2024 NFL Mock Draft

[gupps]

I can see them trading down if there is a run on tackles early. That might put Sweat in play (assuming they want him) if they are down far enough.

[Griever]

4 hours ago, GoBengals said:

that pff show/podcast is so fucking terrible.

 

its so so so so bad

 

i keep trying it out and its so worthless. just dudes looking at average data sheets and acting like they have in depth analysis and knowledge of everything.

 

they absolutely fucking suck and also act smug as fuck. i hate them so much.

 

I'm with you there man...it is becoming difficult to find any sort of NFL related show where the "analysts" or (more recently) "fanalysts" don't seem like smug bastards lol

[Jamie_B]

6 hours ago, gupps said:

I can see them trading down if there is a run on tackles early. That might put Sweat in play (assuming they want him) if they are down far enough.

 

If there is a run on tackles and Bowers is gone that means there is likely a very good CB sitting there, I doubt they pass on that.

[spicoli]

4 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

 

If there is a run on tackles and Bowers is gone that means there is likely a very good CB sitting there, I doubt they pass on that.

or WR..

[Jamie_B]

1 minute ago, spicoli said:

or WR..

 

Potentially sure. Thought I think they would take a DT before a WR

[spicoli]

🤔

[|BlackJesus|]

 

🤔 Ok hear me out ... 

 

Use the 10 picks and Tee to somehow get 4 picks where we can acquire Bowers, Byron Murphy, Cooper DeJean, and Patrick Paul (Picks 18, 20, 25, 49?). 

 

That would make the draft an A+, even with only 4 picks. 

 

Quality over Quantity. 

[spicoli]

2024 NFL mock draft: Yates' pick predictions for Rounds 1-2

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2024/insider/story/_/id/39854812/2024-nfl-mock-draft-field-yates-two-rounds-64-picks-predictions

 

 

[|BlackJesus|]

^ If the Bengals take (WR) Thomas then it's a true swing for the fences to win the SB this season.

 

As he would be the WR3 with Chase and Tee out there and DCs would be shitting themselves on coverages. Every team would have to play dime (6 DBs) non stop. 

[Cricket]

3 hours ago, gupps said:

I can see them trading down if there is a run on tackles early. That might put Sweat in play (assuming they want him) if they are down far enough.

 

I have seen mock drafts that have a few seemingly coveted players still available at 18, so trading back a few spots and picking up an additional 2nd or 3rd might make sense.  

Since we already have ten picks, I would hope that we would also be aggressive in packaging those later-round picks to move up and snag “players we want” instead of hoping they fall to us.  
 

[Obviously, any trade requires a willing partner, so it is not a simple matter.]

[sparky151]

1 hour ago, BlackJesus said:

 

🤔 Ok hear me out ... 

 

Use the 10 picks and Tee to somehow get 4 picks where we can acquire Bowers, Byron Murphy, Cooper DeJean, and Patrick Paul (Picks 18, 20, 25, 49?). 

 

That would make the draft an A+, even with only 4 picks. 

 

Quality over Quantity. 

 

Eh, if we trade Tee, we'd need a good WR in the draft to replace him. Murphy/Newton are similar types of players to Hill and Rankins. Neither is a true run stuffer.

 

1 hour ago, BlackJesus said:

^ If the Bengals take (WR) Thomas then it's a true swing for the fences to win the SB this season.

 

As he would be the WR3 with Chase and Tee out there and DCs would be shitting themselves on coverages. Every team would have to play dime (6 DBs) non stop. 

 

Yes, Bowers or a top WR would open up the offense a lot. Burrow would like it but he'd probably get blitzed a lot more and take more hits. 

 

 

[gupps]

18 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

 

Eh, if we trade Tee, we'd need a good WR in the draft to replace him. Murphy/Newton are similar types of players to Hill and Rankins. Neither is a true run stuffer.

 

 

Yes, Bowers or a top WR would open up the offense a lot. Burrow would like it but he'd probably get blitzed a lot more and take more hits. 

 

 

This.

Supposedly Bowers won't make it to 18 so the point is moot, but I wouldn't want to take him anyways. We already signed Gieseckie (sp) and like I posted elsewhere, I think we have bigger needs.

