BengalsZone Big Board '07

[HoosierCat]

The sun came out yesterday and melted The Mighty Quinn's igloo, but he holds on to the lead -- and DT continues to dominate positionally -- on the Big Board. 11 more mocks with picks have been added since the last update -- check them out!

Really, tho, Pitcock's slippage began before yesterday's blowout by Florida. Many mockers had the Bengals picking in the early to mid-20s, and their landing at 18 brought the LB position back into focus. DE got some love as well, tho Moses still can't get that sea parted, but the big winner was Arizona TE Zach Miller, who reappeared on the Board after falling completely off. Early fav Greg Olsen also got a bump. Here's the breakdown:

By Name:

DT Quinn Pitcock 6 (-3)

DT Amobi Okoye 5 (+1)

TE Greg Olsen 4 (+1)

TE Zach Miller 3 (+3)

LB Paul Posluszny 3 (+2)

DE Quentin Moses 3 (+1)

DT Tank Tyler 3 (no change)

DT Glenn Dorsey 3 (no change)

CB Marcus McCauley 2 (+2)

LB H.B. Blades 2 (+2)

DT Alan Branch 2 (no change)

By Position:

DT 20 (-3)

TE 7 (+3)

DE 6 (+3)

LB 5 (+5)

S 3 (+2)

CB 2 (+2)

OL 1 (-1)

[schweinhart]

Zach has indeed declared for the draft and should prove to be an outstanding NFL TE.

Yeah I wouldn't think OSU's collapse yesterday had anything to do with Pitcock there. Especially since Pitcock never had more than 1 second to actually do anything with all the quick Chris Leak throws. It was interesting though that Pitcock played nose the most in the 3 man front and I thought he showed outstanding quickness on stunts from there. Doubt he's a 3-4 NT in the pros but definitely has the quicks and size to get 1st round consideration from 3-4 teams at DE. Very quick big dude.

[HoosierCat]

Yeah I wouldn't think OSU's collapse yesterday had anything to do with Pitcock there. Especially since Pitcock never had more than 1 second to actually do anything with all the quick Chris Leak throws. It was interesting though that Pitcock played nose the most in the 3 man front and I thought he showed outstanding quickness on stunts from there. Doubt he's a 3-4 NT in the pros but definitely has the quicks and size to get 1st round consideration from 3-4 teams at DE. Very quick big dude.

I continue to think he has great potential (and for the record I am not an OSU homer; as an Ohio U. alum I dont really have a college team ). But OSU's loss is having an impact. Had one mock swap him for A-Ok today, so we actually have a new leader on the Big Board.

[Spor_tees]

Pitcock definitely had a por game against Florida. Part of the blame of this might have something to due with the double teams when OSU decided to rush only 3 and 4 guys at a time. Honestly I just think Okoye has more upside than Pitcock. Is Okoye any relation to the Nigerian Nightmare?

[HoosierCat]

DT Glenn Dorsey 3 (no change)

Scratch Dorsey. He's not coming out this year.

[HoosierCat]

29 of 49 mocks on the Big Board say the Bengals will take a DT in the first, a positional dominance unchanged in the past few updates. The Mighty Quinn stays in front by a harpoon length over the (Upwardly) Amobi(le) Okoye, but those clouds of dust you see in the background are being churned up by the treads of an approaching Tank.

Falling this update is, well, everyone else. However, look for a lot of updates of older mocks in the next week as mockers absorb the list of declared juniors and the as the final draft order becomes clearer.

Leaders by Name:

DT Quinn Pitcock 10 (+4)

DT Amobi Okoye 9 (+4)

DT Tank Tyler 5 (+2)

TE Greg Olsen 3 (-1)

TE Zach Miller 2 (-1)

LB Paul Posluszny 2 (-1)

DE Quentin Moses 2 (-1)

By Position:

DT 29 (+9)

DE 6 (no change)

TE 5 (-2)

LB 4 (-1)

S 3 (no change)

OL 1 (no change)

CB 1 (-1)

[Kazkal]

Fan Mocks it's like 75% picks are Okoye 20% are pitcock 5% are other players.

