Chasing the Bengals' path to glory

Oy vey. Where to begin with this dumpster fire of a franchise. Having the first pick should mean a team had the worst gridiron experience in 2021 of any NFL team and the Jaguars no doubt fit the bill. With Urban Meyer’s horrid run coaching the team over, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. To win a Super Bowl nowadays, a solid quarterback and a good offense around him are basic requirements. While Jacksonville falls well short of those qualifiers now, it has a few pieces that turn into solid options.

Trevor Lawrence hasn’t come close to flashing his Clemson form but under a different offense, his upside is likely to show itself. That or he’ll be a tremendous NFL bust. Running back James Robinson had an injury-riddled 2021 but is underrated. Marvin Jones and Christian Kirk could both be viable No. 1 receivers. I also like the signing of offensive lineman Brandon Scherff from the Commanders. The Jaguars likely go defensive line with any of the three ultra-talented ends (Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux or Travon Walker), clogging up one of several holes.

Minimum years away from Super Bowl: 7

Matthew Stafford’s former team watched as he lifted the Lombardi Trophy while Motor City’s own haven’t won a playoff game since the 1991 season. I know the Lions haven’t been relevant in a while, but more than 30 years? Holy shit that’s a long time. I was in my mother’s belly for that January 1992 most recent postseason victory. Currently at quarterback for Detroit is Jared Goff, who took the Rams to a Super Bowl, a game where Los Angeles failed to score a touchdown.

Defensively, the Lions will be fine. Not great but they could be decent and combine with a stellar offense for a deep playoff run. That’s far from the current outlook though, as the Lions really don’t have a solid offensive weapon outside of Goff. It’s not a foregone conclusion Detroit stays away from taking a quarterback here but the Lions have much bigger problems than behind center.

Minimum years away from Super Bowl: 10

If the Jaguars had the worst 2021 season on the field, the Texans had the worst overall. After trading former franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has 22 civil cases of sexual misconduct against him, Houston had to fall back on a 4-13 record. In trading away Watson, the Texans have three unproven quarterbacks on the roster in Kyle Allen, Davis Mills and Jeff Driskell.

Whether Houston opts to take a quarterback to build around for the future or test the waters with the trio already on the roster, contending for a playoff spot feels far away, much less doing damage over the next few seasons. Taking one of the aforementioned defensive ends would be a smart move but doesn’t necessarily provide a game-changer to buck the trend back to the postseason.

Minimum years away from Super Bowl: 8

The Jets haven’t appeared in the playoffs since their back-to-back AFC Championship appearances in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. They’ve only had one winning season during that drought too. Surprisingly, New York isn’t up shit’s creek moving forward like each team drafting ahead of them. It has a decent amount of young, promising talent at almost every position, especially with belief in the long-term potential of Zach Wilson.

The receiving corps of Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Denzel Mims and company gives the second-year signal caller a great security blanket. It’s nowhere near as strong as the one in Cincinnati but the skeletons look similar. The Jets will have questions defensively but have a few ways to help build depth early in the draft. New York isn’t as far away as most would expect. The Jets are the closest team drafting in the top 10 later this month to making a future Super Bowl.

Minimum years away from Super Bowl: 3

In the easiest division to win in football, the Giants are the farthest away from another NFC East crown. It’s been time to cut bait with Daniel Jones as the team’s starting quarterback and using one of its two top-7 picks to take a flier on a Malik Willis and possibly a Garrett Wilson would be a good refresh. The Giants have too many holes to plug all of them soon. A cascade of troubles await New York in 2022 even with a healthy Saquon Barkley. 

Unlike their MetLife Stadium co-hosts, the Giants don’t have a discernible path toward relevancy. Sneaking into a postseason at 9-8 in the next few years in the awful NFC East isn’t out of the question. Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington are all better equipped for such luck. One main reason is how New York has nothing special on defense, while each of its division rivals is improving offensively.

Minimum years away from Super Bowl: 7

The final three teams on this list were the NFC Champions from 2014-16. It’s odd to see Carolina, with one of the NFL’s best players, Christian McCaffrey, drafting so high. With his injury struggles, a lackluster defense compared to previous years and a fledgling quarterback situation, the Panthers have a prime selection.

Bringing back former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks back into the fold as an assistant coach, amid joining Brian Flores’ NFL lawsuit, is a smart move to revamp a once dominant unit. The Panthers could easily choose a quarterback here, or try to settle on Sam Darnold and grab the best offensive lineman on the board to help protect him. Picking up a wide receiver here could be ideal as well.

Minimum years away from Super Bowl: 4

How times have changed in Atlanta. The Matt Ryan era is over and an unclear situation exists at quarterback in the Peach State for the first time in almost 20 years. That may be best solved through a trade, as Baker Mayfield heading to the Falcons could still happen but they did bring in Marcus Mariota.

The lack of offensive quality is stunning for Atlanta. That’s where it needs to draft here. Banking on the development of Kyle Pitts isn’t close to enough to get back to another Super Bowl. Who else do the Falcons have? Mike Davis? Cordarrelle Patterson? Austin Trammell? It’s going to be tough years ahead.

Minimum years away from Super Bowl: 6

For the first time in a decade, the Seahawks will take the field without Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, the last remaining players from their Super Bowl XLVIII victory. The nostalgia of Pete Carroll’s near-seamless squad had burst and Wilson was dealt to Denver for Drew Lock, Seattle’s apparent starting quarterback. Lock puts the Seahawks in an alright position behind center after a decent tenure with the Broncos.

With a trade for DK Metcalf also likely to transpire by the start of the season, getting Lock another offensive weapon would be good but there are bigger needs on the offensive line and at running back. Whether Seattle adds more pieces through free agency or the draft, a rebuild is definitely the best way to describe the Seahawks current mojo.

Minimum years away from Super Bowl: 5