The Obligatory Grade the Draft Thread

[COB]

At The Embers

Marvin: "I'll have the veal."

Waiter: "Very good, and you, sir?"

Brat: "Send two waiters down the right aisle of the kitchen. Have them pick up some protein, preferably bovine in origin. Tell them to walk to the back door. Open the door. Go to the dumpster. Begin to dump the plate into the dumpster. Stop at the last minute. Have them walk back into the restaurant. A busboy sweeps down upon them from the dishwasing sink. He takes the plate of protein. He walks to the pay phone in the front of the restaurant and calls his mother. He tells his mother there are 4 ducks on the frozen pond, then he hangs up. The waiters reappear, they take the..."

Marvin: (Interrupts) "He'll have a hamburger."

Waiter: "Very good, sir."

[derekshank]

Matt Miller's draft grade:

Grade: A+

Summary

While I'm not a huge fan of Dre Kirkpatrick this early—and they technically passed on David DeCastro to get Kevin Zeitler—the rest of this draft is amazing.

The Bengals filled needs for the present and future, drafting tough competitors who have played at high levels on major stages in college football. Still, Sanu, Thompson, Charles, Prater, Jones and Iloka are all steals in their draft slots.

Best draft of the 2012 class? The early grade goes to Cincinnati.

[BengalszoneBilly]

My nephew saw Marvin at Embers in Kenwood around 9pm. He was dining with Brat of all people.

I told my nephew to congratulate him on a good draft.

I'd have told my nephew to kick Bratkowski in the nads.

[HoosierCat]

At The Embers

Marvin: "I'll have the veal."

Waiter: "Very good, and you, sir?"

Brat: "Send two waiters down the right aisle of the kitchen. Have them pick up some protein, preferably bovine in origin. Tell them to walk to the back door. Open the door. Go to the dumpster. Begin to dump the plate into the dumpster. Stop at the last minute. Have them walk back into the restaurant. A busboy sweeps down upon them from the dishwasing sink. He takes the plate of protein. He walks to the pay phone in the front of the restaurant and calls his mother. He tells his mother there are 4 ducks on the frozen pond, then he hangs up. The waiters reappear, they take the..."

Marvin: (Interrupts) "He'll have a hamburger."

Waiter: "Very good, sir."

GAWDAMIT COB!!! I just spit my f*cking drink all over the floor! Effing bastige! Cut that OUT!

[kingwilly]

At The Embers

Marvin: "I'll have the veal."

Waiter: "Very good, and you, sir?"

Brat: "Send two waiters down the right aisle of the kitchen. Have them pick up some protein, preferably bovine in origin. Tell them to walk to the back door. Open the door. Go to the dumpster. Begin to dump the plate into the dumpster. Stop at the last minute. Have them walk back into the restaurant. A busboy sweeps down upon them from the dishwasing sink. He takes the plate of protein. He walks to the pay phone in the front of the restaurant and calls his mother. He tells his mother there are 4 ducks on the frozen pond, then he hangs up. The waiters reappear, they take the..."

Marvin: (Interrupts) "He'll have a hamburger."

Waiter: "Very good, sir."

f**kign gold,right there.

[kingwilly]

Matt Miller's draft grade:

Grade: A+

Summary

While I'm not a huge fan of Dre Kirkpatrick this early—and they technically passed on David DeCastro to get Kevin Zeitler—the rest of this draft is amazing.

The Bengals filled needs for the present and future, drafting tough competitors who have played at high levels on major stages in college football. Still, Sanu, Thompson, Charles, Prater, Jones and Iloka are all steals in their draft slots.

Best draft of the 2012 class? The early grade goes to Cincinnati.

I voted A.

Herron was a slight *meh* but the ret is goddam good. SoP will wake up Monday and wonder why he is in Tijuana and why his azz hurta so much.

[kingwilly]

I think it is important to look at the body of work in FA and the draft to grade this properly.

I still think they need another veteran WR to add some vet headiness but it is all making sense to me now.

I'm so happy, I'm taking my pops golfing in the AM at Telaga!

