Bengals Pick at #21 Poll

[ArmyBengal]

Last year we did this for our mock draft and it was one of only 4 picks that were correct. With this year being a situation sitting at #21 where there are sure to be a buttload of options at #21, I'm going to do this year differently. Instead of listing names in a poll format and having you pick one, simply list the names in your post in order of preference that you think the Bengals should take with the 21st pick. That way, as the names comes off the board, I will simply go back and count up the votes based upon who's there when the Bengals go on the clock. If your number 1 player is gone, your vote will go to the next player that is available. Please try to be reasonable with who you list and who may actually fall to #21.

My input to this thread is as follows and provides an example:

1. Dez Bryant (WR, Oklahoma St.)

2. Taylor Mays (Safety, USC)

3. Mike Iupati (Guard, Idaho)

4. Brandon Graham (DE, Michigan)

5. Brian Price (DT, UCLA)

6. Jermaine Gresham (TE, Oklahoma)

I simply figure one of those guys is going to be there come draft day and I will be VERY pleased.

Like I said, I will total these up when it comes time for he Bengals to pick in the Mock Draft.

[redsbengalsbucks]

Here are my picks:

1. Taylor Mays (Safety, USC)

2. Mike Iupati (Guard, Idaho)

3. Brandon Graham (DE, Michigan)

4. Brian Price (DT, UCLA)

5. Dez Bryant (WR, OKST)

Went with 5, but I'm hoping for one of the top 2 for the pick.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Here are my picks:

1. Taylor Mays (Safety, USC)

2. Mike Iupati (Guard, Idaho)

3. Brandon Graham (DE, Michigan)

4. Brian Price (DT, UCLA)

5. Dez Bryant (WR, OKST)

Went with 5, but I'm hoping for one of the top 2 for the pick.

Good picks. Would you like to choose another NFL team to pick for?

[BengalPimp]

Here are mine:

1) Taylor Mays S USC

2) Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma St

3) Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma

4) Mike Iupati G Idaho

5) Trade Down if the 4 above are all gone

I like Brandon Graham, but unfortunately, not in our system. I think he will be much better as a OLB in a 3-4 (Pittsburg for example) I just think he's too short, and doesn't have long enough arms to be a 4-3 DE...he'll have a hard time with bigger OT's lined up in a 3-point stance. As for Price, if we had to tacke a DT, I feel alot better about Dan Williams from Tennessee.

[Kazkal]

1. Taylor Mays (Safety, USC)

2. Dez Bryant (WR, Oklahoma St.)

3.)Earl Thomas WR Texas

4. Mike Iupati (Guard, Idaho)

5. Brandon Graham (DE, Michigan)

[BengalszoneBilly]

Hmmm. I really don't think Mays will be there at #21. More time needed to see how this s**t is gonna play out.

[wpeldios]

Top 5 that "may" be available to me:

1)Taylor Mays

2)Earl Thomas

3)Mike Iupati

4)Dez Bryant

5)Everson Griffen

[NJ29]

1) Earl Thomas

2) Brandon Graham

3) Taylor Mays

4) Mike Iupati

5) Sergio Kindle

[PhunkE1]

1) Dez Bryant

2) Earl Thomas

3) Mike Iupati

4) Taylor Mays

5) Dan Williams/Brian Price (Best DT available)

Everyone has just fallen in love with Talor Mays' measurables, but he's not half the football player that Earl Thomas is. I seriously doubt Thomas will be there at 21, but I would be surprised if Mays isn't. Also, anyone else starting to feel like Dez Bryant is mirroring Randy Moss in the 98 draft? Moss went 21st, so I could see it happen to Bryant.

[Kazkal]

Everyone has just fallen in love with Talor Mays' measurables, but he's not half the football player that Earl Thomas is. t.

Um I've wanted Mays since his Sophmore year so its more then what he does with his shirt off,As for Mays not being half the player earl is why was mays considered a top 3 pick last year and Earl is being talked about in the 20-30 area...Yes mays had a down year when USC loss most of its starters last year but doesn't mean he can't be the same player.More so when you Have Zimmer & Coyle coaching him with learning by example from Roy..

PS,I think the problem is reversed that his blind haters wanna say hes simply a workout warrior which is Retarded.

[PhunkE1]

Everyone has just fallen in love with Talor Mays' measurables, but he's not half the football player that Earl Thomas is. t.

Um I've wanted Mays since his Sophmore year so its more then what he does with his shirt off,As for Mays not being half the player earl is why was mays considered a top 3 pick last year and Earl is being talked about in the 20-30 area...Yes mays had a down year when USC loss most of its starters last year but doesn't mean he can't be the same player.More so when you Have Zimmer & Coyle coaching him with learning by example from Roy..

