Cincinnati Bengals (Just Burrow In)

[RB07OSU]

I’m pretty bored today, so I figured I’d give a way too early Draft projection/wishlist now that the dust seems to be settling on FA. There have been rumors of Ezekiel Elliott narrowing his list down to Eagles, Bengals, and Jets. If he can take a significant pay cut, I’m all for him filling Perine’s role as a backup. That being said, let’s get into the draft.

When it comes to the first round there’s a number of factors that need to play out for each position to be viable. IMO, if Bijan Robinson is available at 28, I think the Bengals draft him in a heartbeat and cut Mixon. If he’s not available, I think you take a RT. My top three in that range would be Anton Harrison, Broderick Jones, Dawand Jones, and Darnell Wright. I have to admit, the prospect of having two mammoth 6’8” tackles on the roster excites me quite a bit so I’m all aboard the Dawand hype train. If somehow none of those OTs are available, I think you take best TE available. Michael Mayers would be most ideal in that position. Not really interested in Dalton Kincaid, and am even less interested in Luke Musgrave. Musgrave gives me Jermaine Gresham vibes, and Kincaid just has too many injury concerns (Eifert comp) for my liking.

In the second, I think you take whatever you didn’t take in the first. If you found a solid OT, you take any of Darnell Washington (most preferred in this position), Sam LaPorta, or Tucker Kraft. I think Jahmyr Gibbs is also a great option at this position in the draft.

Third, if you’ve taken OT first, TE second, Tyjae Spears out of Tulane would be a solid grab to fill the RB group out. If you’ve taken Bijan first, TE second, best OT I see available here is Blake Freeland out of BYU. I also wouldn’t be upset at grabbing another TE here either. We are dangerously thin at TE. So if Tucker Kraft or Sam LaPorta is somehow still available, you grab one of those guys.

Fourth, I think you go DT here. Best guys I’ve seen potentially available here are Moro Ojomo out of Texas, Keondre Coburn out of Texas, Zacch Pickens out of S. Carolina, and Byron Young from Alabama. If you take a second TE anytime after the third, I think your best option is Zack Kuntz from ODU. If you take a RB anytime after the 3rd, your best options are probably Chase Brown from Illinois, Keaton Mitchell from ECU (fastest 40 time among RBs at 4.38), Eric Gray from OU, and Mo Ibrahim as a potential late draft option.

Fifth, Six, and Seventh are a bit of a wash because it’s hard telling who will be available, but some dark horse players to keep a look out for in these rounds would be OTs Wanya Morris from OU and Nick Saldiveri from ODU, CBs Riley Moss from Iowa, Mekhi Blackmon from USC, and Cory Trice from Purdue (who looks to me like someone who could slot in at Safety and fill a position of need), OGs Emil Ekiyor from Alabama, Jarrett Patterson from ND, and John Gaines II from UCLA, and Centers Ricky Stromberg from Arkansas and Alex Forsyth from Oregon.

The Bengals went very heavy on defense last draft, and outside of addressing two or three needs there, I expect this to be an offense heavy draft. Would love to feel comfortable about solid OL depth while also filling out needs at RB (assuming Mixon doesn’t take a pay cut and/or Zeke doesn’t sign) and TE.

Love this analysis and pretty much agree with everything you said. RB and TE have to be addressed no matter what imo to get younger, you can get a lot of value in the mid-round picks is the good news but I agree if a player like Robinson or Mayer is there at the end of the first round, you probably go that route. If not (and I think they won't be there when we pick), take the best RT available. Any of the guys you mentioned I would be happy with.

On the TE note, there are quite a few guys like LaPorta that should be available rounds 3-4. Unless Mayer is there in the first, then I am content waiting on that position. There are also some RBs that could be a good fit later on. Gibbs I like and I really like McBride from UAB if we could get him in the third round. I also like Kraft at TE in that range, if we can get a quality rookie in this draft then I am ok with who we draft and Wilcox, the WRs are going to see the most in the pass game anyways.

On defense, safety still concerns me if we do not address it well in FA. We could also add another DT or CB, but that is about it on that side for me. Wilson, Pratt and AGD are a great LB corp, we have our entire front 4 back I believe (and key backups), plus I loved what I saw from Carter at DT...he adds a few pounds and he could be a force.

 

[RB07OSU]

Murmurs about Ekeler and Cincy talking for a trade. Pretty sure Ekeler will want more money than we can pay him (maybe we could scrape together the amount he wants if we cut Mixon), but that would be fun to watch if he did land in Cincy.