 

As for WR, as long as we keep Tee I don't think one should be in play at 18. Plus we have Yoshie and Chuck Fizzle, both of whom I think they like. I wouldn't mind taking a WR on day 3 however.

 

At CB, Dax seems to be without a home as we have Bell back and signed Stone. Can he be tried there? I wouldn't HATE a CB pick, I'd just be "Meh" about it @1 or 2.

 

We need a NT and that maybe puts the kibosh on Murphy/Newton (though I'd like it) and maybe puts Sweat in play if we traded down. 

 

I think protecting Burrow should be job 1a and replacing Reader should be 1b. Also, if we lean heavily towards the oline maybe we will actually be able to run the ball well and Burrow stays upright for a whole season.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[claptonrocks]

6 hours ago, High School Harry said:

https://bengalswire.usatoday.com/lists/2024-nfl-mock-draft-bengals-trade-shakeup-caleb-williams-jerzhan-newton/

 

I promised myself to quit looking at this thread but...

Here's a trade down mock.  Trading down a little for extra picks would not surprise me.

Trade with Tampa... We give picks 18 and 80... we get picks 26, 57 and a 2025 2nd rounder.

Pick Jer'Zhan Johnny Newton. DL Illinois

I'd like it.  Ain't gonna happen but I'd like it.

 

Another one is Buffalo taking an Edge

With Rome Odunze still on the board.

Bengals Wire took a swing at changing up some but doubt it goes down that way.

Fun reading though.

[I_C_Deadpeople]

As the 2024 NFL Draft class continues to take shape, it’s time again to take stock of which prospects are dominating the early-round conversation.

The Athletic’s consensus Big Board combines rankings from a wide range of draft experts to identify how the top prospects are viewed relative to the rest of their class. In theory, by the time we reach the draft weekend, these rankings should help give us a handle on how the picks could (or, at least, should) play out.

Let’s see how things have shifted since our March board.