[derekshank]

I’ve done this every year for a while with a weighted grading system. I think it’s important to use a weighted system because a final exam is worth more than a standard homework assignment. Likewise, counting off significant points because of the 6th round pick gives that late round pick far too much weight.

Rather than assign an arbitrary value to each pick, I go with the draft pick value chart to determine how heavily each individual pick should go toward my overall grade. So... here goes:

Pick #17: Dre Kirkpatrick. Grade: C+

I don’t think Kirkpatrick was a top 20 player (more like top 50), so I’m not a fan of using a top 20 pick. It felt like a big reach to me when players like Melvin Ingram and David DeCastro were available. Worse, Jamell Fleming and Casey Hayward were both available at the Bengals slot in the 2nd round - and in my opinion would have represented much better value. I’m trying not to hate the pick... but I know I don’t love it. 79% of a potential 950 points = 750.5 points.

Pick #27: Kevin Zeitler. Grade: A-

While I would have loved to have DeCastro... Zeitler is the superior run blocker at this point. Getting Zeitler and picking up an extra 3rd round pick is pretty damn nice. The only complaint I have is that OG was very deep in this draft. Kelechi Osemele and Peter Konz were both available in the 2nd round. But this is the guy the Bengals targeted and they managed to get an extra pick in the process. Not too shabby. 93% of a potential 680 points = 632.4

Pick #53: Devon Still. Grade: A+

This guy is a stud. He’s a 1st round talent whose only weakness is that he plays inconsistently when fatigued. The strength of the Bengals D-Line is the depth of the rotation. He’ll plug into the rotation immediately and be a big contributor. He won’t be relied on to play 60 snaps/game... so the stamina issues are moot. Great pick. 100% of a potential 370 points = 370 points.

Pick #83: Mohamed Sanu. Grade: A+

A top 50 player who was discussed as a potential late 1st rounder. An extremely versatile player who is a perfect fit for the West Coast Offense. He may lack elite speed, but he has great burst and quickness... and will complement AJ Green very nicely. At one point I hoped that he would fall to the Bengals in the 2nd round. I never imagined he would be available in the 3rd. Fantastic pick. 100% out of a potential 175 points = 175 points.

Pick #93: Brandon Thompson. Grade: A-

Thompson represents very good value at the 93rd pick. Peko and Sims are the only run-stuffers on the interior D-Line - and we’ve seen how quickly the run defense suffers when one of them is hobbled. The only thing I don’t like about this pick is that I’m not sure DT was a big enough need to draft two in the top 100 picks... and Lamar Miller would have brought an explosive element that the running game currently lacks. But that’s nit picky. 93% out of a potential 128 points = 119 points.

Pick #116: Orson Charles. Grade: A

I loved this pick. This was obviously a case of BPA, cecause the Bengals didn’t need a TE. But Charles brings a skill set that Lee and Cochart lack. Gruden has talked a lot about 2TE sets... and the Patriots have proven how effective they can be. Gresham/Charles have a chance to be an elite combo. 96% out of a potential 62 points = 59.5 points.

Pick #156: Shaun Prater. Grade: C-

Prater’s talent level might have represented good value here... but I’m not sure where he fits. Even if Newman gets cut, that still leaves Hall, Clements, Allen, Jones, Kirkpatrick, and Ghee. Plus, Prater’s biggest weakness is that he lacks the size to play press-man... which is what Zimmer asks of his CBs. I don’t see him sticking on the roster. Maybe he can make the PS and contribute next year... but I'm not a big fan of this pick. 73% out of a potential 29 points = 21.2 points.

Pick #166: Marvin Jones. Grade: A+

Jones brings something the Bengals lack on the outside. Speed. I saw several mock drafts that had Marvin Jones going to the Bengals in the 3rd round to be their #2WR. Several others had him going earlier in in the 3rd or even the 2nd round. I never thought for a second the Bengals would be able to snag both Sanu and Jones (let alone in the 3rd and 5th rounds). The Bengals #2 WR spot went from a big question mark to pretty damn deep. Incredible value here. 100% out of a potential 25 points = 25 points.

