I give the Bengals a ‘D’ for not protecting Burrow in draft | Opinion.
*”I assign the Bengals a ‘D’ for failing to protect Burrow in the draft”* — That’s a spicy take, and I see why fans are saying it.
*Why people are giving the Bengals a ‘D’ for Burrow’s protection in the draft*
1. *Joe Burrow’s injury history*
– 2020: Torn ACL/MCL — missed rest of rookie year
– 2023: Calf strain + wrist ligament tear — season ended early
– 2024: Took 48 sacks. He’s been sacked 148 times in 4 years.
When your $275M QB keeps getting hit, _every draft should be O-line heavy_.
2. *2026 Draft recap*
Bengals went:
– *Round 1*: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry — elite talent, but not O-line
– *Round 2*: DT Jer’Zhan Newton — D-line help
– *Round 3*: WR Malachi Corley — more weapons
– *First O-line pick*: Round 4, OT Brandon Coleman
*Issue*: They waited until Day 3 to address the biggest weakness. Burrow’s blind side still has Orlando Brown Jr. at LT and question marks at RG/RT.
3. *The ‘D’ grade reasoning*
– *Free agency*: Signed Trent Brown at RT but he’s 31 and injury-prone
– *Draft*: 1 O-lineman in 7 picks, and not until round 4
– *Message*: Feels like they prioritized _toys for Burrow_ over _keeping Burrow upright_
*The Counter-Argument — Why it might NOT be a ‘D’*
1. *Board fell wrong*: Top OTs were gone by pick 18. Taking a reach just to take one = wasted pick
2. *They believe in coaching*: New OL coach Scott Peters + 2024 draft pick Amarius Mims developing at RT
3. *Best player available*: McKinstry was top-10 talent that fell. Newton was steal at 49. Hard to pass
*My take: It’s a ‘C-’ not a ‘D’*
– *‘D’* = You ignored the problem completely. They _did_ draft Coleman + signed Trent Brown.
– *‘C-’* = You addressed it, but too late and with too little. One 4th-rounder isn’t enough when your QB is one hit away from IR.
– *‘A’* = Trading up for Joe Alt/Olu Fashanu, or double-dipping Rds 1-2 on O-line
*Bottom line*: If Burrow misses games in 2026 because of pressure up the middle, this draft will look like malpractice. If Mims + Coleman pop, they look like geniuses.
*Peace House VP mode*: _“Protect your assets first before you buy new ones. Same for Burrow, same for our treasury.”_
You agree with the ‘D’ grade or too harsh?
