2023 Draft

[THE DUKE]

I'd give that a solid B grade.  Maybe early on Jones, but I like the fit at RT so i'm ok with that.

Like the trade to pick up an extra 4th, anyone regrettable go from 60-70?

I'm not the biggest Charbonnet fan, I don't know how much value he provides over Mixon other than being younger and cheaper, but wouldn't hate it.

I like Rush in that range, he's a good target to get if don't get a CB early

Schoonmaker is essentially Sample, but with the hope he is more of a receiver.  I'm not convinced he will be.  Would have liked the pick more had we not re-signed Sample.  Still don't hate it, but more of a long term value add than for 2023.

I'm not on a the Karl Brooks train.  I think his ceiling is JAG

Big fan of the Saldiveri pick in the 4th.  Betting on upside here with size and athleticism from a small school, which is a gamble worth taking once you get to day 3.

Not an Evans fan, but at least it's in the 5th here and not in the 3rd or 2nd like some people on FF like to mock to us when they want the player they want to fall, to fall.

Allen in the 6th is good value, but he and Schoonmaker are essentially similar style of prospects.  I assume this draft started before Sample was re-signed?  I wouldn't rule out 2 TE's in the actual draft still, but if we do take 2, one is going to be an upside receiver.

Don't actually know who Jarrick Bernard-Converse is, will have to look him up.

All for Punter competition, although I do worry about Barringer's hang time issues.  Still gun shy after Chrisman's hang time issues killed us in the AFCCG

Fast LB with size in rd 7, can't argue that, although looking at his RAS he tested terribly for agility and explosion.  Still worth a swing this late, like the DJ Johnson pick.

[SmittyBacall]

5 minutes ago, THE DUKE said:

I'm not the biggest Charbonnet fan, I don't know how much value he provides over Mixon other than being younger and cheaper, but wouldn't hate it.

Much to the disdain of many Bengals fans, it feels like a fitting pick this FO would make. Solid, do-it-all bell cow RB in the 2nd round.

When we do our mock contest I will be sliding him in at 60. Speaking of which, who usually sets that up?

[THE DUKE]

1 minute ago, SmittyBacall said:

Much to the disdain of many Bengals fans, it feels like a fitting pick this FO would make. Solid, do-it-all bell cow RB in the 2nd round.

When we do our mock contest I will be sliding him in at 60. Speaking of which, who usually sets that up?

I think Duke Tobin is a little more on board with a more analytical approach in recent years than some others think.  I think they want a RB to fit the passing game more so than getting a "bell cow" who will look great 3-4 times a year when the game plan calls for it and comes off the field on obvious passing downs the rest of the season.

[SmittyBacall]

49 minutes ago, THE DUKE said:

I think Duke Tobin is a little more on board with a more analytical approach in recent years than some others think.  I think they want a RB to fit the passing game more so than getting a "bell cow" who will look great 3-4 times a year when the game plan calls for it and comes off the field on obvious passing downs the rest of the season.

I hope you're right.

[THE DUKE]

Just now, SmittyBacall said:

I hope you're right.

I definitely think that's what Taylor wants, and is a big reason why they took a swing on Chris Evans and Perine played so much.  They just don't trust Evans with pass pro or ball security, and they tried to keep Perine, but wouldn't offer him RB1 carries.

[theJ]

Wasn't UCLA a mostly gun school the last few years?  I think there's some interest in bringing him in just because he's already used to playing in this type of offense.  

[THE DUKE]

8 minutes ago, theJ said:

Wasn't UCLA a mostly gun school the last few years?  I think there's some interest in bringing him in just because he's already used to playing in this type of offense.  

I think i've heard that, but i'm not positive.  I won't be mad if we draft Charbonnet, I just want more of a home run threat.

[Beck Bristow]

2 hours ago, SmittyBacall said:

Much to the disdain of many Bengals fans, it feels like a fitting pick this FO would make. Solid, do-it-all bell cow RB in the 2nd round.

When we do our mock contest I will be sliding him in at 60. Speaking of which, who usually sets that up?

Londonbengal 

[sparky151]

3 hours ago, THE DUKE said:

I'd give that a solid B grade.  Maybe early on Jones, but I like the fit at RT so i'm ok with that.

Like the trade to pick up an extra 4th, anyone regrettable go from 60-70?

I'm not the biggest Charbonnet fan, I don't know how much value he provides over Mixon other than being younger and cheaper, but wouldn't hate it.

I like Rush in that range, he's a good target to get if don't get a CB early

Schoonmaker is essentially Sample, but with the hope he is more of a receiver.  I'm not convinced he will be.  Would have liked the pick more had we not re-signed Sample.  Still don't hate it, but more of a long term value add than for 2023.

I'm not on a the Karl Brooks train.  I think his ceiling is JAG

Big fan of the Saldiveri pick in the 4th.  Betting on upside here with size and athleticism from a small school, which is a gamble worth taking once you get to day 3.

Not an Evans fan, but at least it's in the 5th here and not in the 3rd or 2nd like some people on FF like to mock to us when they want the player they want to fall, to fall.

Allen in the 6th is good value, but he and Schoonmaker are essentially similar style of prospects.  I assume this draft started before Sample was re-signed?  I wouldn't rule out 2 TE's in the actual draft still, but if we do take 2, one is going to be an upside receiver.

