Cincinnati Bengals: 3 Targets in 2020 NFL Draft to return to relevancy

Round 3: Monty Rice, LB, Georgia

There was a time when the Bengals had a feared defense but things have since changed. In 2020, Nick Vigil held down the middle linebacker spot and was solid, despite being on the Lamar Jackson highlight reel. Vigil showed potential, improving throughout the season per, The Athletic’s Joe Goodberry Even rookie Germaine Pratt showed improvement. Still, neither player has the desired athleticism to anchor the middle of the defense. However, Georgia’s Monty Rice does.

Rice has elite traits with great speed, agility and overall athleticism. He’s thickly built, standing 6-1 and weighing 235 pounds. He’s still a bit raw in terms of processing plays with a veteran eye. However, when he trusts his eyes, he gets there in a hurry. Playing with a three-technique like Atkins, a player whose capable and willing take on guards, is a necessity.

In Rice’s case, he plays with a low center of gravity and pad leverage. He plays well in traffic and exploits gaps at a high level. Even if they opt to play him outside, he brings upside a blitzer and as a coverage backer. He’ll get a chance to flip his hips and show how effective he can be in coverage at the combine.

If he’s available in the third round the Bengals will be smart to snatch him up — even if they have to trade up get him. They’ll immediately have a solid young impressive core with Pratt, Vigil and Rice, which can help start turning around the defense.