FINAL Mock Draft Big Board 4/29

[schweinhart]

I believe scouts are fully aware of Demetrius Williams. The question will be how he fits into the offense of a given team and what other personnel they have. But how he interviews and performs for scouts at the combine will determine where he lands.

Hopefully the Bengals are watching Williams if they don't think Henry will be back this year and plan on letting K-Dub walk if he gets a higher RFA tender than they're willing to match. I like Tab Perry and Kevin Walter and either can produce some results in 3 WR sets but the Bengals would be hurting big time if either Chad or Housh go down.

[HoosierCat]

I'm surprised Rod Wright is still getting picked at all. Watson is asking a lot of faith on the part of the team that would consider drafting him in the 1st. But so is Wroten for different reasons. At least Wroten's problems can be covered in contract language and attached to his signing bouns.

Wright was pretty heavily touted last year, before he decided to return to school for his senior year. Early on IIRC, a lot of mocks had him pencilled in as a top 10 selection. So he still appears to be getting the benefit of the doubt (and it isn't unreasonable to think that might be happening in some NFL war rooms as well).

Watson is still all over the place. The guys over at Sporting News have him ranked as the No. 2 DT behind Ngata, for example. Other guys have him falling to the late second or even third. And yeah, Wroten has the character issue thing going.

What will be interesting to watch is whether the combine helps sort any of the DT disagreement out.

[HairOnFire]

I'm not a fan of Gabe Watson, and I'll have plenty of doubts if he's selected by the Bengals in any round on the first day. That said, his was the first name that popped into my head after reading that article where Marvin sorta tiptoes around the idea of lining up in a 3-4.

[Jet23]

What do you think the odds are that the Bengal's guy has not received a single vote? Marvin has said that he doesn't like to draft for need, because that is how you miss out on the Michael Jordans of the world. Not a single vote for LB......hmmmmm.

[HoosierCat]

I'm not a fan of Gabe Watson, and I'll have plenty of doubts if he's selected by the Bengals in any round on the first day. That said, his was the first name that popped into my head after reading that article where Marvin sorta tiptoes around the idea of lining up in a 3-4.

He certainly has the size to be a NT in the 3-4. I'd be OK with Watson, or for that matter Wright, Wroten or Bunkley; they aren't likely to have any more questions than any other player on the board when 24 rolls around.

What do you think the odds are that the Bengal's guy has not received a single vote? Marvin has said that he doesn't like to draft for need, because that is how you miss out on the Michael Jordans of the world. Not a single vote for LB......hmmmmm.

A LB wouldn't surprise me; there's a thread around here someplace where I pointed out Marvin's predeliction for 'backers. Should Chad Greenway somehow fall he's a no brainer. Outside of him, tho, there probably won't be a LB worth the 24 pick who really fits...closest is probably Carpenter.

[HoosierCat]

A quick note here with the combine set to start tomorrow: scratch Derek Hagen; the mocker who favors a WR in the 1st has switched his vote to Florida's Chad Jackson. Tamba Hali also lost his last backer. Rising as we head into Indy is S Darnell (survey says!) Bing, who with 7 votes jumps into 3rd behind Rodrique Wright.

[HairOnFire]

A quick note here with the combine set to start tomorrow: scratch Derek Hagen; the mocker who favors a WR in the 1st has switched his vote to Florida's Chad Jackson. Tamba Hali also lost his last backer. Rising as we head into Indy is S Darnell (survey says!) Bing, who with 7 votes jumps into 3rd behind Rodrique Wright.

On an almost totally unrelated note, several days ago I heard Mike Mayoch say..."Darnell Bing Bang Boom."

[TJJackson]

My problem with Bing is his speed, or rather his apparent lack thereof. I may be reading bad sources, but everywhere i look where his speed is listed, it is in the high 4.5's or low 4.6's.

I know....very rarely in a game does one have to run in a straight line for 40 yards, but I still consider the 40 time particularly important as a measure of the player's game speed, and I attach extra importance to this measure in the defensive secondary. Even moreso when that player has to be able to play both free and strong.

That and some durability concerns drop him to r2 for me.

So...I'll be looking hard at how he is timed this week at the Combine

[HairOnFire]

My problem with Bing is his speed, or rather his apparent lack thereof. I may be reading bad sources, but everywhere i look where his speed is listed, it is in the high 4.5's or low 4.6's.

