Lately, fans of the Cincinnati Bengals haven’t had a hard time figuring out when the team might actually hit the podium to make a selection in the first round of an NFL draft.
That changes in a big way this year.
Courtesy of the Super Bowl berth, the Bengals boast the second-to-last pick in the opening round this year at No. 31. That’s the latest they have picked in an opening round since 1989.
It’s understandable, then, if fans aren’t too sure when the team will actually make the selection (provided they don’t wait all night just to see the team trade out of the spot).
On paper, technically, the draft “starts” at 8 p.m. ET and each team gets “10 minutes” to make a pick. Using these numbers, the Bengals project to hit the podium around roughly 11:30 p.m. ET. That’s what the team seems to expect based on messaging about draft parties, etc.
But last year, the Baltimore Ravens had the 31st pick (via trade) and Odafe Oweh’s name didn’t really go through until about midnight, so expect some notable variation in either direction.
For those who will watch the draft regardless, this isn’t that big of a deal. But for those who want to catch the pick on tv or social media, it’s going to be a bit of a wait.