 

[Greyshirt]

It is the NFL time of the year.
When I look at Cincy I think KC. If you are going to have the best QB in the league you will have to build your team a certain way. Because you are now committed to tying up a huge cap space to that position. So I think you then build quality depth in the O-line and then all defense. You can expect Chase to not make the cut come second contract time. Too expensive. So this draft then need to keep building that Oline depth and defense.
Maybe a TE but I personally do not understand the logic of taking one early based on pure usage.

QB- touches ball every play
Oline and Dline - involved in every play
LB involved in most plays
RB involved in most plays but only touches ball 30%
TE involved in maybe 50% of plays
WR touches ball maybe 20% of plays
CB involved in maybe 50% of plays
Safety - similar to LB but is key

So I would prioritize when to draft players based on usage and importance. I have said for years that drafting a WR or CB or TE is reserved for teams that are set and it is a luxury. But you should be keeping those areas that are involved in every play stocked with quality and depth. Those are the most important players on your team. And you really need top 10 or maybe even top 5 QB play to win a SB. Yes here have been many exceptions but for the most part that is the most important player on any team. And for sure on offense.

 

[RB07OSU]

It is the NFL time of the year.
When I look at Cincy I think KC. If you are going to have the best QB in the league you will have to build your team a certain way. Because you are now committed to tying up a huge cap space to that position. So I think you then build quality depth in the O-line and then all defense. You can expect Chase to not make the cut come second contract time. Too expensive. So this draft then need to keep building that Oline depth and defense.
Maybe a TE but I personally do not understand the logic of taking one early based on pure usage.

QB- touches ball every play
Oline and Dline - involved in every play
LB involved in most plays
RB involved in most plays but only touches ball 30%
TE involved in maybe 50% of plays
WR touches ball maybe 20% of plays
CB involved in maybe 50% of plays
Safety - similar to LB but is key

So I would prioritize when to draft players based on usage and importance. I have said for years that drafting a WR or CB or TE is reserved for teams that are set and it is a luxury. But you should be keeping those areas that are involved in every play stocked with quality and depth. Those are the most important players on your team. And you really need top 10 or maybe even top 5 QB play to win a SB. Yes here have been many exceptions but for the most part that is the most important player on any team. And for sure on offense.

Agree with most of this post. But I think we're in luxury mode this year for the most part. We have to draft young at RB, OT, TE and CB at some point, teams the best based on how everything shakes out.

I would be disappointed to use our first pick on TE unless it is Mayer slipping to that spot. Rather have a DB or OL if possible. From there, address needs based on availability.

 

[Greyshirt]

I can not argue the CB position discussion. A good one makes a huge difference. My only concern is making sure you take a guy that fits your defensive scheme. Listen to Neon Deon talk about playing the CB position and he will tell you that he was a beast in a Man to Man but could never play zone because he would always get caught looking into the backfield. If you are a team that plays a ton of zone make sure your guy can play zone and is not a man specialist. I think this was part of the Lions problems with Okudah. Okudah was allowed to play a bunch of an maybe and never learned the nuances of playing zone. So when he was asked to play a bunch of zone he looked like he was lost (because he was). This past year he finally looked like the player he was at OSU. So be careful with those DBs.

 

[RB07OSU]

I can not argue the CB position discussion. A good one makes a huge difference. My only concern is making sure you take a guy that fits your defensive scheme. Listen to Neon Deon talk about playing the CB position and he will tell you that he was a beast in a Man to Man but could never play zone because he would always get caught looking into the backfield. If you are a team that plays a ton of zone make sure your guy can play zone and is not a man specialist. I think this was part of the Lions problems with Okudah. Okudah was allowed to play a bunch of an maybe and never learned the nuances of playing zone. So when he was asked to play a bunch of zone he looked like he was lost (because he was). This past year he finally looked like the player he was at OSU. So be careful with those DBs.

I have the utmost faith in Coach Lou getting the right fit to our defense, too early to tell really but CTB and Hill look like they are going to flourish in Cincy. We just signed Sidney Jones at CB to a 1 year deal, who is a good short-term solution for next season imo as long as we draft at the position in the first few rounds.

On a related note, we also just signed Irv Smith from the Vikings at TE to a 1 year deal and I like that move so long as we draft someone at TE this year. Great position to go young on and get value. With the moves in FA I don't think we need to move up to take anyone, we did good (probably not great) overall in FA and with a good draft we can plug in the gaps. To that end, here are my early draft R1-R3 ideas:

R1: OT Dawand Jones: He has late 1st round draft grades and we need a long-term solution at OT. No real injury concerns. I take him in a heartbeat if he is there, bias be damned. Others I would strongly consider if there is Mayer at TE and Robinson at RB. Also would take Ringo or Banks at CB here if available, great prospects.
R2: RB Jahmyr Gibbs: He may not be available at this spot, but I would be looking to find our next RB in the 2nd or 3rd round. Perine is gone and maybe Mixon (or 1 more year here at the max imo), so get a young RB in the early - mid rounds.
R3: TE Tucker Kraft: Really like Kraft and fits in great in Cincy imo. If LaPorta is available though I definitely go that route, great player but ruined by a bad offensive staff.