I know....very rarely in a game does one have to run in a straight line for 40 yards, but I still consider the 40 time particularly important as a measure of the player's game speed, and I attach extra importance to this measure in the defensive secondary. Even moreso when that player has to be able to play both free and strong.

That and some durability concerns drop him to r2 for me.

So...I'll be looking hard at how he is timed this week at the Combine

I think a high 4.5 time is cooking with gas when you're talking about a 220 lb. thumper. Plus, he gets very high grades for football smarts and instincts, meaning fewer wasted steps. Durability concerns are valid, though I wouldn't go so far as to nickname him Darnell Ding, Dang, Doomed.

[HoosierCat]

I didn't expect too many changes in the past week, figuring most mockers would hold off until after the still-ongoing combine. Silly me. Here's where we stand as of today…

DT Gabe Watson 11 (+1)

S Darnell Bing 8 (+3)

DT Rodrique Wright 8 (-1)

DT Brodrick Bunkley 5 (+2)

S Ko Simpson 4 (no change)

DT Claude Wroten 4 (-1)

TE Leonard Pope 3 (-1)

TE Vernon Davis 2 (no change)

DE Manny Lawson 1 (+1)

DT Orien Harris 1 (+1)

DE Mathais Kiwanuka 1 (no change)

CB Tye Hill 1 (no change)

DE Elvis Dumervil 1 (no change)

DT Jesse Mahelona 1 (no change)

TE Marcedes Lewis 1 (-2)

By Position:

DT 30 (+2)

S 12 (+3)

TE 6 (-3)

DE 3 (no change)

CB 1 (no change)

Watson, after taking the lead last week, continued his climb, while Wright's star kept slipping. "Survey Says" Bing made a big pre-combine leap and is in position to be the first non-DT to challenge for the top spot. After dropping off the big board last week, both Orien Harris and Manny Lawson make a return appearance. Brodrick Bunkley also got a boost.

Falling out this time around are DE Tamba Hali and WR Derek Hagen. Marcedes Lewis fell into the single-vote-getters, while support for Wroten and Pope also weakened.

By position, TE took it on the chin this week, while safety moved into double-digits. Still, DT remains far and away the favorite

In the second, we have 20 mocks with selections. The leaders are (still):

TE Dominique Byrd 3 (no change)

S Jason Allen 2 (no change)

Then 15 players with 1 vote each. Positionally, the leaders in the 2nd are:

TE 5 (no change)

DT 4 (no change)

S 4 (no change)

CB 3 (+1)

DE 2 (no change)

C 1 (no change)

[HoosierCat]

Lots of movement this week as combine results start hitting the Big Board. Here's how sources outside of bengalszone see our first two picks stacking up now. In the first:

DT Gabe Watson 10 (-1)

DT Brodrick Bunkley 9 (+4)

DT Rodrique Wright 7 (-1)

S Ko Simpson 5 (+1)

TE Leonard Pope 5 (-2)

S Darnell Bing 5 (-3)

DE Mathais Kiwanuka 2 (+1)

DT Jesse Mahelona 2 (+1)

S Daniel Bullocks 1 (+1)

CB Kelly Jennings 1 (+1)

OT Marcus McNeill 1 (+1)

DB Jimmy Williams 1 (+1)

DT Orien Harris 1 (no change)

CB Tye Hill 1 (no change)

TE Marcedes Lewis 1 (no change)

DT Claude Wroten 1 (-3)

TE Vernon Davis 1 (-1)

By Position:

DT 30 (no change)

DB 14 (+1)

TE 7 (+1)

DE 2 (-1)

OT 1 (+1)

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's…Bunkleyman! Demonstrating his ability to leap Big Boards in a single bound, Bunkley's combine performance sent his stock soaring. It may, however, be soaring too high for the Bengals, as many mocks have him going well before 24. Gabe Watson is still a slight favorite as the DT of choice, while Wright stubbornly hangs in.

Falling hardest was pre-combine climber Darnell Bing, who dropped from 2nd to 6th on the Big Board this week. TE Leonard Pope also slipped. Claude Wroten's one remaining vote comes from espn insider, and if anybody's a member and can tell me if they've updated, he might actually be gone. DEs Manny Lawson and Elvis Dumervil fell out of the rankings this week.

