Forgot to do my draft grades for the Bengals (not that anyone cares, I am mostly just entertaining myself lol). Here it is:
1st Round: QB Joe Burrow - A+ (obvious pick here for every reason)
2nd Round: WR Tee Higgins A+ (one of the best WRs in the draft that I didn't expect to be available, excellent player and heir apparent to Green...can play immediately)
3rd Round: LB Logan Wilson A- (I loved Wilson and thought he would go the middle of Round 2...great talent and uber productivity for us at the MLB position, which is greatly needed...should compete for a starting job right away...only possible concern is competition at Wyoming)
4th Round: LB Akeem Davis-Gaither A- (another big get at a position of need, really needed a LB that can cover the field and he fits the bill...that being said, would have liked Josh Jones at OT or Sadiqh Charles, or Harrison Bryant at TE)
5th Round: DE Khalid Kareem B+ (definitely needed a young body at DE and Kareem is a steady player that should produce and contribute down the road...but I do wonder if DE was the pick if we should have taken Alton Robinson or Curtis Weaver...also really like Hightower at WR who slipped into the 5th round)
6th Round: OT Hakeem Adeniji C- (position of need and the reports are that Adeniji is an athlete with upside, but I don't see him contributing here unless he develops a lot...won't be a popular thing to say here, but Donovan Peoples-Jones would have been a great pick here, as would have been Moss at TE)
7th Round: LB Markus Bailey A (Bailey is likely a Day 2 pick without injury concerns, many had him going somewhere in Rounds 3-5...obviously this rounds out taking 3 players at a position of major need, and you rarely get someone in the 7th Round that could be a starter down the road...excellent pick)
- Overall grade: A- (there is a lot to love on paper with this draft class...covered major positions of need, got a potential franchise QB from Ohio and a top WR target for him to throw to, and mostly got high value picks imo...the one thing I don't like is that we did not address TE, which was much needed...thought we would make a play for Moss in UDFA, but did not get him..do like picking up Wilcox in the UDFA market though, solid receiving TE).