- Lots of flexibility and with a late pick, tough to call which individual players we go for. But I think the core positions to address early on are OT, TE, RB, and CB/S.

 

[Greyshirt]

I would suggest that Cincy should make getting a long term solution at OT a priority. If that means trading up then make it happen. This is a draft where they have no real holes. So execute a pick early that will make an impact because you do not really need much. But getting a solid OT would be huge. And that likely means getting closer to top 15. I am a believer in the idea that if you are solid you should either push up to get a real changer or trade away to add numbers for the next year. You are either needing more players or you need starters. But when you are solid more players are useless. You need upgrades and the only way to get that is to either move up or get a bit lucky.
I would like to see a projected starter at OT for Cincy. If they think they can get that dude at 28 then stay there but if not they need to move up.

I want to see Burrows spend a season not getting sacked or hit.......watch old Tom Brady videos and the guy would spend whole games in a clean jersey.

 

[RB07OSU]

I would suggest that Cincy should make getting a long term solution at OT a priority. If that means trading up then make it happen. This is a draft where they have no real holes. So execute a pick early that will make an impact because you do not really need much. But getting a solid OT would be huge. And that likely means getting closer to top 15. I am a believer in the idea that if you are solid you should either push up to get a real changer or trade away to add numbers for the next year. You are either needing more players or you need starters. But when you are solid more players are useless. You need upgrades and the only way to get that is to either move up or get a bit lucky.
I would like to see a projected starter at OT for Cincy. If they think they can get that dude at 28 then stay there but if not they need to move up.

I want to see Burrows spend a season not getting sacked or hit.......watch old Tom Brady videos and the guy would spend whole games in a clean jersey.

Long term solution at OT is ideal with our first pick. Brown is a pretty solid pickup at LT for the near future but RT is far from secure...we have depth there, just not a stud. The good news is that I think the tackle position is deep in this draft class and that we wouldn't have to move up. Don't get me wrong, if someone like PJ Sr, Skronski or Broderick Jones falls into the 20s, you start making phone calls to potentially trade up. But Dawand, Anton Harrison and Darnell Wright are guys I would be happy with right where we sit. And Cody Mauch and Tyler Steen in the second round are options that intrigue me.

On the OL generally though, I feel a lot better regardless of the path we take in the draft. Karras, Cappa and Volson (especially Volson after getting his rookie year out of the way) is a solid interior. Brown is a huge upgrade over Williams at LT, though I don't know if he is a future HOF or anything, but we just need him to be good at LT...didn't get that from Williams. Just need a good RT, I doubt Collins will be recovered by the start of the season and will have rust in any event, that is assuming we even keep him. Scharping, Adeniji, Carman and recent addition Cody Ford are good for depth behind all the starters.

The first pick I think we are in a fortunate position to draft the best guy available within reason...obviously positions like QB, WR, IOL, DE, maybe DT and LB are no-go's. But depending on who is available, I think any of RB, TE, OT, DT, CB or S are potential selections.

 

[TooTall]

I’ve seen a lot of Bengals twitter wanting Calijah Kancey with the 28th pick. I’m a hard pass on a 6’1” 280 lb DT. Feel like he would get manhandled at the pro level despite having decent tape, and RAS numbers. I also have seen Emmanuel Forbes, and while I like his height, weighing only 166 lbs is an extreme concern for a CB. I’m still firmly in the RT for the future or Bijan if he’s available. I’ve cooled a bit on Mayer knowing some very solid options will still be available at TE in the second.

 

[RB07OSU]

I’ve seen a lot of Bengals twitter wanting Calijah Kancey with the 28th pick. I’m a hard pass on a 6’1” 280 lb DT. Feel like he would get manhandled at the pro level despite having decent tape, and RAS numbers. I also have seen Emmanuel Forbes, and while I like his height, weighing only 166 lbs is an extreme concern for a CB. I’m still firmly in the RT for the future or Bijan if he’s available. I’ve cooled a bit on Mayer knowing some very solid options will still be available at TE in the second.

