on his contract, so Tagovailoa could hold a clipboard for a year while learning Zac Taylor’s system.

However, it’s hard to imagine the Bengals finding a new franchise quarterback next year. The most Bengals thing to do would be to keep extending Dalton until he is ready to go out on his own terms. The front office likes him, Taylor likes him, and all of his teammates like him. Dalton just seems too ingratiated to leave any time soon.

However, if the Bengals did select Tua, how much more potent would this offense be? Imagine John Ross having a better arm throwing to him, or Tyler Boyd running routes with a much more dynamic quarterback under center. If the Bengals re-sign A.J. Green, he will get back to his Pro Bowl form in no time.