sparky151

Most of them should be team captains. Those are usually the top players on their college teams, ie the pro prospects. There will be some early entry guys who weren't captains plus specialists. But of our 10 picks, I wouldn't be surprised if 7 or more were one of their college team's captains.

Here's Dehner's big board for round 1. His top 15 assuming 3 or more QBs are taking before we pick. https://theathletic.com/5399556/2024/04/09/bengals-big-board-2024-nfl-draft/ I only rank them 1-15 since the lack of quarterbacks on their board ensures one of these 15 players will be available when they go on the clock. 1. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU You know who would be the perfect complement to Ja’Marr Chase? Another Ja’Marr Chase. If playing the comp game with Nabers, it’s hard not to see the former No. 1 at LSU. 2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State It’s kind of funny the comparisons at the top of the draft involve two of the best Bengals receivers of all time. There’s a whole lot of A.J. Green in Harrison’s game. 3. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington The inside-outside versatility and pure polish would be a dream complement for the next five years alongside Chase. Sadly, that’s just what these top three receivers are for the Bengals: a dream. 4. Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State It’s not just that the 6-foot-6, 324-pound powerful right tackle excels in pass protection or brings an elite athletic profile. He also plays with the finish and nastiness that offensive line coach Frank Pollack has prioritized with so many free agents and draft picks selected in recent years. His size offers positional flexibility, where he could easily kick inside to guard if needed. It might even end up being his best position. That said, he would slot as a powerful pass-protecting right tackle of the future (and maybe the present). For the Bengals, specifically, he could easily be classified as the best of the bunch. ADVERTISEMENT 5. Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington There’s a thought Fautanu could play any of the five positions up front. He held down left tackle for Washington on its run to the national championship game and looked every bit the real deal along the way. His elite NFL Scouting Combine performance verified what his tape shows. He’s not as big as the prototypical Bengals size, but he still has a 34 1/2-inch arm with top-tier production and athleticism. He would be a major value add with his versatility, but he’s more than capable of winning the right tackle job against Trent Brown in camp. He’s a Bengals personality fit as a captain loved by the Washington staff — stuff the Bengals will prioritize. Another ideal scenario if he slides down the board. GO DEEPER Bengals mailbag: An overlooked draft priority, Brock Bowers, biggest free-agent mistake 6. Byron Murphy, DT, Texas The most difficult part of this exercise is determining where to slip Murphy in among the offensive linemen. Murphy has the potential to be a true game-wrecking three-technique. It’s almost impossible to find those guys anywhere other than the first round of the draft. His pass-rush win rates were among the best in college football in the last 10 years, according to PFF, a stat with a direct correlation to success in the NFL. Those who’ve led the Power Five conferences in that stat have gone on to become the highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL. The Bengals have B.J. Hill entering the last year of his contract and Sheldon Rankins inked for two years, but this position has become one of the most valuable on the field. It’s hard to imagine passing on Murphy, assuming the Bengals were on board with his personality fit. 7. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame A weird prospect to slot on the Bengals’ board. Most view him as the best tackle in the draft. He’s excelled as a technician at left tackle for the Irish. It’s hard to argue with his tape. The only issue with the Bengals-specific board is how much playing left tackle means to Orlando Brown Jr. Could Alt flip to right? Could Brown? Sure. But there’s stuff to work through that pushes him a few spots down the board. It’s doubtful the Bengals will have to worry about that decision because Alt’s unlikely to make it out of the top 10. GO DEEPER Trade Tee Higgins? Move up or down? High stakes for Bengals to ace draft positioning 8. Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia The fit is comical. How many 6-8, 340-plus mammoth offensive tackles can one team employ? Well, the answer could be three because Mims would blend in perfectly with Trent and Orlando Brown. Despite the team’s obvious lean toward his size, Mims might have the highest ceiling of the entire tackle group. The lack of experience is the only concern. Will only having eight starts scare the Bengals away? Director of player personnel Duke Tobin didn’t sound like it while discussing inexperience at the combine. There are mitigating circumstances. But when Mims did play, his tape was more than solid. The possibilities are endless. Plus, Trent Brown’s presence would give time for Mims to learn the pro game in the background, not having to start immediately. He makes sense in Cincinnati more than almost any other spot in the league. Georgia’s Amarius Mims fits the profile of the type of offensive tackles the Bengals look for. (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today) 9. JC Latham, OT, Alabama At 6-6, 342 pounds and arguably the most powerful player in the entire draft, he fits exactly what the Bengals seek. He’s got the experience starting at right tackle and playing well for the Crimson Tide. He’s got issues to work through with awareness and lateral quickness, but his power and mass are tantalizing. The Bengals value a powerful anchor in pass protection capable of holding a firm pocket, and that’s his greatest strength. He also could kick in to guard, but his impact would be a bulldozing right tackle if the Bengals went for him. ADVERTISEMENT 10. Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State Same conversation as Alt. A fantastic prospect, unlikely to make it down the board to the Bengals at 18. The fit issue would be about Fashanu moving out of the left tackle spot where he spent his time with the Nittany Lions. He’s got issues to work through, many of which were exposed in a game against Ohio State in which he endured rough moments. First-round talent, but not the best Bengals fit of the group. 11. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia There’s so much to like about Bowers, who would bring so many explosive options to enhance the Bengals’ scheme. His run after catch, production in the slot and hands would be a fun fit with Burrow. I just don’t see the Bengals valuing a tight end over any of the top tackle prospects or Murphy. They’ve had success finding production with bargain free agents and just signed Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample and Tanner Hudson. The history of top tight ends doesn’t help matters. It’s not that Bowers won’t be on the board, I just don’t see them prioritizing the position to the point he ends up the pick. GO DEEPER Bengals mock draft 1.0: Free agency crystallizes 7-round path, focus remains on OT/DT 12. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo Never rule out corner. And definitely don’t rule it out if the top corner in this draft is available at 18. Mitchell would arrive and enter a competition with DJ Turner, instantly beefing up the Bengals’ depth at a premium position while providing insurance in case Turner doesn’t develop at the level the Bengals expect. 13. Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois Newton brings many of the same attributes and potential as Murphy, slots more directly as a pure pass-rushing three-technique and doesn’t possess quite as much power and effectiveness against the run. That’s no knock on Newton’s game, though, he can bring it as a pass rusher, he just doesn’t live on the same level as Murphy for what the Bengals need. 14. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama Another sneaky pick lurking in the distance. Not likely, but collecting top corners in the first round is a winning strategy, and Arnold would be considered exactly that. 15. Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia Dropping this name at the end of this list merely for emphasis. McConkey would be the clear WR4 from a Bengals perspective. His route running, suddenness in creating separation, reliability and speed make it easy to project chemistry with Burrow. Plus, he’s an ideal inside-outside option to place between Chase and Tee Higgins this year and possibly beyond. His versatility to be far more than just a slot receiver would allow coach Zac Taylor and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher to move Chase around more often and keep the defense guessing.

