Can Class of 2022 Go One Better Than Burrow?

Another entry has been added to the history books, with the LA Rams savoring Super Bowl glory in the comforting surrounds of their own SoFi Stadium. For them, and many of the locals in California, a celebration party will stretch long into the summer.

For the other 31 teams that were unable to get their hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy, plans regarding how best to right that wrong in 2023 are already being drawn up.

The Cincinnati Bengals will be held up by many as an example of what is possible when the right mix of talent and tenacity is found. Having gone five straight years without a winning season, the Who Dey Nation morphed from a 4-11 team into a 10-7 one in the blink of an eye.

They made it all the way to the big dance in Inglewood and came agonizingly close to securing a first world championship in the franchise’s history. How did they do it? Well, that is a question being asked by general managers across America as they endeavor to concoct a similar formula.

An unforgettable season falls just short.

Thank you, Who Dey Nation. pic.twitter.com/o3cmFoDRo9

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 14, 2022

For plenty, especially those who are still licking the wounds of rather humbling campaigns last time out, the 2022 NFL Draft offers a glimmer of hope. Pick wisely and rich rewards are there for the taking. Make questionable calls and more fumbling around in the dark lies in store.

There is plenty of talent up for grabs, with college football rankings now being noted and dissected in minute detail. Some of the finest experts in the business, from sportswriters to coaches, help to compile those lists, with recent results, current win-loss records, the strength of opponents and any head‐to‐head games taken into account when separating the good from the great.

Those now looking to pluck ready-made superstars and potential world-beaters from NCAA and FBS pools that can deliver choppy waters at times will welcome the assistance provided by standings that allow informed decisions to be made.

History makers

Winds of change are very much sweeping through NFL corridors at present, with the words ‘new quarterback’ likely to have been circled towards the top of many a recruitment chart as the countdown continues to another trip to Nevada on April 28.

The most demanding and important position on any given team is always the most difficult to fill, especially for those taking calculated risks on unproven college graduates who are rubbing shoulders with established members of the elite for the first time.

Once again, though, the Bengals have shown what can be achieved when getting QB1 calls right. In Joe Burrow they have a special talent on their hands – one who saw a debut season in the big time cruelly cut short by injury.

What a return it was.@JoeyB is the Comeback Player of the Year! #NFLHonors (by @Bose) pic.twitter.com/dHZqDzrMTd

— NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2022

He returned with a bang and became only the seventh second-year quarterback to start in a Super Bowl – joining the stellar names of Dan Marino, Kurt Warner, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Colin Kaepernick, and Russell Wilson on that list.

No rookie has ever gone all the way, with Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, and Mark Sanchez coming up short in AFC and NFC Championship games during their respective first years under center, but records are there to be broken.

There are some prominent posts currently up for grabs, in both proven winning units and ambitious rebuilds, with seasoned veterans and underperforming newcomers glancing nervously over collective shoulders. It remains a big ask for any fresh face to slot seamlessly into a fold and lead a Super Bowl charge, but somebody will do it at some point and the class of 2022 will believe that history beckons for them.