What are the expectations for a 2nd round pick exactly?

Eventually superstar?

Long, productive career?

Just be good enough to sign a second contract?

What’s the realistic expectation?

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

I'd like one (1) real one on the roster that can both block and run routes at a high enough level to not get sidelined depending on what's required. Guess I should add not at heightened risk of paralysis every time they get tackled.

Carrying 6 on the roster seems excessive unless they're about to unveil Zac's super secret TE-only formation.

All has been a full participant in the offseason program thus far. The back injury happened 4 years ago and hasn’t been an issue since he was drafted. I think he will have a role if he’s healthy.

5 hours ago, Inigo Montoya said:

All has been a full participant in the offseason program thus far. The back injury happened 4 years ago and hasn’t been an issue since he was drafted. I think he will have a role if he’s healthy.

I truly hope he makes us forget that stuff ever happened because he looked liked like a beast out there for a moment. If he can't play through this season I think they need to be prepared to move on. Otherwise he's that every-down TE for all their specialists to work around, Pro Bowl type ceiling without a doubt.

8 hours ago, T-Dub said:

I truly hope he makes us forget that stuff ever happened because he looked liked like a beast out there for a moment. If he can't play through this season I think they need to be prepared to move on. Otherwise he's that every-down TE for all their specialists to work around, Pro Bowl type ceiling without a doubt.

Yeah, because it was only for a moment, I think some fans have forgotten what an impact that Erick All had on the offense in a very short time in 2024, even after missing much of training camp recovering from the ACL injury in college. I dug up an October '24 article from the Athletic to refresh our memories. Here are the first couple of paragraphs:

For years, decades even, the Cincinnati Bengals have searched and swung for an elite, versatile tight end. From first-round picks Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert to solid developmental picks C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Kroft. Then the free-agent carousel of Hayden Hurst, Irv Smith and Mike Gesicki.

Each enjoyed their moments, but none quenched the thirst for a true impactful tight end capable of providing the ultimate versatility and doing everything at a high level.

Coach Zac Taylor and his staff believe they finally made it happen with fourth-round pick Erick All.

Not only are they saying as much as he’s ascended from an intriguing fourth-round pick to TE1 in four weeks, they are altering their offense because of it.

Man I hope All is truly over this injury thing and will be healthy going forward, because he completely opened the offense for everyone else.

Is it true that All's first surgery was essentially botched, which resulted in the re-injury? Felt like I read that somewhere on here.

Either way, if this second surgery was successful he could play a huge role

8 minutes ago, Griever said:

Is it true that All's first surgery was essentially botched, which resulted in the re-injury? Felt like I read that somewhere on here.

Either way, if this second surgery was successful he could play a huge role

What I read is that it was “complications from a college knee surgery.” Which sounds to me like a nice way of saying that the surgery was botched. Otherwise, why refer to the surgery at all rather than just All’s previous torn ACL from his Iowa college days.

If the knee is now structurally sound, then I don’t see why All won’t become TE1 again. He was already a better blocker than Sample, who has been getting more snaps than the other TEs strictly because of his blocking. Sample provides nothing as a receiver while Gesicki/Hudson provide nothing as blockers.

Like the 2024 article excerpt above says, the Bengals had been “searching for an elite, versatile tight end” for many years” until All came along.

The Athletic had a piece on execs talking about every team in the AFC:

Execs applauded the Bengals’ decision to trade the 10th pick to the Giants for nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. They saw it as the surest way available for the Bengals to upgrade their defense and demonstrate to quarterback Joe Burrow that the team was serious, two huge priorities this offseason.

“This is like the NBA when you are trying to acquire guys to keep your star who is going to leave happy,” one exec said. “Is it expensive? Sure, but there is no price on keeping Burrow happy. Drafting Rueben Bain does not make Burrow happy.”

The Bengals also traded down with the Jets, who selected quarterback Cade Klubnik with Cincinnati’s pick in the fourth round. That deal helped the Bengals land receiver Colbie Young along with center Connor Lew.

“Young is legit — he’s big, and he’s got good hips and really good instincts for route running,” another exec said. “He is an outside receiver, though, so there is no one who can play the slot for them unless they put Ja’Marr Chase in there. It’s a helluva value pick. I just don’t know how you play all three at once.”

After effectively landing Lawrence with the 10th pick, the Bengals addressed defense with their own second- and third-round picks. They already added Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook and Jonathan Allen to deals totaling $45.9 million in average salary after letting edge rushers Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai leave in free agency.

“Dexter Lawrence would be a top-five pick in this draft even at his age,” a third exec said. “There is no one like him in this draft. He can change their defense, coupled with what they did in free agency.”

How could the Bengals have handled the Lawrence trade better? A fourth exec suggested they could have tried to involve a third team — if there was one that wanted to move up to No. 10 — and perhaps bring a mid-round pick back to Cincinnati.

