The Lesson 1999 Should Have Taught Bengals Fans For 2020

Akili Smith, Quarterback - 1999 draft selection (No.3 overall)

The "New Dey" hasn't really lived up to it's hype, so far, in 2019 for the Cincinnati Bengals after an 0-7 start to the season for first-year head coach Zac Taylor. Right now the conversation in Cincinnati is less about actual football in 2019 but more so about the NFL Draft in 2020, where it looks the Bengals will have a top 5 draft pick.

In 1999, with the 4th overall draft pick, the Bengals drafted quarterback Akili Smith from the University of Oregon. In 2000, Smith's first full season as the starter, the Bengals went 4-12. 2001 they were 6-10 and 2002 they regressed to 2-14. Now, Smith wasn't all to blame but he wasn't going to be the key to the rebuilding process.  That was proven to be right as the Bengals drafted Heisman-winning quarterback, Carson Palmer in 2003.

The biggest question right now, for the Bengals, is how do they turn things around as an organization? Drafting a QB seems to always be the way most organizations believe that's solve that problem and that's the basis of rebuilding. For the Bengals, with this draft class, I don't think that's the solution.  I know people have been intrigued with the notion of the Bengals drafting a quarterback early in this years draft to replace the veteran Andy Dalton. Names like Justin Herbert; Oregon; Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama; Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma and Joe Burrow from LSU are all names that have been mentioned as quarterbacks that could possibly be drafted early in the 2020 draft. But if the Bengals remain patient and take the best player on their draft board and not best quarterback on their draft board I think they'll get it right. If it's one thing that I believe that the 1999 draft taught me and should have taught Bengals fans it's that drafting a quarterback is not the solution ... drafting the right PLAYER is.

The Bengals (0-7) are traveling to London, England to face the defending NFC champions in the Los Angeles Rams. Zac Taylor has a chance to get his first win against his old team. The Bengals-Rams kickoff on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.