Wraith's first Bengals Only Mock

[Wraith]

Rd. 1 #21: Barrett Jones, G/C, Alabama. Consumate Pro Type Player, smart, hard-nosed, would be a great fit for this team solidifying the inside with Zeitler and Boling. Jones performed at a very high level on the largest stage in College Football, this game will not be too big for him. Tough SOB, played the national championship game with two torn ligaments.

Rd. 2 #37: Khaseem Greene, OLB, Rutgers. Play making machine and a terrific leader. Converted Safety, has great ball skills is almost never out of position, is the undisputed leader of his team. Last year had 125 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 2 INTs. Won Big East Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons and finished his college career with 376 tackles.

Rd. 2 #53: Giovanni Bernard, RB, UNC. All around great back, can block, can run inside, can get around the corner, has great hands. Some risk that he won't last until #53 but there are enough good backs that if he goes early an Eddie Lacy or a Stepfan Taylor would work almost as well, no need to grab a back earlier than this and that thinking will likely push these backs down the draft board.

Rd. 3 #84: Bacarri Rambo, FS, Georgia. 16 career picks, and led the team in forced fumbles as a second team all SEC safety in 2012. By all accounts he is a smart player who has a nose for the football and would be a good upgrade at FS.

Rd. 4 Pick?: Chris Harper, WR, Kansas State. Former HS QB that originally signed with Oregon as a QB and then transferred to K-State as a WR. Great body, 6'1" 230 lbs. Rumors are that he will run a sub 4.5 40. Smart but kind of underachieving in college, good risk for the 4th round.

Rd. 5 Pick?: David Bass, DE, Missouri-Western. Small school terror. 56 TFLs and 39.5 sacks in his career, has an NFL body at 6'4" 263 lbs. Has been reliabily timed sub-4.6 in the 40.

Rd. 6 Pick?a: Brandon Kaufman, WR, Eastern Washington. Another small school prospect but you can't deny his size, 6'4", and his production the last two years he played (169 catches for 3,064 yards and 31 TDs). Has an injury history, missed the 2011 season with hand and knee issues.

Rd. 6 Pick?b: Steve Williams, CB, Cal-Berkley. A little undersized at 5'10" but had 10 PBU, 13 Pass Defendeds, 3 Ints and was Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Week in Week 7. Is rumored to be a sub 4.4 guy.

I know I am a little outside the normal projections on this stuff but these guys really pop to me. Provided we take care of our own in FA a draft like this married with the talent we already have would propel the Bengals to the Super Bowl IMHO.

[ArmyBengal]

Wraith,

Those first 4 picks are the same I listed in another thread in the main forum a while ago and I will give you a HUGE thumbs up as I think those would all be immediate impact players for the team.

After that, it's still a toss up. I think they take a DE later as well, but who is sketchy at this point. I like Buchanan out of Illinois. I also think the CB out of Illinois would be good as well (Hawthorne).

Like I said, HUGE thumbs up from me !!!

[Wraith]

Been watching this kid Kaufman out of Eastern Washington a long time, I think he is going to be a spectacular pro but is still listed as a 7th rounder on most postional rankings I can see his draft stock shooting up he has every attribute you look for except he is white and went to a small school. He fights and knows how to post up smaller CB and Safeties, plus body control and plus, plus hands. I wouldn't mind seeing him as high as the 4th.

[ArmyBengal]

I know we picked up Sanzenbacher in the offseason as well as that BIG kid whose name I can't remember.

I really don't see them using a late rounder on another WR, but you never know at that point.

[TJJackson]

Give me a OLT instead of that receiver in round 4, as I am of the mind that we already have our WR2 on the roster - either Sanu or Jones, or possibly even Whalen (many WR2s are possession guys)

The 3rd round safety seems like a drug conviction waiting to happen. Give me a pick to cover that position, yes, but not that player. If he goes undrafted, I'd happily take a flyer on him same as with Burfict

I'd like another RB in there but I am not sure where

Can any of the speed guys return kickoffs or punts?

[ArmyBengal]

That's the beauty of Barrett Jones in the 1st.

He's played all three OL positions at a high level and while he would have the greatest impact starting at Center this season, if there were an injury to Whit, he could step in and be productive as well. Like I said about him before, he could provide an upgrade at Center (not like that's not needed) and backup every spot on the o-line. I love everything about him being the pick and fully expect him to be there, but don't think they will.

Rambo in the 3rd is a value pick and while there are concerns, he would be our 4th pick of the draft.