[HoosierCat]

Fan Mocks it's like 75% picks are Okoye 20% are pitcock 5% are other players.

I think the last line says it all.

[Kazkal]

heh.

[HairOnFire]

Okoye is fine, but I have no love for draft speculation that doesn't mention Darrelle Revis and the Cincinnati Bengals in the same breath.

Screw Pitcock.

[HoosierCat]

Okoye is fine, but I have no love for draft speculation that doesn't mention Darrelle Revis and the Cincinnati Bengals in the same breath.

Screw Pitcock.

I doubt they'll take Pitcock or Okoye. I wouldn't complain about either, tho. Revis is a bit raw but would be a good pick, if he's still there. But his addition to the list of corners available this year makes it all the more likely that some decent CB will still be there at 18, if that's the way the Bengals are leaning.

[HoosierCat]

A flurry of updates and new mocks have put Amobi Okoye in the lead this update, though the Upwardly Amobi(le) defensive tackle may soon float even higher than 18 -- indeed, he has done so in some mocks already -- opening the door for the return of The Mighty Quinn. On that front, Quinn seems impervious to post-season spin, remaining in the first round despite the rise of DTs like Okoye and the Tank (who also gained a bit of ground) in many mocks. However, Quinn recently disclosed that a "minor knee injury" will keep him out of the Senior Bowl, and that will no doubt impact his stock.

Positionally, DT still dominates the Big Board, but someone must have sent out a memo about the poor state of the LB corps. Willis and Timmons join Pos this time around. Rounding out the more-than-one-vote-getters is tight end Greg Olsen -- whose votes come from old and badly outdated mocks -- and newcomer DE Charles Johnson.

Only a handful of mocks have projected the second round. So far, the leading contenders there (with 2 votes each) are Olsen and Miami safety Brandon Meriweather. In the first, it stacks up thusly:

By Name:

DT Amobi Okoye 13 (+4)

DT Quinn Pitcock 10 (no change)

DT Tank Tyler 6 (+1)

DE Charles Johnson 2 (+2)

LB Patrick Willis 2 (+2)

LB Lawrence Timmons 2 (+1)

LB Paul Posluszny 2 (no change)

TE Greg Olsen 2 (-1)

By Position:

DT 33 (+4)

LB 7 (+3)

DE 5 (-1)

S 3 (no change)

TE 3 (-2)

CB 2 (+1)

OL 1 (no change)

[HoosierCat]

Let us all bid a fond farewell to Amobi Okoye, as he drifts up, up and away in his beautiful balloon -- the green one with great big dollar signs on it. His senior bowl performance has sent his stock soaring (at least one mock has him going 6th, mind you, 6th overall), so he's "falling upward" in this Big Board update.

That, of course, leaves the Mighty Quinn as king of the draft hill...err, igloo...once again. The Tank continues to close the gap, slowly but steadily.

However, for the first time in a long time, the defensive tackle position's dominance has begun to crack. DT is still far and away the top position chosen by mock drafters for the Bengals, but it's now a 50/50 split between that position and all others. DB has been the biggest beneficiary, with four selections moving to safety or corner. Taking the lead in that group is talented safety Reggie Nelson.

Linebacker too keeps climbing, with Patrick Willis, another senior bowl standout, breaking out of the 2-3 vote pack to challenge Tank for third place. Here's the breakdown:

By Name:

DT Quinn Pitcock 10 (no change)

DT Amobi Okoye 9 (-5)

DT Tank Tyler 7 (+1)

LB Patrick Willis 5 (+3)

S Reggie Nelson 3 (+2)

DE Charles Johnson 3 (+1)

TE Greg Olsen 3 (+1)

CB Darelle Revis 2 (+1)

S LaRon Landry 2 (+1)

LB Paul Posluszny 2 (no change)

By Position:

DT 28 (-5)

LB 9 (+2)

DE 7 (+2)

S 6 (+3)

CB 3 (+1)

TE 3 (no change)

[HoosierCat]

With the Big Game out of the way, the coast is clear all the way to the Big Day. A good number of updates, plus some new mocks, have really begun to alter the character of the Big Board. The dominant position, DT, is nowhere near as strong as it was, with an equal number of mockers now predicting a DE or LB instead.