PS,I think the problem is reversed that his blind haters wanna say hes simply a workout warrior which is Retarded.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. One thing I think we would both agree on is that Mays lost allot of money by coming back to school, but I think he would have still been exposed at the combine and in workouts if he would have come out early. I will take the player that looks better in position drills than the speed demon every time. IMO, Mays is an in the box player. Yes, he has freakish straight line speed, but he has below avg latteral movement. I just think he will get exposed in coverage. I believe has has 2 picks in his career for god's sake, not that that is the tell all about coverage, but it does tell us coverage isn't a strength. Wait, you're right about something, Roy will be able to show him how to get beat in coverage.

This all being said, I'd have no problem drafting Mays, but that's just because Earl Thomas won't be on the board at 21. My real fear is that Mays is really just a weak side LB.

[Kazkal]

looks better in position drills than the speed demon every time

So Position Drills translate to on field play? Remember Hair pointing out recently USC players don't even prepare for the combine because of said useless drills...I do agree with Mays costing himself alot of money by returning but at same time Happy for it if we get a crack at him...

My real fear is that Mays is really just a weak side LB.

Well I'm not to worried about it Because if Roy has a Place on our D so does Mays,Though a WLB would kinda screw us since we already have 2 good ones >_<

PS,It's cool if you don't like the guy Phunke plenty people didn't want Rey last year but never swayed my opinion of him hehe

[HairOnFire]

For the love of Mike Mayock I swear I don't know why everyone insists in comparing Earl Thomas to Taylor Mays.

[BengalPimp]

Everyone has just fallen in love with Talor Mays' measurables, but he's not half the football player that Earl Thomas is. t.

Um I've wanted Mays since his Sophmore year so its more then what he does with his shirt off,As for Mays not being half the player earl is why was mays considered a top 3 pick last year and Earl is being talked about in the 20-30 area...Yes mays had a down year when USC loss most of its starters last year but doesn't mean he can't be the same player.More so when you Have Zimmer & Coyle coaching him with learning by example from Roy..

PS,I think the problem is reversed that his blind haters wanna say hes simply a workout warrior which is Retarded.

Preach On Kaz.

[BlainThePain]

!. Sergio Kindle

2. Earl Thomas

3. Jermaine Gresham

4. Mike Iupati

5. Jerry Hughes

As long as its not Carlos Dunlap, I won't be pissed about the pick.

[PhunkE1]

looks better in position drills than the speed demon every time

So Position Drills translate to on field play? Remember Hair pointing out recently USC players don't even prepare for the combine because of said useless drills...I do agree with Mays costing himself alot of money by returning but at same time Happy for it if we get a crack at him...

My real fear is that Mays is really just a weak side LB.

Well I'm not to worried about it Because if Roy has a Place on our D so does Mays,Though a WLB would kinda screw us since we already have 2 good ones >_<

PS,It's cool if you don't like the guy Phunke plenty people didn't want Rey last year but never swayed my opinion of him hehe

The difference there is Rey slipped to us in the 2nd. People were clamoring for Rey at #6 and that was just downright ridiculous. I like Mays, I just think Earl Thomas is the better all around player.

[PhunkE1]

For the love of Mike Mayock I swear I don't know why everyone insists in comparing Earl Thomas to Taylor Mays.

I just don't think there's any comparison between the two. Earl Thomas is a classic FS, where Mays is a SS. Earl Thomas is more of a complete player at this stage in the game, IMHO.

[Kazkal]

Ya but we have FS with 2 years left we have a SS with one year and has only played 6 games-8 games in 2 years,I love Roy but we do need insurance

[HairOnFire]

For the love of Mike Mayock I swear I don't know why everyone insists in comparing Earl Thomas to Taylor Mays.

I just don't think there's any comparison between the two. Earl Thomas is a classic FS, where Mays is a SS. Earl Thomas is more of a complete player at this stage in the game, IMHO.

Exactly my point. If someone wants to argue that between the two players it is Thomas who represents BPA I won't argue very much. That said, it shouldn't take more than a single glance to see how pointless it is comparing the style of play of both players. Because not only isn't their style of play comparable the two players would be drafted to eventually replace different starters. And there's the rub because Thomas would supplant Crocker, who I'm in no hurry to replace, while Mays would replace Roy Williams, which seems to me like a far more pressing need.

As for the lables applied, I agree Thomas is a classic FS but IMHO he isn't a unique player in any way. But that's not a bad thing as he'd probably fit on the roster of every team in the NFL, and his FS/CB skillset is easier to judge. As for Mays, almost everything about him is unique, he probably wouldn't fit in the schemes of half the teams in the NFL, and his SS/FS/OLB skillset offers as many challenges as opportunities. But almost none of that matters if it's determined he fits what a team needs, and in this case I think he does. Big time.