“But I don’t think enough people were aware it was happening,” this exec said, “and the Giants played it smart by making the Bengals think they had to give up the 10th pick.”

The fourth exec in that article is speaking nonsense. How exactly was a third team going to give up a mid round pick and land the 10th pick? The Giants presumably would have taken a later 1st rounder and still dealt Lawrence in this scenario. That’s wildly speculative and sounds like some NBA bs where someone like Desmond Bane gets traded for 4 first round picks.

17 hours ago, Inigo Montoya said:

The fourth exec in that article is speaking nonsense. How exactly was a third team going to give up a mid round pick and land the 10th pick? The Giants presumably would have taken a later 1st rounder and still dealt Lawrence in this scenario. That’s wildly speculative and sounds like some NBA bs where someone like Desmond Bane gets traded for 4 first round picks.

It's just people doing mental gymnastics to find a way to shit talk the Bengals because that's the default setting for the NFL media, especially after the Hendrickson and Stewart contract drama from the last offseason. The media is ready to convince Burrow that he needs to leave Ohio to win, not praise the Cincinnati front office for a shrewd trade and overall impressive offseason.

If any other team made the same moves as the Bengals did this offseason they would be the darlings of the NFL...if a team that gets media hype but never wins like the Cowboys, Stealers, Jets, etc...overhauled their biggest deficiency and upgraded their most obvious weakness with proven all-pro players that have won Super Bowls they would be screaming from the mountain tops how the GM is a genius and they are favorites to win the division and make a deep run the playoffs....The Bengals get called desperate and everything but a child of god.

Whatever, it will get sorted out on Sunday afternoons this fall.

Awesome draft one of the espn talking hesds said the Bengals didn't know what they were doing until Ian Fitzsimmons cut him off and the Lew and Parker were great picks and would lead the Bengals O line in the future fitzsimmons knows a ton about college football also said the rest of out draft wss excellent Last two picks Endries and Robinson were also steals

If our D isn't a middle road defense this year then I would be very surprised.

If we can rank between 10-15 defense wise, and if our offense is top 5 then we should be shoe-in for another SB, and this time we will win.

If Burrow is healthy all season we will win a Super Bowl.

On 5/1/2026 at 6:59 AM, dex said:

Yeah, because it was only for a moment, I think some fans have forgotten what an impact that Erick All had on the offense in a very short time in 2024, even after missing much of training camp recovering from the ACL injury in college. I dug up an October '24 article from the Athletic to refresh our memories. Here are the first couple of paragraphs:

For years, decades even, the Cincinnati Bengals have searched and swung for an elite, versatile tight end. From first-round picks Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert to solid developmental picks C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Kroft. Then the free-agent carousel of Hayden Hurst, Irv Smith and Mike Gesicki.

Each enjoyed their moments, but none quenched the thirst for a true impactful tight end capable of providing the ultimate versatility and doing everything at a high level.

Coach Zac Taylor and his staff believe they finally made it happen with fourth-round pick Erick All.

Not only are they saying as much as he’s ascended from an intriguing fourth-round pick to TE1 in four weeks, they are altering their offense because of it.

Gresham could've been a lot better. He was still pretty good but sometimes the effort was lacking. One playoff game vs the Texans in particular stands out, several drops including one fleebed into the air for an INT. Lack of focus.

Eifert had one good year and they couldn't let it go. I fear them getting stuck in the same loop with All.

5 hours ago, T-Dub said:

Gresham could've been a lot better. He was still pretty good but sometimes the effort was lacking. One playoff game vs the Texans in particular stands out, several drops including one fleebed into the air for an INT. Lack of focus.

Eifert had one good year and they couldn't let it go. I fear them getting stuck in the same loop with All.

Watching Erick All play, there was definitely no lack of focus that I saw. The young man was impressive catching and a stud blocking. I don`t doubt his work ethic and believe he will do what it takes to get back to pre injury status.

Hopefully with the training staffs guidance he can have a better recovery. Hope he does, loved watching the little bit we got to see of him. If he can stay healthy, can be a real good one for us.

6 hours ago, CalifBengalfan said:

Watching Erick All play, there was definitely no lack of focus that I saw. The young man was impressive catching and a stud blocking. I don`t doubt his work ethic and believe he will do what it takes to get back to pre injury status.

Hopefully with the training staffs guidance he can have a better recovery. Hope he does, loved watching the little bit we got to see of him. If he can stay healthy, can be a real good one for us.

The scenario that concerns me is he goes off for 6-8 games then back to IR, rinse & repeat.

Endries wasn't a huge investment but it shows they aren't worried about saving anyone a seat. How it should be, for the entire roster.

On 5/3/2026 at 2:45 PM, T-Dub said:

The scenario that concerns me is he goes off for 6-8 games then back to IR, rinse & repeat.

Endries wasn't a huge investment but it shows they aren't worried about saving anyone a seat. How it should be, for the entire roster.

Especially LB, the coaches need more talent to drive competition at LB.