The Cincinnati Bengals were expecting big things for the defensive side of the ball out of their 2016 NFL Draft class, but that didn’t come to fruition in their first season. But it looks as though the delayed gratification might come in 2017, in which two of their early-mid-round defensive draft choices are expected to win starting jobs leading into the season opener.
In the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Bengals used their draft pick on linebacker Nick Vigil. There was some belief that he was a player who would be able to play early in his career, but he did not lock down a starting job, and playing time only became an option for him late in the year.