Now, the vast majority of draft picks in any given NFL year won’t pan out. In fact, the NFLPA (h/t ESPN) claims that the average NFL career lasts 3.3 years. And many draft picks in any draft won’t actually end up playing an NFL game.
But when it comes to building a sports team and program of some sort, regardless of the level of play, the NFL Draft gives everybody several useful tips and lessons on how to maximize the construction of your team.
The NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals are a prime example of how to build a quality roster through savvy drafting and creative long-term strategizing. The AFC North club was among the NFL’s worst teams from 2016 to 2020, having failed to make the postseason in six straight years.
Coming off just the third Super Bowl trip in franchise history, the Bengals enter 2022 as one of the favorites to win Super Bowl 57. Legalized mobile/online sports betting is slated to launch in The Buckeye State in early Jan. 2023, and the Caesars Ohio sportsbook will offer a risk-free wager of up to $1,250 for new customers upon signing up.
Through Caesars and the other Ohio sportsbooks, you’ll be able to place wagers on the state’s many popular sports teams. The list of different bets will include futures, over/under, and point spreads.
Everything changed for the Bengals in 2021 thanks to the world-class play of young players like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Logan Wilson and Joe Mixon. Cincinnati surpassed all expectations and won the AFC North division title en route to a Super Bowl 56 appearance, where they dropped a heartbreaker to the Los Angeles Rams.
Here are some tips from the Bengals and the NFL draft on how to recruit and build a team accordingly.
The Player That Helps Fits Your Team Building Plan The MOST, Not The Best Player Available
For the Bengals, taking Burrow first overall in 2020 was a no-brainer. He was far-and-away the best QB prospect available, and the franchise needed a quarterback after parting ways with longtime starter Andy Dalton.
Many were stunned, however, when the Bengals drafted LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase fifth overall in 2021. It wasn’t because of questions about Chase’s ability, but rather the fact that generational offensive tackle Penei Sewell out of Oregon was on the board.
The Bengals featured one of football’s worst offensive lines in 2020 (and again in 2021). But they simply couldn’t pass on the opportunity to reunite Burrow with Chase; the duo let the Tigers to a blowout victory over Clemson in the 2020 National Championship Game.
Chase had one of the best rookie seasons of all-time for any positional player (81 catches, 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns). For Cincinnati, the mindset was simple: Rather than focus on the o-line in the 2021 draft, just give Burrow the best amount of offensive weaponry.
And sure enough, defenses had no answers for an offense that consisted of Burrow, Chase, Mixon, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Cincy focused on building the team the way they wanted to as opposed to taking the best player available
Let the Bengals be an example of how you don’t need to take the best player available. You simply recruit and build your team by taking the players that fit your vision the most.
Character Matters
NFL teams conduct interviews with countless draftees in any given year, hoping to learn more about their personalities, backgrounds and what they can bring to the team.
Sometimes, a player will possess all-world talent but have well-documented character issues. You simply need to ask yourself if such a player is worth the risk of adding to your team. Do you think you can fix them and help them mature?
Some players never fully get away from character issues and end up bringing a lot of baggage wherever they go. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide if you’d rather take a risk by choosing players with elite talent but character issues or focus on less-talented guys with key qualities such as leadership, selflessness and charisma.
Building A Team Identity
The best managed NFL teams build an identity and try to stick to it through the draft.
For instance, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick prioritizes players with high work ethic and strong football IQ. He has built a “Do Your Job” mantra where players are expected to put the team first at all causes. Belichick gets his players to stay well-disciplined which means avoiding careless penalties and other bad habits (such as showing up late to practice, etc.)
Under Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs have focused on building a team around fast pass-catchers who can quickly get open for him. Even with Tyreek Hill gone, KC stuck to their identity by drafting Skyy Moore and by signing a pair of speedsters in Marquez-Valdes Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Do you want a high-powered offense full of speedy guys? A tough and physical team that runs the ball aplenty and constantly gets after the quarterback? A mix of speed, skill, football IQ and physicality? Decide on one, and rather than just recruit the best possible players for a team, you should focus on an identity and find the players that will fit the mold.