[PhunkE1]

For the love of Mike Mayock I swear I don't know why everyone insists in comparing Earl Thomas to Taylor Mays.

I just don't think there's any comparison between the two. Earl Thomas is a classic FS, where Mays is a SS. Earl Thomas is more of a complete player at this stage in the game, IMHO.

Exactly my point. If someone wants to argue that between the two players it is Thomas who represents BPA I won't argue very much. That said, it shouldn't take more than a single glance to see how pointless it is comparing the style of play of both players. Because not only isn't their style of play comparable the two players would be drafted to eventually replace different starters. And there's the rub because Thomas would supplant Crocker, who I'm in no hurry to replace, while Mays would replace Roy Williams, which seems to me like a far more pressing need.

As for the lables applied, I agree Thomas is a classic FS but IMHO he isn't a unique player in any way. But that's not a bad thing as he'd probably fit on the roster of every team in the NFL, and his FS/CB skillset is easier to judge. As for Mays, almost everything about him is unique, he probably wouldn't fit in the schemes of half the teams in the NFL, and his SS/FS/OLB skillset offers as many challenges as opportunities. But almost none of that matters if it's determined he fits what a team needs, and in this case I think he does. Big time.

Good analysis, Hair, and maybe Marvin's philosophy has changed, or he's just comfortable giving Zimmer control of the D, but in the past Marvin has always said he wants his safeties interchangeable. Crocker and Thomas at Safety sounds better to me than Crocker and Mays, but that's just me. Do we all really think we will get a full year out or Roy anyways? It's not like Crocker is a spring chicken either. If it comes down to Thomas or Mays I would hope they take the best player, not the player the fills more of a need next year.

[Kazkal]

Good analysis, Hair, and maybe Marvin's philosophy has changed, or he's just comfortable giving Zimmer control of the D, but in the past Marvin has always said he wants his safeties interchangeable. Crocker and Thomas at Safety sounds better to me than Crocker and Mays, but that's just me. Do we all really think we will get a full year out or Roy anyways? It's not like Crocker is a spring chicken either. If it comes down to Thomas or Mays I would hope they take the best player, not the player the fills more of a need next year.

Well Let's see Defense has gone to Rank 18 & 4 Under Zimmer and had no problem with bringing Roy in and having him replace Ndukwe right away,So I'd say it's safe to assume Marvin doesn't mind Zimmer being in control of the D.

[PhunkE1]

Good analysis, Hair, and maybe Marvin's philosophy has changed, or he's just comfortable giving Zimmer control of the D, but in the past Marvin has always said he wants his safeties interchangeable. Crocker and Thomas at Safety sounds better to me than Crocker and Mays, but that's just me. Do we all really think we will get a full year out or Roy anyways? It's not like Crocker is a spring chicken either. If it comes down to Thomas or Mays I would hope they take the best player, not the player the fills more of a need next year.

Well Let's see Defense has gone to Rank 18 & 4 Under Zimmer and had no problem with bringing Roy in and having him replace Ndukwe right away,So I'd say it's safe to assume Marvin doesn't mind Zimmer being in control of the D.

Good point, Kaz. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out. Like I stated earlier, I doubt that Thomas will be there anyway. If they both are and we chose Mays over Thomas I hope to god I'm wrong in my thinking.

[Kazkal]

Ya either way i'm happy really the 2 players I want most in the draft...Now if I here someone with last name price

[BengalPimp]

Earl Thomas is more of a complete player at this stage in the game, IMHO.

That would be amazing if it were true. I mean, if Earl Thomas can be more of a complete player after playing only 2 seasons of college football, than a guy like Mays who was a four-year starter and 3-Time All-American, that says something.

IMO Taylor Mays will be a Pro-Bowler, and I think he will do it sooner than Thomas (If he does at all).

I just don't think a guy can come into the NFL after only 2 years of college and be effective at the Safety position. Look for him to get burned when he gambles (which he tends to do) and get caught out of position at times. I'm not saying the guy won't be good, it will just take some time.

"At this stage" Thomas has exactly 2 years of college experience, whereas Mays is a 4 year starter and 3-Time All-American....Did I mention that before?

They'll no doubt end up playing different positions, and who knows Thomas might even play CB. Like Hair said why is everybody comparing Thomas and Mays? (I'm paraphrasing)

Also, I like Mays' bloodline. His Dad (Stafford) was a D-Lineman for both the Cards and the Vikes.

[Kazkal]

t would be amazing if it were true. I mean, if Earl Thomas can be more of a complete player after playing only 2 seasons of college football, than a guy like Mays who was a four-year starter and 3-Time All-American, that says something.

Plus playing for USC which some people value their practices as real games...Just sayin