Definitely a pass at DT unless it is a top 10 overall type guy that falls to #28. I would take any of Ringo, Cam Smith or Banks over Forbes assuming one of those guys are there and we want to go CB. I am also really wanting to go RT if there is a good one there, if Burrow has protection there is no stopping the offense. But yeah if Bijan is available somehow, I take take him without blinking.

At TE, I think the better value is after the 1st round like you said, but if we took Mayer I wouldn't hate it if other teams make a run on other positions of need. Off the top of my head, Whyle from Cincy could very well be there in Round 3 and would a great local pick. Kraft and LaPorta are also great options that will be there past the 1st round. Need to draft at TE for a long-term solution, but 1st round is probably too early...Irv Smith is a good pickup (albeit a bit of a downgrade from Hurst imo), but 1 year contract and TE is a good position to go young on.

 

[RB07OSU]

The more I have looked at this draft class and obviously subject to who is available, here is my ideal draft class:

R1: OT Darnell Wright - Played extremely well against high-level competition at UT. Prototype RT and as much as I love Dawand, I am concerned with his pass pro in the NFL. But if Bijan is here or a top CB, I wouldn't get upset going that route.
R2: CB Clark Phillips: I know he burned us Buckeyes, but he is a phenomenal talent and fits in perfect in our defense. Would be the perfect compliment to CTB imo and we need a lockdown CB.
R3: S Jordan Battle: Maybe he doesn't fall this far but would be a great pickup. Need to draft a S.
R4: RB DeWayne McBride: Dude is so electric and great value. I think we could get him in rounds 4-5 and to me he would be like Pacheco for KC.
R5: TE Josh Whyle: Keep the kid in Cincy, great value to get a young TE prospect. Such a deep TE group this year, to go TE early is a mistake imo,
R6: OL Alex Forsyth: Great interior OL with the ability to step out to OT. I think 2 OL in the draft is a good call.
R7: S Ronnie Hickman: Build up that DB depth, biggest area of need imo other than getting a quality OT for the future.

 

[Greyshirt]

Definitely a nice draft you have laid out RB and I think also catering to how this class looks overall. Going after a quality starter level OT early then hit that secondary hard. With the nice depth this year at TE pick one up later along with a solid RB prospect. I really like the Forsyth pick because I love Oline guys who can play Center and Guard and then he has 3 years as the starter and plenty of field time since he came off his Redshirt year. Lots to work with and is a guy you could see making at least the practice squad and moving into the depth chart for the team. Even in the NFL the Oline guys tend to need some development.
And I agree that with the way the team is built and the cap money that will be spent to keep Burrows you can never let the Oline become a weakness. You absolutely MUST protect that asset. So taking one late is a good idea. An injured Burrows ruins the team due to how dependent the offense and the salary cap are on him performing.

 

[RB07OSU]

Definitely a nice draft you have laid out RB and I think also catering to how this class looks overall. Going after a quality starter level OT early then hit that secondary hard. With the nice depth this year at TE pick one up later along with a solid RB prospect. I really like the Forsyth pick because I love Oline guys who can play Center and Guard and then he has 3 years as the starter and plenty of field time since he came off his Redshirt year. Lots to work with and is a guy you could see making at least the practice squad and moving into the depth chart for the team. Even in the NFL the Oline guys tend to need some development.
And I agree that with the way the team is built and the cap money that will be spent to keep Burrows you can never let the Oline become a weakness. You absolutely MUST protect that asset. So taking one late is a good idea. An injured Burrows ruins the team due to how dependent the offense and the salary cap are on him performing.

I think after picking up Orlando Brown, there is not any need to trade up for anybody. This draft is not top-heavy imo, so you can get good players right where we are sitting for our positions of need. Hit the OL and DB prospects hard, get a TE for value, and the rest is best guy available imo. I will say McBride at RB would send me through the moon in the later rounds, I think that kid is going to be lights out.

 

[RB07OSU]

Draft day! Fingers crossed Darnell Wright falls to us somehow, but there are other OTs in the 2nd and 3rd rounds that I like if we need to go that route. Excited to see what Day 1 holds, not just for the Bengals but our Buckeyes. We're going to have at least three picks in Stroud, PJ and JSN. Might see four if Dawand sneaks in, heck it could be Cincy although I don't want the Buckeye to Cincy OL curse to become transmissible more than it already is. I think OT seems obvious if there isn't a run on that position but a good CB, S or Bijan at RB also make sense if available. TE to me is not wise in a deep draft class, we can get a very good one later on.

Glad we're finally good enough to be drafting this late, just makes it tough to predict who will be there. So just have fun watching I reckon.

 

[Honor&Glory]

Honestly I am hoping they have a shot at Gibbs. He fits everything this offense needs from the RB position and it’s time to move on from Sloe Mixon