But despite Bing's fall, it was a good week for DBs, with Ko picking up a vote, and Bullocks, Jennings, and Williams all joining the 1-vote crowd

In the second, we have 19 mocks with selections. The leaders are:

TE Dominique Byrd 3 (no change)

TE Marcedes Lewis 3 (+2)

Then 9 players with 1 vote each. Positionally, the leaders in the 2nd are:

TE 6 (+1)

DT 5 (+1)

DB 5 (-2)

DE 2 (no change)

C 1 (no change)

[ArmyBengal]

If we could get Marcedes Lewis in the 2nd, I would be stupid happy, as most had him going in the top half of the 1st for a long time. Not to mention the kid has crazy skills...

WHODEY !!!

[TJJackson]

I'll have to submit my revised draft at some point as well. Some players might drop to 24, but as of the Combine, Vernon Davis (my current r1 pick) has zero chance of dropping that far....

It's kinda weird, it almost looks like he is falling out of favor as a pick because people are dropping him, but it's really the opposite....because he is so much BETTER than we had thought....ie those of us who had picked him at 24, would be ecstatic if we could still get him at 24.

[Whur CHad At?]

I'll have to submit my revised draft at some point as well. Some players might drop to 24, but as of the Combine, Vernon Davis (my current r1 pick) has zero chance of dropping that far....

It's kinda weird, it almost looks like he is falling out of favor as a pick because people are dropping him, but it's really the opposite....because he is so much BETTER than we had thought....ie those of us who had picked him at 24, would be ecstatic if we could still get him at 24.

Unless he tests positive for mary jane or roids....

[Kazkal]

So what if he smokes a little merry jane owait

[TJJackson]

Well, or he could get run over by a truck...or....or....lots of unexpected and/or unlikely things :-)

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

Nance would be a nice 3rd round pickup, but I doubt he goes much earlier unless Ben convinces the Squeelers to grab him.

[HoosierCat]

Here's this week's Big Board update of how mocks around the web see the Bengals' picks. Brodrick Bunkley becomes the third DT this year to step into the lead.

DT Brodrick Bunkley 13 (+4)

DT Gabe Watson 12 (+2)

DT Rodrique Wright 6 (-1)

S Ko Simpson 4 (-1)

TE Leonard Pope 4 (-1)

S Donte Whitner 3 (+3)

S Darnell Bing 3 (-2)

DT Claude Wroten 2 (+1)

DE Mathais Kiwanuka 2 (no change)

DT Jesse Mahelona 2 (no change)

WR Derek Hagen 1 (+1)

OT Marcus McNeill 1 (no change)

CB Tye Hill 1 (no change)

TE Marcedes Lewis 1 (no change)

TE Vernon Davis 1 (no change)

By Position:

DT 35 (+5)

DB 11 (-3)

TE 6 (-1)

DE 2 (no change)

WR 1 (+1)

OT 1 (no change)

Bunkley and Watson are trading a lot of votes. Basically, mockers who had Bunkley on their board before the combine have moved him up and given us Watson instead, while those that didn't have him in the first have now moved Bunkley up and pushed Watson down.

Last week's flood of DBs receded a bit, with S Daniel Bullocks, CB Kelly Jennings, and DB Jimmy Williams all vanishing after a brief appearance. DT Orien Harris finally fell off the big board as well.

S Donte Whitner -- the selection of the 'Zone's official mock -- went from 0 to 3 votes this week, an impressive debut. WR Derek Hagen returns to the lineup this week as well.

In the second, we have 20 mocks with selections. The leaders are:

TE Dominique Byrd 4 (+1)

TE Marcedes Lewis 4 (+1)

TE Anthony Fasano 2 (+1)

Then 10 players with 1 vote each. Positionally, the leaders in the 2nd are:

TE 10 (+4)

DB 5 (no change)

DT 3 (+2)

DE 2 (no change)

[HoosierCat]

This week, it's Bunkleyman soaring up, up, and awaaaayyy in the draft…way away from 24, that is. It looks increasingly likely that he will be gone long before the Bengals pick. But fear not, fans, for there's a new hero in town (cue theme song from the 1960s TV show Batman): dadadadadada…FATMAN! Gabe Watson re-takes the lead this week:

DT Gabe Watson 14 (+2)

DT Brodrick Bunkley 9 (-4)

DT Rodrique Wright 5 (-1)

DT Claude Wroten 4 (+2)

S Darnell Bing 4 (+1)

TE Leonard Pope 4 (no change)

TE Marcedes Lewis 3 (+2)

S Donte Whitner 3 (no change)

S Ko Simpson 3 (-1)

CB Tye Hill 2 (+1)

DE Mathais Kiwanuka 2 (no change)

DT Jesse Mahelona 2 (no change)

DB Jimmy Williams 1 (+1)

DE Tamba Hali 1 (+1)

TE Vernon Davis 1 (no change)

By Position:

DT 34 (-1)

DB 13 (+2)

TE 8 (+2)

DE 3 (+1)

Falling out this week were WR Derek Hagen and OT Marcus McNeill; making a return appearance is DE Tamba Hali. Interestingly, despite the signing of S Dexter Jackson, the popularity of DBs in the first edged up.