The Mighty Quinn falls decisively into second now, as Okoye continues his upwardly Amobile movement. Expect both their numbers to go down; a consensus appears to be forming that Okoye will be long gone by 18, while Quinn is drifting down a late first/early second selection.

The big climber now is Nebraska DE Adam Carriker, who pops back onto the board for the first time in a while with four votes. Also rising is Penn LB Paul Posluszny. Here's the breakdown:

By Name:

DT Amobi Okoye 11 (+2)

DT Quinn Pitcock 6 (-4)

LB Paul Posluszny 5 (+3)

DE Adam Carriker 4 (+4)

LB Patrick Willis 4 (-1)

DT Tank Tyler 4 (-3)

CB Darelle Revis 3 (+1)

S Reggie Nelson 3 (no change)

DE Charles Johnson 3 (no change)

TE Greg Olsen 3 (no change)

CB Leon Hall 2 (+2)

DE Anthony Spencer 2 (+1)

S LaRon Landry 2 (no change)

By Position:

DT 23 (-5)

DE 12 (+5)

LB 11 (+2)

CB 6 (+3)

S 6 (no change)

TE 3 (no change)

[Stripes]

Yeah I'm surprised Okoye is still the pick on so many mocks given his rising stock... DE and CB look like the most likely choices right now in terms of value at #18.

[Kazkal]

Or lb

[HoosierCat]

Yeah I'm surprised Okoye is still the pick on so many mocks given his rising stock... DE and CB look like the most likely choices right now in terms of value at #18.

While Okoye has surged past the Bengals on some boards, he's still in the process of rising on others. If he has a good combine, forget it, he'll probably pass Branch as the top DT prospect.

I don't have a problem with DE or LB -- but a lot depends on what's happening in-house. Is Justin in or out? If they sign him or tag him you can almost certainly forget about DE. And at LB you have two big question marks in Pollack and Odell. Is Odell really persona non grata in the Bengals locker room? Is Pollack done or not?

For now, put me in the DT or DB camps, just because of all that flux.

[schweinhart]

Gimme Chris Houston. The Bengals can't afford to pass on the best corner they can get in this draft given the crap pass defense they had last year regardless of whether they return Madieu to CB.

Okoye would help the pass rush but he'll get wasted kicked inside vs. the run. Either he outquicks with penetration or he's out of the play. I hope the Bengals pass when it's their turn to pick and I'd be surprised if Okoye is not there when they pick. He's way overblown.

[Kazkal]

Depends on the defense...Okoye seems like he would be perfect for a tampa 2 defense...but I still wanna stick to big men ,if we could get branch that would be super otherwise I hope we wait till rnd 2 or 4 or even give shaun smith a chance....somehow I think he'll be the fodder rather then JT or Brob if we do draft a DT though.

[HairOnFire]

The big climber now is Nebraska DE Adam Carriker, who pops back onto the board for the first time in a while with four votes.

The Missouri strongman is almost dead. Long live the Nebraska strongman.

[schweinhart]

Depends on the defense...Okoye seems like he would be perfect for a tampa 2 defense...but I still wanna stick to big men ,if we could get branch that would be super otherwise I hope we wait till rnd 2 or 4 or even give shaun smith a chance....somehow I think he'll be the fodder rather then JT or Brob if we do draft a DT though.

Okoye's ability is dependent on the defense as an every down DT. Penetration by a DT is great but if a team doesn't stunt a lot, a short, undersized DT like Okoye is going to get buried in trash or take himself out of plays trying to go around blockers in the run game. He lacks the strength the similarly quick 1st round Dts last year had in Brod Bunkley and John McCargo. Of course, wherever Okoye lands it'd be hard for him to have any less production than those 2 had last year.