I could easily see the Bengals decide if Sweat drops to 80, they'll take him there and if he's gone, they're no worse off than if he'd been off the board at 49 pre-DUI. They will have backup plans to draft a NT.

For what it's worth (not much) PFF's latest mock has 6 QBs going in the top 13. It has Bengals taking Wiggins in round 1 and McConkey in round 2.

What BAC did Sweat blow? Big difference between the .08 minimum for DUI and a .15 or higher. It's weird that he blew it on Sunday afternoon, was he really wasted from Saturday night and thought he was good to drive?

I thought that required a minimum weight of 320 lbs?

IMO we're ok at WR3. Even if Boyd goes elsewhere, we have Iosivas, Irwin, Jones, and Gesicki taking snaps from the slot. Dehner is convinced the Bengals will draft a WR in the top 97 picks. I wouldn't be surprised by it but also not too surprised if they don't. WR2 is a different story. We have Tee for 1 more year (and realistically could tag him for 2025 if need be). But that's not a long term solution. I'd say his market value is an early 2nd round pick from a team with cap space like the Patriots, Cardinals, Commanders, Panthers, or Titans. Problem is that's unlikely to get us a Brian Thomas or AD Mitchell, who are the most comparable to Tee. We'd be in the range for a Ladd McConkey or Xavier Worthy unless KC grabs them in the first.

I doubt this drops Sweat very much. He's more likely to still be on the board at 49 but I'd be surprised if he lasts until pick 80. Remember that Paul Brown once drafted a guy who was in prison because he had a parole date before camp opened.

Well, sure, working out a contract and passing a physical will be requirements to get a deal done. But apart from the cap consequences, Minnesota would probably want Tee plus 18 for Jefferson. I wouldn't make that trade.

I guess the Texas NIL money isn't enough to cover an Uber... He's still the best NT in the draft. Perhaps this arrest will take him off the boards of some teams who might have picked him before 49. But the Bengals are living dangerously if our draft depends on getting Sweat at 49. Options after him would be Jenkins, Taylor, Jackson, Boyd, Rogers, and Anderson. Only Jenkins of those is a day 2 player.

Jefferson will certainly get more than Hill is making. Chase probably will too. Financially it would make sense to trade Tee for fair value, give Uno his 32 mil per year deal, and use an early pick at WR. But that means another need is unaddressed and we're breaking in a rookie WR2.

Yes, because our 24 mil in cap space will score lots of touchdowns and make lots of tackles for us this year. If we're going to tag Tee and act like we're all-in, then that requires at least attempting to fill the holes. I would have given Eluemunor and Robinson the same contracts they got from the Giants and Panthers. They both signed 2 year deals for 7.5 and 8 mil per year, respectively. I bet they may like experiencing playoff games. It's not as if the Bengals couldn't easily afford both of them.

Sounds like a young man in need of some redeeming.