He has the talent to go MUCH earlier. For those advocating the selection of Ogletree in the 1st, this pick should present ZERO concerns.

[Wraith]

Both Harris and Williams have the talent to compete for KR and PR neither did it much (or at all) in college.

A 5th or 6th rd wild card would be the honey badger for that reason. I wouldn't be mad at the Bengals for spending a 6 th round pick on Mathieu

[TJJackson]

That's the beauty of Barrett Jones in the 1st.

He's played all three OL positions at a high level and while he would have the greatest impact starting at Center this season, if there were an injury to Whit, he could step in and be productive as well.

I want Barret snapping the ball.......I know he can play elsewhere, but I want him at C

The way I look at it, we still need a LT to groom behind (or better yet, beside) Whitworth. Put him at LG this year, then switch him and Whit (who is losing steps) in 2014

[Wraith]

Boling played well at LG this year, I don't think LG is the position to address.

[ArmyBengal]

Agree with the thought of Mathieu if he drops beyond the 4th, but I don't think he will.

Also agree that Boling will only get better this season and think he needs to stay where he is.

Won't disagree with wanting to groom behind Whit.

[kingwilly]

Rd. 1 #21: Barrett Jones, G/C, Alabama. Consumate Pro Type Player, smart, hard-nosed, would be a great fit for this team solidifying the inside with Zeitler and Boling. Jones performed at a very high level on the largest stage in College Football, this game will not be too big for him. Tough SOB, played the national championship game with two torn ligaments.

Rd. 2 #37: Khaseem Greene, OLB, Rutgers. Play making machine and a terrific leader. Converted Safety, has great ball skills is almost never out of position, is the undisputed leader of his team. Last year had 125 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 2 INTs. Won Big East Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons and finished his college career with 376 tackles.

Rd. 2 #53: Giovanni Bernard, RB, UNC. All around great back, can block, can run inside, can get around the corner, has great hands. Some risk that he won't last until #53 but there are enough good backs that if he goes early an Eddie Lacy or a Stepfan Taylor would work almost as well, no need to grab a back earlier than this and that thinking will likely push these backs down the draft board.

Rd. 3 #84: Bacarri Rambo, FS, Georgia. 16 career picks, and led the team in forced fumbles as a second team all SEC safety in 2012. By all accounts he is a smart player who has a nose for the football and would be a good upgrade at FS.

Rd. 4 Pick?: Chris Harper, WR, Kansas State. Former HS QB that originally signed with Oregon as a QB and then transferred to K-State as a WR. Great body, 6'1" 230 lbs. Rumors are that he will run a sub 4.5 40. Smart but kind of underachieving in college, good risk for the 4th round.

Rd. 5 Pick?: David Bass, DE, Missouri-Western. Small school terror. 56 TFLs and 39.5 sacks in his career, has an NFL body at 6'4" 263 lbs. Has been reliabily timed sub-4.6 in the 40.

Rd. 6 Pick?a: Brandon Kaufman, WR, Eastern Washington. Another small school prospect but you can't deny his size, 6'4", and his production the last two years he played (169 catches for 3,064 yards and 31 TDs). Has an injury history, missed the 2011 season with hand and knee issues.

Rd. 6 Pick?b: Steve Williams, CB, Cal-Berkley. A little undersized at 5'10" but had 10 PBU, 13 Pass Defendeds, 3 Ints and was Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Week in Week 7. Is rumored to be a sub 4.4 guy.

I know I am a little outside the normal projections on this stuff but these guys really pop to me. Provided we take care of our own in FA a draft like this married with the talent we already have would propel the Bengals to the Super Bowl IMHO.

Really like the Jones, Greene and Bernard picks. I've read about Rambo being pretty bad at senior bowl, so who knows. His college production was very high in the SEC, though.

Bass and Kaufman are intriguing. I like the small school sleepers. I agree now that an early WR is almost too big of big risk. Better upside elsewhere.

If other safeties are being looked at, I do think that they should really look at Vaccaro in r1, if they don't look at OL or LB.

[Wraith]

This is a deep good safety draft, the only highly rated guy I don't like is T.J. McDonald out of USC...seems alot like Taylor Mays, trying for the big hit rather than executing his assignment.

Another sleeper to look at in FS is David Amerson out of N.C. State. I don't buy EmDiggy's position that he is a first rounder I see him as a guy we could get in the 3rd because he is definately going to switch positions but he has great length and very good ball skills as a FS.