Don't actually know who Jarrick Bernard-Converse is, will have to look him up.

All for Punter competition, although I do worry about Barringer's hang time issues.  Still gun shy after Chrisman's hang time issues killed us in the AFCCG

Fast LB with size in rd 7, can't argue that, although looking at his RAS he tested terribly for agility and explosion.  Still worth a swing this late, like the DJ Johnson pick.

 

Charbonnet comes with some wear and tear but also is pretty well rounded between running, catching, and blocking. He's not a homerun threat but does break tackles and fall forward. IMO he'd be a good back for at least 4 years. He's younger and much cheaper than Mixon. 

Rush is long and fast, the way Loudini likes them. He's a former receiver who needs to work on his technique but a year behind Awuzie would be just the thing for him.

Brooks seems like Kancey to me. Both are undersized interior players who specialize in pass rushing. Brooks was more productive but faced a MAC schedule. I'd much rather take a chance on Brooks in round 4 than Kancey in round 1. Saldiveri was a tackle at Old Dominion but I see him moving to guard in the NFL. He tested well athletically and had great pass blocking scores in college. I'm hoping he can be a pass block specialist for us to fend off the next Aaron Donald or Chris Jones we face.

Evans is a pretty good player. He transferred to Ole Miss from TCU and was the lead back at both schools. Since this mock planned to cut Mixon, we needed another RB.

The TE picks were before Sample re-signed but I'd be happy with both of these guys in real life. Schoonmaker is considered the second best blocking TE, after Washington. He also tested out as a great athlete. He has a good combination of size, speed, and hands. He's not a polished route runner. Allen is a similar type of TE, a good blocker and who is good at contested catches.

Bernard-Converse is a CB/FS prospect from LSU. He played 4 years at Oklahoma State for Jim Knowles before last season. He tested as a great athlete and has a lot of experience so he's worth a shot in the 7th. 

 

 

[THE DUKE]

Fanspeak - Steve Shoup is a moron.  His big board and team needs are all out of whack

28: R1 P28 WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba - Ohio State

60: R2 P29 CB Emmanuel Forbes - Mississippi State

92: R3 P29 DE Adetomiwa Adebawore - Northwestern

131: R4 P29 RB Israel Abanikanda - Pittsburgh

163: R5 P28 TE Zack Kuntz - Old Dominion

206: R6 P29 G Anthony Bradford - LSU

246: R7 P29 OT Jake Witt - Northern Michigan

[sparky151]

I wouldn't count on some of those guys being on the board at those picks but also wouldn't complain if that's who we ended up with. 

[THE DUKE]

21 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

I wouldn't count on some of those guys being on the board at those picks but also wouldn't complain if that's who we ended up with. 

I'd be shocked if any of the first 5 picks are available when we pick at those spots.  Which is why I called him a moron for his big board.  Team needs were weird too, said the Bengals needed two LB's in the list of team needs.

[Beck Bristow]

It's the day before the draft and I don't have much of a hold on what is actually going to happen. For the most part, we're looking at positional needs going into the 2024 season. Tight end and offensive tackle could use a definite starter. But I'm not convinced the right guy will be there at 28 for either of those positions.

At tackle, I expect the top 4 to be gone and I think it's just too early for Dawand Jones. I'm also not convinced that there's anyone else at that position to bring in this season that would be a long term player. So it's either reach on Jones in the first, see if he falls to the second, or skip the position all together and go into the season with some combination of La'el Collins, Williams and Cody Ford at right tackle. 

Tight end is a possibility, but I consistently see Mayer and Kincaid gone, I don't think drafting the third best tight end is great value especially when the position is so deep and the offense they run here isn't really TE heavy anyway.

Gibbs? Eh, I don't love that at all. First round running back just seems like a poor use of assets.

So corner makes sense. The third boundary corner is empty currently, plus Chido is an FA next year. Probably just a matter of the right value there. 

Also defensive tackle is in a similar position with Reader a FA soon. Could see a Mazi Smith selection. But we're way down the needs list at this point, so it almost feels like this is 100% BPA. Plus the pending Higgins extension never got done, so maybe wide receiver is possible? 

Just a snapshot into the indecision that has made me so unproductive at work this week.

[Beck Bristow]

And I'm very concerned about our interior offensive line. Hopefully Volson is better in year two with Brown next to him, but I think he's easily upgradable and we have no depth there. Center especially worries me.

[sparky151]

I don't think it's too early to draft Dawand Jones at 28. IMO there's nearly no chance he's on the board at 60. PFF has him as the 31st overall player on their big board so it wouldn't be a reach. Collinsworth had him going at #11 in his mock. I'm higher on Dawand than some others here, but Wright or Broderick Jones would also be good picks at 28. It solves several issues for the team since it gives them a longer term starter than Jonah or Lael, freeing up cap space, helps Burrow's protection, and boosts the running game as well. 

 

I agree that we haven't seen enough from our recent backup O-linemen that any of Trey Hill, Ben Brown, Hakeem Adeniji, D'Ante Smith, or Max Scharping should be considered locks to make the roster. A G/C pick in round 5 or 6 would not be amiss.