We’re starting a new series here at Bengals Wire, where we’ll take a look at each position group in the draft and pick one for the Cincinnati Bengals in each round. Not necessarily who they will or should take, but possibilities throughout the draft. It’s a fun exercise, at the very least. And what better way to start than with the top position, the quarterback?

Round 1: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

As of now, I believe Sam Darnold of USC and Josh Rosen of UCLA will be the first two picks of the draft, going to the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, respectively. So we’re going with Mayfield here because he is the next-best available option and perhaps the most realistic option unless the Bengals somehow believe they’re ready to move on from Andy Dalton and trade just about all the way up for Rosen or Darnold.

Sure, Mayfield has an “attitude”. But I don’t have a problem with that at all. I love his emotion. The comparisons to Johnny Manziel are nonsense. Mayfield can play the quarterback position and was the whole reason Oklahoma even had a shot in the Rose Bowl because Big 12-style defenses decided to rear their ugly head against Georgia, pretty much costing the Sooners a trip to the National Championship Game.

Mayfield would get a chance to sit behind Dalton for some time, learn the NFL ways and be ready to go when his name is called. Sure, Cincinnati may have to trade up for Mayfield, but the cost wouldn’t be as much as it would likely be to get Rosen or Darnold.