2024 NFL Draft Consensus Board

	PLAYER	POS	SCHOOL	LAST	CHANGE
1	Caleb Williams	QB	USC	2	1
2	Marvin Harrison Jr.	WR	Ohio State	1	-1
3	Drake Maye	QB	North Carolina	3	0
4	Malik Nabers	WR	LSU	4	0
5	Rome Odunze	WR	Washington	5	0
6	Brock Bowers	TE	Georgia	6	0
7	Joe Alt	OT	Notre Dame	7	0
8	Dallas Turner	EDGE	Alabama	8	0
9	Jayden Daniels	QB	LSU	9	0
10	Jared Verse	EDGE	Florida State	10	0
11	Olu Fashanu	OT	Penn State	11	0
12	JC Latham	OT	Alabama	12	0
13	Terrion Arnold	CB	Alabama	13	0
14	Laiatu Latu	EDGE	UCLA	16	2
15	Quinyon Mitchell	CB	Toledo	15	0
16	Taliese Fuaga	G/T	Oregon State	14	-2
17	Troy Fautanu	OT	Washington	17	0
18	Byron Murphy II	DT	Texas	18	0
19	Amarius Mims	OT	Georgia	19	0
20	Brian Thomas Jr.	WR	LSU	20	0
21	J.J. McCarthy	QB	Michigan	21	0
22	Nate Wiggins	CB	Clemson	22	0
23	Jer'Zhan Newton	DT	Illinois	23	0
24	Cooper DeJean	CB	Iowa	25	1
25	Chop Robinson	EDGE	Penn State	26	1
26	Tyler Guyton	OT	Oklahoma	24	-2
27	Kool-Aid McKinstry	CB	Alabama	28	1
28	Graham Barton	C/G	Duke	27	-1
29	Adonai Mitchell	WR	Texas	29	0
30	Jackson Powers-Johnson	C	Oregon	30	0
31	Ladd McConkey	WR	Georgia	31	0
32	Bo Nix	QB	Oregon	33	1
33	Darius Robinson	EDGE	Missouri	32	-1
34	Jordan Morgan	OT	Arizona	34	0
35	Ennis Rakestraw Jr.	CB	Missouri	35	0
36	Troy Franklin	WR	Oregon	36	0
37	Kamari Lassiter	CB	Georgia	37	0
38	Keon Coleman	WR	Florida State	38	0
39	Edgerrin Cooper	LB	Texas A&M	39	0
40	Michael Penix Jr.	QB	Washington	45	5
41	Xavier Worthy	WR	Texas	40	-1
42	Payton Wilson	LB	NC State	41	-1
43	Braden Fiske	DT	Florida State	42	-1
44	Roman Wilson	WR	Michigan	46	2
45	Tyler Nubin	S	Minnesota	43	-2
46	Zach Frazier	C	West Virginia	44	-2
47	T'Vondre Sweat	DT	Texas	47	0
48	Junior Colson	LB	Michigan	50	2
49	Ricky Pearsall	WR	Florida	49	0
50	Ja'Tavion Sanders	TE	Texas	55	5
51	Chris Braswell	EDGE	Alabama	48	-3
52	Jonathon Brooks	RB	Texas	51	-1
53	Kingsley Suamataia	OT	BYU	53	0
54	Kris Jenkins Jr.	DT	Michigan	52	-2
55	Javon Bullard	S	Georgia	54	-1
56	Malachi Corley	WR	Western Kentucky	56	0
57	T.J. Tampa	CB	Iowa State	57	0
58	Xavier Legette	WR	South Carolina	58	0
59	Marshawn Kneeland	EDGE	Western Michigan	59	0
60	Bralen Trice	EDGE	Washington	61	1
61	Christian Haynes	G	UConn	62	1
62	Cooper Beebe	G	Kansas State	63	1
63	Ruke Orhorhoro	DT	Clemson	69	6
64	Adisa Isaac	EDGE	Penn State	60	-4
65	Mike Sainristil	CB	Michigan	67	2
66	Kiran Amegadjie	OT	Yale	65	-1
67	Patrick Paul	OT	Houston	66	-1
68	Jaden Hicks	S	Washington State	70	2
69	Ja'Lynn Polk	WR	Washington	71	2
70	Trey Benson	RB	Florida State	85	15
71	Max Melton	CB	Rutgers	74	3
72	Jermaine Burton	WR	Alabama	64	-8
73	Calen Bullock	S	USC	73	0
74	Devontez Walker	WR	North Carolina	68	-6
75	Blake Fisher	OT	Notre Dame	81	6
76	Mike Hall Jr.	DT	Ohio State	78	2
77	Jonah Elliss	EDGE	Utah	79	2
78	Jeremiah Trotter Jr.	LB	Clemson	72	-6
79	Blake Corum	RB	Michigan	75	-4
80	Jaylen Wright	RB	Tennessee	80	0
81	Jalen McMillan	WR	Washington	82	1
82	Brandon Dorlus	DT	Oregon	77	-5
83	Maason Smith	DT	LSU	87	4
84	Kamren Kinchens	S	Miami	76	-8
85	Austin Booker	EDGE	Kansas	83	-2
86	Cole Bishop	S	Utah	88	2
87	Dominick Puni	G/T	Kansas	86	-1
88	Javon Baker	WR	UCF	84	-4
89	Andru Phillips	CB	Kentucky	90	1
90	Cade Stover	TE	Ohio State	89	-1
91	Kris Abrams-Draine	CB	Missouri	91	0
92	Renardo Green	CB	Florida State	94	2
93	D.J. James	CB	Auburn	92	-1
94	Cedric Gray	LB	North Carolina	95	1
95	Sedrick Van Pran-Granger	C	Georgia	96	1
96	Dadrion Taylor-Demerson	S	Texas Tech	NR	NR
97	Braelon Allen	RB	Wisconsin	99	2
98	Cam Hart	CB	Notre Dame	98	0
99	Khyree Jackson	CB	Oregon	NR	NR
100	Spencer Rattler	QB	South Carolina	100	0

A few thoughts on the updated board from draft analyst Nick Baumgardner:

1. How high can Jackson Powers-Johnson climb?

Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson holds steady at No. 30 on the consensus board, which means most everyone agrees he’s at least first-round worthy. But, given that there are a few teams in Round 1 in need of a center, the big question with him  is: How early will he hear his name called?

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Since 2000, only nine centers have been drafted before pick 25, the last three being Cesar Ruiz (No. 24, New Orleans in 2020), Garrett Bradbury (No. 18, Minnesota in 2019) and Frank Ragnow (No. 18, Detroit in 2018). The Saints just extended Ruiz, Bradbury has 71 career starts and Ragnow is an All-Pro, so it’d be hard to argue against the value of those selections. Baltimore also picked Tyler Linderbaum at No. 25 in 2022, and he’s already a Pro Bowler. Center may not be a popular pick with fans, but it can absolutely be worth it if the player’s good enough.