Hopefully they wait until Day 2 for a DT if they even feel the need to draft one this year. I'd rather see them go big up front ala Vikes and Jags and scrap the lightweights at RDT. Thornton did a much better job this year keeping the right space at the line and not getting shoved around plus showed great backside pursuit at times. If the Bengals DTs continue to play tight in the middle and stay close when they flow, the Bengals should come up with the same decent effort vs. the run w/o adding anybody else. Thornton's got another year after next but Good Gawd don't get a damn DT in the 1st round. Get a sticky corner who can cover man all over the field like Houston or a big LDE like Jamaal Anderson who can also kick inside vs. pass. Trade up if necessary.

[HoosierCat]

Good Gawd don't get a damn DT in the 1st round. Get a sticky corner

I can always count on you for a cue, schweiny

Thanks to a flurry of updates plus a bunch of new mock draft additions to the Big Board, I did a quick update of the numbers today. The good news, to your way of thinking, is that DT continues to lose ground to other positions; the bad news is that CB continues to do so as well. Witness the charge of the Defensive End Brigade (featuring the triumphant return of Quentin "Holy" Moses), topping a double bill with Attack of the Killer Linebackers.

By Name:

DT Amobi Okoye 13 (+2)

DE Adam Carriker 8 (+4)

LB Paul Posluszny 8 (+3)

DT Quinn Pitcock 6 (no change)

DE Quentin Moses 5 (+5)

LB Patrick Willis 5 (+1)

DE Charles Johnson 3 (no change)

TE Greg Olsen 3 (no change)

DE Jarvis Moss 2 (+1)

LB Lawrence Timmons 2 (+1)

CB Leon Hall 2 (no change)

DE Anthony Spencer 2 (no change)

S LaRon Landry 2 (no change)

S Reggie Nelson 2 (-1)

DT Tank Tyler 2 (-2)

By Position:

DT 23 (no change)

DE 21 (+9)

LB 15 (+4)

S 6 (no change)

TE 4 (+1)

CB 4 (-2)

[schweinhart]

I'm really not sure how someone can look at what the Bengals need and not see one of two needs that jump out -- a DB with corner skills who can help improve an abysmal pass defense or a highly skilled pass rushing DE who's also solid vs. the run.

The leaders -- Okoye, Carriker and Poz -- offer little to change that except for Okoye's pass rush quickness up the gut.

DB wise the depth of the draft looks to me like it has shifted to round 2 without likely lockdown corners or flyers with sub 4.4 recovery speed there in the 1st. The only 4 out there that I would hope the Bengals consider at #18 are Reggie Nelson, LaRon Landry, Darrelle Revis and Chris Houston.

Longer term than immediate impact and BPA, though, might trump whatever they see as immediate needs for a better chance to win in 2007.

[HoosierCat]

It's still early. I expect that the DE selections will fall away rapidly if the Bengals do, indeed, tag Justin -- and that will almost certainly bring with it a surge in DBs. As for why DBs are getting short shrift right now, I'd say it's simply because it isn't a strong class, and what strength it has seems to be more on the safety side than the CB side.

[HoosierCat]

A few updates, a few more newcomer mocks, and here come the corners. DE is now tied with DT as the position of choice, but both appear to have maxxed out for the moment. Meanwhile, Leon Hall and Darrelle Revis are both returning to favor. LB also remains strong, with Lawrence Timmons stealing some of Pos and Willis' thunder this time around. Today's breakdown:

By Name:

DT Amobi Okoye 13 (no change)

DE Adam Carriker 9 (+1)

LB Paul Posluszny 7 (-1)

CB Leon Hall 6 (+4)

DE Quentin Moses 5 (no change)

LB Patrick Willis 5 (no change)

CB Darrelle Revis 4 (+3)

DT Tank Tyler 4 (+2)

LB Lawrence Timmons 4 (+2)

TE Zach Miller 3 (+2)

DE Jarvis Moss 3 (+1)

DE Anthony Spencer 2 (no change)

DT Quinn Pitcock 2 (-4)

By Position:

DT 21 (-2)

DE 21 (no change)

LB 16 (+1)

CB 12 (+8)

TE 4 (+1)

S 4 (-2)