A look back at draft success.Because obviously only the bengals miss on draft picks, right?

[-GoBengals-]

Lets look at the 2020 draft and see how that went for everyone.

 

Success: A top performer for the majority of the 5 years in the league.

OK Pick: still around but either injury or average play.

Missed pick: Gone from team.

 

1. Joe Burrow - Success - one of the best in the league.

2. Chase Young - Miss, abot to be on his third team, averages 8 games a year, had 1 good season his rookie season.

3. Jeff Okudah - Miss, consistent poor coverage corner, on multiple teams in 5 year window.

4. Andrew Thomas - Success, started slow but several good years of play.

5. Tua Tagovalailoa - OK pick, (miss for me personally) got extension, but injuries are off the rails, id say miss, thoughts?

6. Justin Herbert - Success, franchise caliber QB, B tier guy.

7. Derick Brown - Success, 2 great years, 2 average and 1 poor, overall a success.

8. Isaiah Simmons - Missed Pick, not on the team and poor grades.

9. CJ Henderson - Missed, third team in 5 years, poor grades.

10. Jedrick Willis - Missed pick, 5 year starter, but medicore grades, 50's and 60's grades overall. really close to a Miss honestly. not good for top 10 pick.

11. Mekhi Becton - Miss, gone from team, switched positions to hve a good season this pas year, but terrible pick for them.

12. Henry Ruggs - Miss, lol, jesus. killed someone, out of the league

13. Tristan Wirfs - Success, great pick.

14. Javon Kinlaw - Miss, poor grades and on a different team.

15. Jerry Jeudy - Success pick, productive WR #1 guy.

16. AJ Terrell - Success, good corner.

17. Ceedee Lamb - Success, good production, extended, clear #1 guy.

18. Austin Jackson - OK pick, 1 season graded outside og the 50's, but still on team and playing.

19. Damon Arnette - Miss, lol, jesus.

20. Klavon Chaisson -  OK Pick, 4 years of medicore at best grades and last year solid grade, stil on team.

21. Jalen Raegor - Missed pick, on 4 teams in 5 years, ouch.

22. Justin Jefferson - Success, hot damn what a pick.

23. Kenneth Murray - OK i guess, close to a miss, some really poor grades but some OK ones.. still there. so okay IMO

24. Cessar Ruiz - OK pick, mostly below average grades but a few good pass blocking, still on team and playing.

25. Brandon Aiyuk - Success, productive, stil lthere, some injuries. 

26. Jordan Love - Success, solid QB sat a bit, but anytime you have a solid starte qb its a win.

27. Jordyn Brooks - Success, slow first 4 years but great season this past year.

28. Patrick Queen - success, bastard.

29. Isaiah Wilson - Miss, no data for last year and on multiple teams.

30. Noah Igbinoghene - Miss, horrible grades but still there.

31. Jeff Gladney - Missed, not on a team.

32. Clyde Edwards Helaire - Miss, could argue OK, but basically out of the league and not palying, for a first round pick youd like them to be around and performing..

 

SUCCESSFUL PICKS: 13

OK PICKS: 5

BAD MISSED PICKS: 14

[alleycat]

Bengals are really good at drafting QBs. Unless you recognize that they are really good when they have the number one overall pick. No doubt Andy Dalton was a good pick, because he was a second, but when you take into account all of the other first round QB busts...?  

 

We ARE good at drafting WRs, but our stars here have almost always been at least 2nd rounders. Again, a top 5 pick is hard to miss (or at least should be). 

 

This would be a really useful exercise to take 10 years of drafts and tally up all of the teams scores. Sounds like a project for MW!

[sparky151]

The last 10 years of the draft have not been kind to the Bengals. Burrow was a no-brainer. I'd say Tobin got the Chase/Sewell decision right. But we still have Ross, Price, Murphy, etc in there.

[T-Dub]

Are you really going to compare a generational, consensus first overall in Burrow with the rest of his class and act like that means something?

 

Break down the first 3 rounds from then to now & it might be worth arguing over.  Or don't, because that sounds tedious, but really..  come the fuck on dude... 

 

This is no different than comparing Murphy to the rest of his class and acting like that's conclusive.

[sparky151]

I think we agree. My view is that Tobin doesn't deserve much credit for drafting Burrow. He came off the most impressive QB season in college football history. Most of the team's success since 2020 is due to Burrow. If we ignore the obvious pick of Burrow, the team hasn't drafted well. Higgins and Wilson were good picks. Taking Chase over Sewell or Parsons wasn't an obvious pick, it required judgment. So full credit there.

 

But Burrow and Chase are the only pro bowlers drafted by the team in the last 5 drafts. That's not very good. We've thrown lots of picks at the defense over the last 4 drafts without much success. Top 5 picks should become pro bowlers. So should some % of non-top 5 picks. Poor drafting is why the team was able to and did splurge in free agency during Burrow's rookie deal. The poor drafting has continued while the team has been less active in free agency the last couple of years. 

[T-Dub]

1 hour ago, sparky151 said:

I think we agree. My view is that Tobin doesn't deserve much credit for drafting Burrow. He came off the most impressive QB season in college football history. Most of the team's success since 2020 is due to Burrow. If we ignore the obvious pick of Burrow, the team hasn't drafted well. Higgins and Wilson were good picks. Taking Chase over Sewell or Parsons wasn't an obvious pick, it required judgment. So full credit there.

 

But Burrow and Chase are the only pro bowlers drafted by the team in the last 5 drafts. That's not very good. We've thrown lots of picks at the defense over the last 4 drafts without much success. Top 5 picks should become pro bowlers. So should some % of non-top 5 picks. Poor drafting is why the team was able to and did splurge in free agency during Burrow's rookie deal. The poor drafting has continued while the team has been less active in free agency the last couple of years. 