The tricky thing with Powers-Johnson is his lack of experience. He started one year at center in college and won a Rimington Trophy, and he looked outstanding at the Senior Bowl, to a point where I’m not sure he lost a single one-on-one rep. But the samples aren’t large.

I do think he’ll go higher than No. 30, though. Keep an eye on Pittsburgh, which needs a center and holds pick 20. It only takes one team.

2. Trey Benson on the rise

The highest riser in this installment was Florida State running back Trey Benson (up 15 spots to No. 70), perhaps earning some residuals from his combine performance early last month. Benson, at 216 pounds, ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash (with a 1.52 10-yard split). He also posted a 33 1/2-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 10 feet, 2 inches.

There’s nothing super surprising about any of that, as Benson’s athleticism at his size has always stood out on tape. But it does bring up the question of how things will unfold for this running back class come draft weekend.

The best of the bunch, Texas’ Jonathon Brooks, is coming off an injury and doesn’t have a deep tape resume. And there are questions with every back in the class — Benson’s a great athlete, but teams might have concerns with his vision as a ball carrier; Bucky Irvin is incredibly elusive, but he’s very small. We could go down the list.

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Same time, Benson, Brooks, Irving, Blake Corum, Braelon Allen and Jaylen Wright all could enter a backfield and make an impact next year. Don’t be shocked if we see a RB run on Day 2.

3. Kamren Kinchens slides

Miami safety Kamren Kinchens turned in a disappointing 4.65 40 at the combine in March. He did improve on that time with a reported 4.57 during Miami’s pro day later in the month, but he dropped eight spots on the consensus board anyway.

Though his 40 time isn’t irrelevant, it’s also important to point out that Kinchens’ efficiency as a coverage defender on tape is more impressive than his testing. He showed really good ball skills and range as a deep rover for the Hurricanes and was never afraid to go after the big play (or hit). In November, Kinchens became the first Miami player to record 10 career interceptions since the late great Sean Taylor (Kinchens finished with 11). Elite company there.

No one expected Kinchens to burn up the track with his 40 time, and he’s got the ball skills and physical confidence to play either safety spot. This is one where you trust the tape (and your defensive backs coach). If Kinchens can eliminate some of the riskier stuff from his game, he has what he needs to be a really good player in the NFL.

4. Too high, too low …

Two guys I think are ranked too high on this board: Dallas Turner (No. 😎 and Michael Penix Jr. (No. 40). I like Turner as the top edge in this class, but not as the top defender overall (his Alabama teammate, cornerback Terrion Arnold, gets my vote there). As for Penix, I just can’t get there on him as a top-50 prospect this year, even with the impressive 4.46 40 he reportedly put up.

Two guys I think are ranked too low: Powers-Johnson (see above) and Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman (see last month’s consensus board write-up).

[claptonrocks]

7 hours ago, spicoli said:

2024 NFL mock draft: Yates' pick predictions for Rounds 1-2

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2024/insider/story/_/id/39854812/2024-nfl-mock-draft-field-yates-two-rounds-64-picks-predictions

 

 

 I hope you hey don't have to draft Rosengarten.

I feel he's a huge getting reach in Rd2 and 3 as well..

 

 

 

.

[claptonrocks]

3 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

 

🤔 Ok hear me out ... 

 

Use the 10 picks and Tee to somehow get 4 picks where we can acquire Bowers, Byron Murphy, Cooper DeJean, and Patrick Paul (Picks 18, 20, 25, 49?). 

 

That would make the draft an A+, even with only 4 picks. 

 

Quality over Quantity. 

You'd be a bold GM..

I like it..

[claptonrocks]

1 hour ago, sparky151 said:

 

Eh, if we trade Tee, we'd need a good WR in the draft to replace him. Murphy/Newton are similar types of players to Hill and Rankins. Neither is a true run stuffer.

 

 

Yes, Bowers or a top WR would open up the offense a lot. Burrow would like it but he'd probably get blitzed a lot more and take more hits. 

