GM Draft Only Mock- Discussion Thread: Start Trading!!!!!! Draft Starts Monday 4/3

[sparky151]

Recap of Bengals draft:

With no free agency, the cupboard is bare at TE and basically so at RB when we cut Joe Mixon. We're also down a couple of unsigned CBs with Eli Apple and Tre Flowers still available. If there had been a free agency phase, I'd have offered Zeke Elliott a cheapish contract, say 3-4 mil, to take over the role Samaje Perine played the last couple of years. I'd try to re-sign at least one of Apple or Flowers and look for cheap vets for the IOL and at safety.

Given the roster as is, we need to upgrade the protection for Burrow, find a starting TE, find a starting RB to replace Mixon, train a replacement for Tyler Boyd, and find an understudy for Chido Awuzie. Maybe a LB too as 3 of our top 4 are entering the final year of their rookie deals. On to the picks.

Round 1. We took Dawand Jones. Perhaps he would have been available if we traded down. He's had a mixed offseason, not working out and turning some teams off. But we rate him highly as both a run and pass blocker. Taking him lets us trade Jonah Williams and Lael Collins. The 20 mil saved there will help with extensions for Higgins and Logan Wilson.

Round 2. We traded pick 60 to the Saints (who took Ojulari) for picks 71 and 130.

Round 3. We took Zach Charbonnet at 71 who we were leaning toward at 60. He is a well rounded RB with a lot of experience. He's not explosive and has high mileage but should be good for 4 years. We got pick 79 from the Colts for Jonah Williams and used it for Darius Rush. He's long and fast which is what Anarumo looks for in a CB. He's a converted WR and needs polishing but can backup Awuzie or CTB in 2023. At 92 we drafted Luke Schoonmaker. He'll probably be the starting TE ahead of Irv Smith because he can block. We expect the running game to be improved in 2023 with Charbonnet replacing Mixon and Schoonmaker replacing Hurst. Jones is probably better than Collins as well.

Round 4. Karl Brooks and Nick Saldiveri were the picks at 130 and 131. Brooks was a highly productive college player who polarizes the draft analysts. Maybe he turns into another Geno Atkins (a 4th rounder himself) and if not, I got the RB at 71 I would have had at 60 anyway. Saldiveri will move from college tackle to NFL guard. He's very athletic and a top pass blocker. We still have nightmares of Aaron Donald trucking Quinton Spain at the end of the Super Bowl and Chris Jones doing likewise with Max Scharping in last season's AFCCG. 

Round 5. BPA is another RB in Zach Evans. He's a quality player who can share carries with Charbonnet. 

Round 6. Davis Allen is a well rounded TE who can both block and catch. Like Schoonmaker, he's not explosive or an especially good route runner but he's physical and has good hands.

Round 7. Jarrick Bernard-Converse is a CB/S with lots of experience and good athleticism. We lost both starting safeties from last year, Jesse Bates and Vonn Bell. They were both excellent. Bates departure was expected and Dax Hill will take his place. We signed Nick Scott as the new SS. Tycen Anderson didn't play his rookie year so JBC is insurance. Bryce Baringer is generally regarded as the top punter in this class so we snagged him to compete with Drue Chrisman who botched his final punt of the year vs the Chiefs. We finished with pass rusher DJ Johnson. Not a lot of moves but he's certainly fast with a 4.49 40 time for a DE. 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by sparky151