 

Right, I'm of the opinion Lou was fired for Tobin's mistakes. He's been here 20+ years now, closer to 30 if I recall? Time to move on.

 

 

[claptonrocks]

10 hours ago, sparky151 said:

I think we agree. My view is that Tobin doesn't deserve much credit for drafting Burrow. He came off the most impressive QB season in college football history. Most of the team's success since 2020 is due to Burrow. If we ignore the obvious pick of Burrow, the team hasn't drafted well. Higgins and Wilson were good picks. Taking Chase over Sewell or Parsons wasn't an obvious pick, it required judgment. So full credit there.

 

But Burrow and Chase are the only pro bowlers drafted by the team in the last 5 drafts. That's not very good. We've thrown lots of picks at the defense over the last 4 drafts without much success. Top 5 picks should become pro bowlers. So should some % of non-top 5 picks. Poor drafting is why the team was able to and did splurge in free agency during Burrow's rookie deal. The poor drafting has continued while the team has been less active in free agency the last couple of years. 

Lack of development isn't on Tobin.

 

[sparky151]

16 minutes ago, claptonrocks said:

Lack of development isn't on Tobin.

 

 

It partly is. He selects the players to turn over to the coaches to develop. The comments about Myles Murphy from other team's scouts were pretty brutal. There's a reason it's known as the "Clemson curse". 

 

[claptonrocks]

29 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

 

It partly is. He selects the players to turn over to the coaches to develop. The comments about Myles Murphy from other team's scouts were pretty brutal. There's a reason it's known as the "Clemson curse". 

 

Well yes.

To draft Myles Turner a a pass rush when he had a 12.5% win rate in college was a huge red flag he ignored 

Does Turners value lye in his ability to protect the edge with some rush abilities as the LDE replacing Hubbard?

Still remains to be seen is here he fits to be most productive.

I don't see it at RDE .

[claptonrocks]

On 3/7/2025 at 9:19 PM, GoBengals said:

Lets look at the 2020 draft and see how that went for everyone.

 

Success: A top performer for the majority of the 5 years in the league.

OK Pick: still around but either injury or average play.

Missed pick: Gone from team.

 

1. Joe Burrow - Success - one of the best in the league.

2. Chase Young - Miss, abot to be on his third team, averages 8 games a year, had 1 good season his rookie season.

3. Jeff Okudah - Miss, consistent poor coverage corner, on multiple teams in 5 year window.

4. Andrew Thomas - Success, started slow but several good years of play.

5. Tua Tagovalailoa - OK pick, (miss for me personally) got extension, but injuries are off the rails, id say miss, thoughts?

6. Justin Herbert - Success, franchise caliber QB, B tier guy.

7. Derick Brown - Success, 2 great years, 2 average and 1 poor, overall a success.

8. Isaiah Simmons - Missed Pick, not on the team and poor grades.

9. CJ Henderson - Missed, third team in 5 years, poor grades.

10. Jedrick Willis - Missed pick, 5 year starter, but medicore grades, 50's and 60's grades overall. really close to a Miss honestly. not good for top 10 pick.

11. Mekhi Becton - Miss, gone from team, switched positions to hve a good season this pas year, but terrible pick for them.

12. Henry Ruggs - Miss, lol, jesus. killed someone, out of the league

13. Tristan Wirfs - Success, great pick.

14. Javon Kinlaw - Miss, poor grades and on a different team.

15. Jerry Jeudy - Success pick, productive WR #1 guy.

16. AJ Terrell - Success, good corner.

17. Ceedee Lamb - Success, good production, extended, clear #1 guy.

18. Austin Jackson - OK pick, 1 season graded outside og the 50's, but still on team and playing.

19. Damon Arnette - Miss, lol, jesus.

20. Klavon Chaisson -  OK Pick, 4 years of medicore at best grades and last year solid grade, stil on team.

21. Jalen Raegor - Missed pick, on 4 teams in 5 years, ouch.

22. Justin Jefferson - Success, hot damn what a pick.

23. Kenneth Murray - OK i guess, close to a miss, some really poor grades but some OK ones.. still there. so okay IMO

24. Cessar Ruiz - OK pick, mostly below average grades but a few good pass blocking, still on team and playing.

25. Brandon Aiyuk - Success, productive, stil lthere, some injuries. 

26. Jordan Love - Success, solid QB sat a bit, but anytime you have a solid starte qb its a win.

27. Jordyn Brooks - Success, slow first 4 years but great season this past year.

28. Patrick Queen - success, bastard.

29. Isaiah Wilson - Miss, no data for last year and on multiple teams.

30. Noah Igbinoghene - Miss, horrible grades but still there.

31. Jeff Gladney - Missed, not on a team.

32. Clyde Edwards Helaire - Miss, could argue OK, but basically out of the league and not palying, for a first round pick youd like them to be around and performing..

 

SUCCESSFUL PICKS: 13

OK PICKS: 5

BAD MISSED PICKS: 14

I do wanted Isaiah Wilson.

6'7 350 lbs

He wasn't interested in football aside from cashing  his 1st Rd contract..

We dodged a bullet .

[PatternMaster]

21 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

I do wanted Isaiah Wilson.

6'7 350 lbs

He wasn't interested in football aside from cashing  his 1st Rd contract..

We dodged a bullet .

 

Instead of Burrow?

[PatternMaster]

What is the point of this thread?

[T-Dub]

7 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

What is the point of this thread?

 

Tobin is good at drafting because Joe Burrow.  Other teams? They did NOT draft Joe Burrow.  QED.

 

[claptonrocks]

13 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

 

Instead of Burrow?

Was it the same year?

Don't recall.

If course id draft JB over the disappointment.