 

 

He's going to get blitzed and hit in the shotgun anyway.

 

[claptonrocks]

20 minutes ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

As the 2024 NFL Draft class continues to take shape, it’s time again to take stock of which prospects are dominating the early-round conversation.

The Athletic’s consensus Big Board combines rankings from a wide range of draft experts to identify how the top prospects are viewed relative to the rest of their class. In theory, by the time we reach the draft weekend, these rankings should help give us a handle on how the picks could (or, at least, should) play out.

Let’s see how things have shifted since our March board.

2024 NFL Draft Consensus Board

	PLAYER	POS	SCHOOL	LAST	CHANGE
1	Caleb Williams	QB	USC	2	1
2	Marvin Harrison Jr.	WR	Ohio State	1	-1
3	Drake Maye	QB	North Carolina	3	0
4	Malik Nabers	WR	LSU	4	0
5	Rome Odunze	WR	Washington	5	0
6	Brock Bowers	TE	Georgia	6	0
7	Joe Alt	OT	Notre Dame	7	0
8	Dallas Turner	EDGE	Alabama	8	0
9	Jayden Daniels	QB	LSU	9	0
10	Jared Verse	EDGE	Florida State	10	0
11	Olu Fashanu	OT	Penn State	11	0
12	JC Latham	OT	Alabama	12	0
13	Terrion Arnold	CB	Alabama	13	0
14	Laiatu Latu	EDGE	UCLA	16	2
15	Quinyon Mitchell	CB	Toledo	15	0
16	Taliese Fuaga	G/T	Oregon State	14	-2
17	Troy Fautanu	OT	Washington	17	0
18	Byron Murphy II	DT	Texas	18	0
19	Amarius Mims	OT	Georgia	19	0
20	Brian Thomas Jr.	WR	LSU	20	0
21	J.J. McCarthy	QB	Michigan	21	0
22	Nate Wiggins	CB	Clemson	22	0
23	Jer'Zhan Newton	DT	Illinois	23	0
24	Cooper DeJean	CB	Iowa	25	1
25	Chop Robinson	EDGE	Penn State	26	1
26	Tyler Guyton	OT	Oklahoma	24	-2
27	Kool-Aid McKinstry	CB	Alabama	28	1
28	Graham Barton	C/G	Duke	27	-1
29	Adonai Mitchell	WR	Texas	29	0
30	Jackson Powers-Johnson	C	Oregon	30	0
31	Ladd McConkey	WR	Georgia	31	0
32	Bo Nix	QB	Oregon	33	1
33	Darius Robinson	EDGE	Missouri	32	-1
34	Jordan Morgan	OT	Arizona	34	0
35	Ennis Rakestraw Jr.	CB	Missouri	35	0
36	Troy Franklin	WR	Oregon	36	0
37	Kamari Lassiter	CB	Georgia	37	0
38	Keon Coleman	WR	Florida State	38	0
39	Edgerrin Cooper	LB	Texas A&M	39	0
40	Michael Penix Jr.	QB	Washington	45	5
41	Xavier Worthy	WR	Texas	40	-1
42	Payton Wilson	LB	NC State	41	-1
43	Braden Fiske	DT	Florida State	42	-1
44	Roman Wilson	WR	Michigan	46	2
45	Tyler Nubin	S	Minnesota	43	-2
46	Zach Frazier	C	West Virginia	44	-2
47	T'Vondre Sweat	DT	Texas	47	0
48	Junior Colson	LB	Michigan	50	2
49	Ricky Pearsall	WR	Florida	49	0
50	Ja'Tavion Sanders	TE	Texas	55	5
51	Chris Braswell	EDGE	Alabama	48	-3
52	Jonathon Brooks	RB	Texas	51	-1
53	Kingsley Suamataia	OT	BYU	53	0
54	Kris Jenkins Jr.	DT	Michigan	52	-2
55	Javon Bullard	S	Georgia	54	-1
56	Malachi Corley	WR	Western Kentucky	56	0
57	T.J. Tampa	CB	Iowa State	57	0
58	Xavier Legette	WR	South Carolina	58	0
59	Marshawn Kneeland	EDGE	Western Michigan	59	0
60	Bralen Trice	EDGE	Washington	61	1
61	Christian Haynes	G	UConn	62	1
62	Cooper Beebe	G	Kansas State	63	1
63	Ruke Orhorhoro	DT	Clemson	69	6
64	Adisa Isaac	EDGE	Penn State	60	-4
65	Mike Sainristil	CB	Michigan	67	2
66	Kiran Amegadjie	OT	Yale	65	-1
67	Patrick Paul	OT	Houston	66	-1
68	Jaden Hicks	S	Washington State	70	2
69	Ja'Lynn Polk	WR	Washington	71	2
70	Trey Benson	RB	Florida State	85	15
71	Max Melton	CB	Rutgers	74	3
72	Jermaine Burton	WR	Alabama	64	-8
73	Calen Bullock	S	USC	73	0
74	Devontez Walker	WR	North Carolina	68	-6
75	Blake Fisher	OT	Notre Dame	81	6
76	Mike Hall Jr.	DT	Ohio State	78	2
77	Jonah Elliss	EDGE	Utah	79	2
78	Jeremiah Trotter Jr.	LB	Clemson	72	-6
79	Blake Corum	RB	Michigan	75	-4
80	Jaylen Wright	RB	Tennessee	80	0
81	Jalen McMillan	WR	Washington	82	1
82	Brandon Dorlus	DT	Oregon	77	-5
83	Maason Smith	DT	LSU	87	4
84	Kamren Kinchens	S	Miami	76	-8
85	Austin Booker	EDGE	Kansas	83	-2
86	Cole Bishop	S	Utah	88	2
87	Dominick Puni	G/T	Kansas	86	-1
88	Javon Baker	WR	UCF	84	-4
89	Andru Phillips	CB	Kentucky	90	1
90	Cade Stover	TE	Ohio State	89	-1
91	Kris Abrams-Draine	CB	Missouri	91	0
92	Renardo Green	CB	Florida State	94	2
93	D.J. James	CB	Auburn	92	-1
94	Cedric Gray	LB	North Carolina	95	1
95	Sedrick Van Pran-Granger	C	Georgia	96	1
96	Dadrion Taylor-Demerson	S	Texas Tech	NR	NR
97	Braelon Allen	RB	Wisconsin	99	2
98	Cam Hart	CB	Notre Dame	98	0
99	Khyree Jackson	CB	Oregon	NR	NR
100	Spencer Rattler	QB	South Carolina	100	0

