There is still a week left in the regular season -- and roughly four months until the 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas.
But the Cincinnati Bengals can look forward to April 23 and the first round of the draft, as they have locked up the No. 1 overall pick following their 38-35 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
Though Cincinnati will be rewarded following its third straight loss, the Andy Dalton-bunch didn't go down without a fight. Down 35-12 in the fourth quarter, the Bengals reeled off 23 straight points as Dalton fired a trio of touchdown passes to send the game to overtime and finish with four touchdowns.
"If there's any competitive juices in you whatsoever, you can't go out on the field not trying your best to win the game," Bengals first-year coach Zac Taylor said.
Speculation and prognostication will turn to who the Bengals will select, with many pointing to a Bayou Bengal, as LSU quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow is predicted by many to be first off the board. With longtime Bengals starter Andy Dalton already having been benched once this season and rookie fourth-rounder Ryan Finley having shown little during his chance to start, the Bengals selecting a quarterback makes plenty of sense.
Cincinnati's arduous campaign under Taylor saw the Bengals begin with 10 straight defeats and will end with at the least a pot of gold at the end of their struggles.
Last year, the Bengals had the 11th overall pick and selected offensive tackle Jonah Williams out of Alabama. However, he hasn't played this season as he suffered a torn labrum during offseason workouts.
At the very least, the Bengals' latest loss bestows hope of what the top pick of the 2020 class can become.