In the second, we have 22 mocks with selections. The leaders are:

TE Dominique Byrd 4 (no change)

TE Marcedes Lewis 3 (-1)

DT Gabe Watson 2 (+1)

DT Kyle Williams 2 (+1)

TE Anthony Fasano 2 (no change)

Then 9 players with 1 vote each. Positionally, the leaders in the 2nd are:

TE 10 (no change)

DT 5 (+2)

DB 4 (no change))

DE 2 (no change)

WR 1 (+1)

[BengalChamps]

I have been wanting Pope for a month but now I'm having second thoughts. I think we can get a solid TE in R2/3. We have to get solid on D but I dont know enough to root for 1 guy. I'll just have to trust ML for now.

[TJJackson]

Joisey, I did a v2 of my draft to replace my v1 picks....are you still counting my v1 list as a seperate mock from v2?

I figured I was the last guy who still had Vernon Davis as my pick, and that ended with v2

[HoosierCat]

Joisey, I did a v2 of my draft to replace my v1 picks....are you still counting my v1 list as a seperate mock from v2?

I figured I was the last guy who still had Vernon Davis as my pick, and that ended with v2

I'm only tracking the mocks outside bengalszone on the Big Board. But yeah, the last Davis vote is from a guy who hasn't updated his mock in a month.

[HoosierCat]

Sorry for the delay updating this, folks. Busy weekend.

With Bunkleyman continuing to leap up the draft boards -- surpassing Ngata on some -- Gabe "Fatman" Watson collected more Fat-votes this past week. His next challenger: The Pope. TE Leonard Pope hit double-digit votes this week and became one of the rare non-DTs to vie for the lead on this Big Board. The breakdown:

DT Gabe Watson 16 (+2)

TE Leonard Pope 10 (+6)

DT Brodrick Bunkley 7 (-2)

DE Tamba Hali 4 (+3)

DE Mathais Kiwanuka 3 (+1)

DT Rodrique Wright 3 (-2)

DT Claude Wroten 3 (-1)

CB Ashton Youboty 2 (+2)

S Donte Whitner 2 (-1)

WR Santonio Holmes 1 (+1)

S Jason Allen 1 (+1)

DE Manny Lawson 1 (+1)

DB Jimmy Williams 1 (+1)

TE Vernon Davis 1 (no change)

DT Jesse Mahelona 1 (-1)

CB Tye Hill 1 (-1)

S Ko Simpson 1 (-2)

S Darnell Bing 1 (-3)

By Position:

DT 30 (-4)

DB 8 (-5)

TE 11 (+3)

DE 8 (+5)

WR 1 (+1)

TE Marcedes Lewis was the only one to fall off the board last week, while Holmes, Allen, Lawson and Willlians all joined/rejoined the action.

In the second, we have 22 mocks with selections. The leaders are:

TE Dominique Byrd 4 (no change)

TE Marcedes Lewis 2 (-1)

DT Gabe Watson 2 (no change)

TE Anthony Fasano 2 (no change)

Then 12 players with 1 vote each. Positionally, the leaders in the 2nd are:

TE 9 (-1)

DT 5 (no change)

DB 4 (no change))

DE 2 (no change)

G 1 (+1)

WR 1 (no change)

[Stripes]

I'm surprised to see Pope make such a push, but not at all disappointed. I am happy to see so many people sticking us with Gabe Watson, I'm growing more and more fond of that possibility. Either of those two would put a smile on my face in the first round.

[HoosierCat]

I'm surprised to see Pope make such a push, but not at all disappointed. I am happy to see so many people sticking us with Gabe Watson, I'm growing more and more fond of that possibility. Either of those two would put a smile on my face in the first round.

I would not object to Watson, but there are many who firmly believe that he isn't worth the 24th pick. Some of that is reflected in Pope's rise. It's also notable, I think, that there was such a strong bounce for DE, tho the votes are split between Hali, Kiwanuka and Lawson. I think be draft day one of them will have emerged as the leading DE contender, and it will be that guy vs. Watson vs. Pope.