A few thoughts on the updated board from draft analyst Nick Baumgardner:

1. How high can Jackson Powers-Johnson climb?

Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson holds steady at No. 30 on the consensus board, which means most everyone agrees he’s at least first-round worthy. But, given that there are a few teams in Round 1 in need of a center, the big question with him  is: How early will he hear his name called?

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Since 2000, only nine centers have been drafted before pick 25, the last three being Cesar Ruiz (No. 24, New Orleans in 2020), Garrett Bradbury (No. 18, Minnesota in 2019) and Frank Ragnow (No. 18, Detroit in 2018). The Saints just extended Ruiz, Bradbury has 71 career starts and Ragnow is an All-Pro, so it’d be hard to argue against the value of those selections. Baltimore also picked Tyler Linderbaum at No. 25 in 2022, and he’s already a Pro Bowler. Center may not be a popular pick with fans, but it can absolutely be worth it if the player’s good enough.

The tricky thing with Powers-Johnson is his lack of experience. He started one year at center in college and won a Rimington Trophy, and he looked outstanding at the Senior Bowl, to a point where I’m not sure he lost a single one-on-one rep. But the samples aren’t large.

I do think he’ll go higher than No. 30, though. Keep an eye on Pittsburgh, which needs a center and holds pick 20. It only takes one team.

2. Trey Benson on the rise

The highest riser in this installment was Florida State running back Trey Benson (up 15 spots to No. 70), perhaps earning some residuals from his combine performance early last month. Benson, at 216 pounds, ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash (with a 1.52 10-yard split). He also posted a 33 1/2-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 10 feet, 2 inches.

There’s nothing super surprising about any of that, as Benson’s athleticism at his size has always stood out on tape. But it does bring up the question of how things will unfold for this running back class come draft weekend.

The best of the bunch, Texas’ Jonathon Brooks, is coming off an injury and doesn’t have a deep tape resume. And there are questions with every back in the class — Benson’s a great athlete, but teams might have concerns with his vision as a ball carrier; Bucky Irvin is incredibly elusive, but he’s very small. We could go down the list.