Pick #167: George Iloka. Grade: A+

This may have been a weak Safety class, but Iloka was rated among the best in this draft. He may not have run a great 40 yard dash at the combine... but he plays faster than that. He has an elite speed/size ratio and can play both FS and SS. He needs some coaching (what 5th round pick doesn't?), but I won’t be the least bit surprised to see him get playing time this year. New Era Scouting had him rated as the #67 overall player. The Bengals got him 100 picks after that. Absolute steal. 100% out of a potential 24.6 points = 24.6 points.

Pick #191: Dan Herron. Grade: C

I love the Buckeyes, and Herron is a decent player. In fact, this was about the range I expected him to be drafted. I could see him beating Bernard Scott out as the #2 RB in the committee. I just can’t get past Chris Polk. I have a feeling we’ll regret not drafting him. He’s a 3-down back in this league and a perfect fit in the AFC North. I’m not sure either thing can be said about Herron. 76% out of a potential 15 points = 11.4 points.

2188.6 out of a potential 2458.6 = 89% (B+).

Despite my feelings about Kirkpatrick and Polk... overall, my feeling is that the Bengals killed it. Great job.

[HoosierCat]

That's a tremendous write-up derek, and thank you for sharing it here. Overall, I agree with your assessment. Like you I'm not thrilled about the first round (though we have very different reasons for being dissatisfied, as we've gone though elsewhere) but in the main it's a bar-raising draft. I think Prater has a shot at the roster given the fragile nature of so much of the defensive backfield and Herron intrigues me as a receiving weapon out of the backfield, but these are wait-and-see issues.

Again, great job.

[kingwilly]

That's a tremendous write-up derek, and thank you for sharing it here. Overall, I agree with your assessment. Like you I'm not thrilled about the first round (though we have very different reasons for being dissatisfied, as we've gone though elsewhere) but in the main it's a bar-raising draft. I think Prater has a shot at the roster given the fragile nature of so much of the defensive backfield and Herron intrigues me as a receiving weapon out of the backfield, but these are wait-and-see issues.

Again, great job.

agreed. Thumbs up Derek

[derekshank]

That's a tremendous write-up derek, and thank you for sharing it here. Overall, I agree with your assessment. Like you I'm not thrilled about the first round (though we have very different reasons for being dissatisfied, as we've gone though elsewhere) but in the main it's a bar-raising draft. I think Prater has a shot at the roster given the fragile nature of so much of the defensive backfield and Herron intrigues me as a receiving weapon out of the backfield, but these are wait-and-see issues.

Again, great job.

agreed. Thumbs up Derek

Thanks fellas.

[Scottishbengal]

I've gone for a B. Generally I love this draft but there's a couple of "huh?" picks in there for me.

Kirkpatrick over DeCastro - both areas of need but hey Marvin had to call it one way or the other.

Zeitler over Glenn - ditto

Still - a steal

Sanu - oh hell yeah

Thompson - oh yeah

Charles - oh yeah

Prater - yeah

Jones - oh hell yeah

Iloka - obviously the coaches see a need which makes me wonder about Mays/Sands - but Iloka this late = oh hell yeah

Herron - don't know too much about him to be honest, but taking a RB this late means the coaches are either good to go with whats on the roster or this kid has fallen way down the list and was too good to pass up.

Linemen - check

CB's - check

bad ass LB - check

Recievers - check

extra RB, TE, S - check

it's all good

[membengal]

Kinda amusing how the neutral national observers are by and large ringing this draft home with "A" grades and folks here have landed on "B"s.

This is still one beaten down fanbase...

[redsbengalsbucks]

First 3 picks are an A+. The rest are a B or C+. So I have to give the overall grade a B. Very good draft with a couple of ?. Why two DT's? Why no DE?. Even being a Buckeye fan I don't think Boom is a NFL starter.

Overall very happy with the draft, I wanted 4 impact players and I think they may have gotten 4-5.

WHO-DEY!!!

[jjakq27]

My nephew saw Marvin at Embers in Kenwood around 9pm. He was dining with Brat of all people.

I told my nephew to congratulate him on a good draft.

I'd have told my nephew to kick Bratkowski in the nads.

Lol Billy. Isn't Brat the OC in Atlanta? I wonder if he came straight from the airport or if the Falcons told him to stay home from their draft. I was surprised to hear he was in town so soon after the draft ended.