My guesses as to who is off the board before 18. 4 QBs for sure, maybe 25% chance of 1 more and 10% chance of 6 being taken. 0 RBs, Safeties, LBs. 70% chance Bowers is gone Mitchell and Arnold will be gone, maybe another CB Verse and Turner will be gone, maybe Latu Big 3 WR, 30% Thomas also 20% 1 DT is taken ahead of us Alt, Fuaga gone. Probably Fashanu, Latham, maybe Lautanu

Jefferson doesn't owe the Bengals anything. He may well be happy to play with his college teammates again and the Bengals have a better chance of post-season play than the Vikings. But that doesn't mean he'll give them a discount. Ja'Marr might take a bit less than Jefferson but also might not want to be WR2.

Bengals have needs at 2 positions with good depth in this draft class, WR and OT. Probably could also use a C and this is a good year for them. We also need a NT, TE, and CB early but this isn't a good year for those positions. It partly depends on which current vets the team plans to move on from. Karras, Hill, and Hilton are going into their last year contractually. Maybe Boyd's lack of market brings him back on a 1 year deal. Etc. I'll assume they re-sign Scharping, Tupou, Bailey, and Bachie before the draft though they don't influence the early picks. I'm fine with them taking any of several players or positions at 18 as long as they get a high end player who adds a lot of value. Preferably from a position where the talent drops off faster than others. I'm ok with trading Tee if we add a high end player or at least an early 2nd round draft pick. I like the Trent Brown signing but am not confident he'll be healthy all year. I like adding Rankins but neither he nor Hill nor Murphy or Newton are nose tackles. Turner was ok as a rookie but I'm not comfortable handing him a starting job at CB. Our run defense was poor last year, even with Reader. Adding Bell and Stone should get everyone lined up properly and Bell is a much better tackler than Nick Scott. On the O-line we don't have any depth. The 5 starters look decent but we had very good health on the line last year but can't expect that to continue again. Trent Brown isn't very likely to play every game. Ford is a barely adequate guard/tackle backup. Scharping is ok at C/G, but not under contract currently. Carman, Smith, and Hill are going into the final year of their rookie deals with not much shown for 3 years of development. Some of them shouldn't even make the roster this year. I'll post later what my big board would be at 18.

Reader also said the Lions gave him a 1 way ticket for his trip to Detroit. They weren't letting him leave without a deal. Dehner's mailbag has this question and answer from him. In your opinion, what’s been the Bengals’ most questionable or dumbest move so far this offseason? Or maybe it was a move they should have made? — Ed H. I wrote this before, so I won’t go too long here. They should have paid for one of the run-stopping defensive tackles available in the early portion of free agency. A number of the best run stoppers were available for much less than $8 million AAV, and they could have stretched for it. If the plan was to let DJ Reader walk, which I didn’t necessarily have a problem with, then signing a player like Malcolm Roach, Grover Stewart or DaQuan Jones would have made sense in the big picture. They didn’t do that. Now they are forced to rely on a weak draft class. I viewed it as risky business that could have been avoided.

None of our free agency signings are long term. So we need long term successors for Jonah, DJ, Chido, and Boyd/Tee. I think you have the positions right.

For Mims, it was 402 true pass blocking snaps, which I think excludes play action. 0 sacks allowed for his college career is impressive, similar to Dawand Jones, though Mims is a bit smaller. He had a total of 803 snaps in his college career and only had 1 penalty called on him.

One strategy would be to take the pass rushing DT early. Murphy/Newton at 18 and pair them with a day 3 pick of Kristian Boyd or Evan Anderson or McKinnley Jackson as the big body. That means instead of being married to picking Sweat/Jenkins at 49 we could go OT or WR or CB or IOL.

After the Bills fired OC Ken Dorsey last year and promoted Joe Brady, the offense suddenly became a lot more productive. That also coincided with a big drop in targets for Diggs. They've traded him and Davis left in free agency. But they signed Curtis Samuel who is a high end WR3 or middle of the pack WR2. Kincaid and Knox are a good pair of TEs. So they need a WR1 and will most likely draft one in the first round. Brian Thomas probably won't fall to their slot and if they stay put, other teams looking for a WR will jump ahead of them. But they can likely get AD Mitchell or Keon Coleman and be ok. Next year they are entirely free of Diggs' contract and will dump Von Miller's as well.

Or Evan Anderson late. He supposedly weighs 356. McKinnley Jackson in round 4 or 5 would be ok too.

Eh, adding Danielle Hunter opposite Will Anderson is a much bigger move than bringing in Diggs and Mixon. They traded the Browns first rounder to the Vikings for a pair of 2nds. Let's see how their draft goes.

Plus the Bills could have traded Diggs after June 1 and split the 31 mil in dead money over 2 seasons. Since their comp isn't until next year's draft anyway, it shows how much they wanted to dump Diggs. He'll be motivated when the Bills go to Houston later in the season.

Diggs is well past his prime. If Buffalo isn't even getting paid for him until 2025, they were eager to move him. With all the dead money, they probably can't afford to sign Tee and will take a WR early.