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Same time, Benson, Brooks, Irving, Blake Corum, Braelon Allen and Jaylen Wright all could enter a backfield and make an impact next year. Don’t be shocked if we see a RB run on Day 2.

3. Kamren Kinchens slides

Miami safety Kamren Kinchens turned in a disappointing 4.65 40 at the combine in March. He did improve on that time with a reported 4.57 during Miami’s pro day later in the month, but he dropped eight spots on the consensus board anyway.

Though his 40 time isn’t irrelevant, it’s also important to point out that Kinchens’ efficiency as a coverage defender on tape is more impressive than his testing. He showed really good ball skills and range as a deep rover for the Hurricanes and was never afraid to go after the big play (or hit). In November, Kinchens became the first Miami player to record 10 career interceptions since the late great Sean Taylor (Kinchens finished with 11). Elite company there.

No one expected Kinchens to burn up the track with his 40 time, and he’s got the ball skills and physical confidence to play either safety spot. This is one where you trust the tape (and your defensive backs coach). If Kinchens can eliminate some of the riskier stuff from his game, he has what he needs to be a really good player in the NFL.

4. Too high, too low …

Two guys I think are ranked too high on this board: Dallas Turner (No. 😎 and Michael Penix Jr. (No. 40). I like Turner as the top edge in this class, but not as the top defender overall (his Alabama teammate, cornerback Terrion Arnold, gets my vote there). As for Penix, I just can’t get there on him as a top-50 prospect this year, even with the impressive 4.46 40 he reportedly put up.

Two guys I think are ranked too low: Powers-Johnson (see above) and Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman (see last month’s consensus board write-up).

So looking at their board I see Mims at 18 and Sweat at 49..

Draft a CB or WR or another lineman

in rd3.....

 

Id be more than happy..

[|BlackJesus|]

21 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

Sweat at 49

 

Since Sweat is the only premium NT in the class and every team knows the Bengals need one, there's no way you can wait until he falls in your lap at 49. Some rival of the Bengals would trade up to 47 or 48 and nab him, if he doesn't go in the 30's or 40's naturally. 

 

I think the Bengals need to move up from 49 for Sweat, likely to around # 37-43. With 10 draft picks they have the ammo to do so, plus the last time they traded up in Rd 2 it worked great (to steal CTB from the 49ers). 

[|BlackJesus|]

I also would not freak out if the Bengals took Sweat at 18, if their evaluation tells them he's the next Vince Wilfork. Plus they really really need a NT. 

 

I would of course prefer a trade down for extras picks if that's the case, but if they love a guy, I would always rather have him early, than not at all. 

[claptonrocks]

On 4/3/2024 at 1:38 PM, BlackJesus said:

 

Since Sweat is the only premium NT in the class and every team knows the Bengals need one, there's no way you can wait until he falls in your lap at 49. Some rival of the Bengals would trade up to 47 or 48 and nab him, if he doesn't go in the 30's or 40's naturally. 

 

I think the Bengals need to move up from 49 for Sweat, likely to around # 37-43. With 10 draft picks they have the ammo to do so, plus the last time they traded up in Rd 2 it worked great (to steal CTB from the 49ers). 

Good call.

I'm all  in on trading up for him as u said.

 

 

 

 

[I_C_Deadpeople]

1 hour ago, claptonrocks said:

Good call.

I'm all  in on trading up for him where you 

said..

 

I think his weight dropped from 360 to 345 which shows some commitment.

 

 

 

I am not sure he is fully committed to football via weight management. He may be another Andre Smith type. SOme teams may fiund him a bit too riky in round 2 whcih is why some sites have him more of a 3rd round guy. 1st round talent but you had better be very sure of his committment.

[Le Tigre]

Losing 15 lbs for a man that big, is fairly easy. Whatever his “commitment” would be, his film shows a player with a motor. But there will always be some media hack who will toss out the “lazy” card. Goes with being a very large person. 

[|BlackJesus|]

^ I don't want Sweat to lose any lbs. The whole point of him is he's big and fat. I want my dancing bears with all the weight they can carry on them. 🐻 He should go back to 360. 

[spicoli]