COB, that was good stuff. I can imagine that these occurrences happened quite often within PBS.

Derek, nice write-up. Any idea how this year compares to previous drafts?

[volcom69]

Awesome write up Derek!

[derekshank]

Derek, nice write-up. Any idea how this year compares to previous drafts?

Last year I gave them an A-. AJ Green and Andy Dalton with the 1st two picks made up for a lackluster end of the draft.

I guess I didn't do one in 2010... but I wasn't happy with Jermaine Gresham (for similar reasons that I dislike of the Kirkpatrick pick). I liked the Dunlap and Shipley picks though. That draft probably would have gotten a 'B-' or a 'C+' if I had gone to the trouble of grading it out.

The 2009 draft got a solid A from me, because I was a big fan of Andre Smith and Maualuga. I was wrong on both counts. Andre has gotten his s**t together... but he certainly shouldn't have gotten an 'A' grade. Maualuga has been decent when healthy - but that hasn't been very often. He's been a disappointment.

Despite my higher grades in 2011 and 2009, I do think this has been the Bengals strongest draft. It would have gotten an 'A' or perhaps even an 'A+' if I would have been a believer in Kirkpatrick.

[walzav29]

What a draft! Almost perfect. I wish they would have grabbed Rainey, but it's just great. The battle for #2 wr will be awesome. Zeitler is a nasty giant guard. I can't wait for 4th and 1. Charles and Greshem that will bbe good. They have upgraded their secondary. The waves of D-lineman is going to be awesome plus they are ready for Sims to leave after next season. So are we are set with B. Scott and Green-Ellis?

[princeton]

2188.6 out of a potential 2458.6 = 89% (B+).

if you substitute DeCastro for Zeitler/Thompson, I suppose that the Bengals go up to a low A?

here's a case where quantity trumps quality, of course. It's nice to have an extra big body

[walzav29]

Pac10 guys are soft. See CP and Rivers. Zeitler all the way!

[derekshank]

2188.6 out of a potential 2458.6 = 89% (B+).

if you substitute DeCastro for Zeitler/Thompson, I suppose that the Bengals go up to a low A?

here's a case where quantity trumps quality, of course. It's nice to have an extra big body

No. The main issue I had with the draft wasn't Zeitler. It was Kirkpatrick.

[HoosierCat]

Mel's grades:

Bengals A- The Bengals didn't hit any home runs in value, but as we sat on the set, we'd nod to each other with every pick.

Browns B- The Browns will get questions on value, but they had a plan and stuck to it. There were good wideouts available at No. 37, so that's the pick I question the most.

Steelers B Pittsburgh got one of the total steals of the draft when Stanford guard David DeCastro fell all the way to No. 24. This was a fantastic draft in my opinion.

Ravens B The Ravens had a great weekend. Any time you move out of the first round, still get a guy with first-round talent (Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw), and he happens to fill your biggest need, you're happy.

/>http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/47292/mel-kipers-post-draft-grades-on-afc-north

[BengalszoneBilly]

Mel's grades:

Bengals A- The Bengals didn't hit any home runs in value, but as we sat on the set, we'd nod to each other with every pick.

Browns B- The Browns will get questions on value, but they had a plan and stuck to it. There were good wideouts available at No. 37, so that's the pick I question the most.

Steelers B Pittsburgh got one of the total steals of the draft when Stanford guard David DeCastro fell all the way to No. 24. This was a fantastic draft in my opinion.

Ravens B The Ravens had a great weekend. Any time you move out of the first round, still get a guy with first-round talent (Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw), and he happens to fill your biggest need, you're happy.

/>http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/47292/mel-kipers-post-draft-grades-on-afc-north

No wonder the AFC North put three teams in the playoffs last season.

[HoosierCat]

Joe Goodberry gives the Bengals an A.

/>http://www.cincyjungle.com/2012/4/29/2986252/nfl-draft-2012-grading-the-bengals-draft-class-cincinnati

[skyline]

Joe Goodberry gives the Bengals an A.

http://www.cincyjung...lass-cincinnati

Have we found any media-types that haven't given us an A yet?

It's started to give me a bad feeling about things...