2020 NFL Draft: 32-pick Round 1 mock halfway through 2019 season

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TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – SEPTEMBER 28: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to pass against the Mississippi Rebels at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Crimson Tide . Tua Tagovailoa. 1. player. 829. . Quarterback

Ahead of Week 9, the Bengals made the change under center, benching veteran quarterback Andy Dalton in favor of the rookie, fourth-round NFL Draft pick Ryan Finley.

It’s pretty easy to argue Cincinnati should focus on defense, especially because of this:

Bengals have the No. 32 defense and the No. 32 rushing offense. Andy Dalton is 4th in NFL in passing yards. And he's the problem?
— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) October 29, 2019

One could make the argument the Bengals should grab a generational talent with the top spot, namely Ohio State EDGE Chase Young, who could even be better than the 49ers’ own, Nick Bosa, who is well on his way to NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

That said, it appears as if the Dalton era in Cincinnati is winding to a close, giving head coach Zac Taylor a chance to reinvent the Bengals with a figurehead under center.

Without question, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is the top option here, and he’d at least bring some excitement back to a Bengals team, which hasn’t had much of this in a long, long time.