Your 2014 Draft Class

[HoosierCat]

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State

Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU

Will Clark, DE, West Virginia

Russell Bodine, C, North Carolina

A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama

Marquis Flowers, LB, Arizona

James Wright, WR, LSU

Lavelle Westbrooks, CB, Georgia Southern

[Wraith]

Overall I would call this a good not great draft.

Like the positions filled and I am willing to give the Bengals brass so credit for the pretty good draft they have executed over the past 4-5 years.

Love Dennard, feel good about Hill and Bodine. I am meh about everyone else, a solid B draft IMHO.

[cincyhokie]

Dennard and Hill can be starters. I like the Bodine pick due to his versatility. At the least he is good depth at guard. At the best he steps in and can start over Boling.

[Dimster28]

u guys might wonder why i pick A for grade, it is because i know nothing about college(I dont watch college football), so those unknown players from 1st pick and 256th pick is same to me, so bengals pick is always graded A to me ;)/>

[HoosierCat]

Overall I would call this a good not great draft.

Like the positions filled and I am willing to give the Bengals brass so credit for the pretty good draft they have executed over the past 4-5 years.

Love Dennard, feel good about Hill and Bodine. I am meh about everyone else, a solid B draft IMHO.

Yah B here as well. It worries me that it seemed like a need draft. Usually a few years later you look back on those and talk about all the guys the missed. But they have earned a little leeway on draft day over the last few years so we will see.

[princeton]

loved Dennard; saw a couple of things on Hill's tape that really intrigued me. The thought of Gio and Hill as James Brooks and Ickey Woods really tickles me. Added some physicality, which was missing in the last draft. All good things.

but in the last two drafts, the Bengals have reached for need with Hunt, Shawn Williams, Bodine and Will Clarke. I think that Bengals do better when they just take the best available player, with less emphasis on filling needs. But let's see how this plays out. If a couple of those guys does become legitimate NFL starters, then it's a huge bonus

supposedly a strong draft at wide receiver, and Bengals passed. Too bad.

[TJJackson]

M E G A S U C K

[redsbengalsbucks]

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State A+

Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU C for character concerns

Will Clark, DE, West Virginia B- Decent enough pick, but we needed S and OL help much more

Russell Bodine, C, North Carolina C Short arms, stiff hips but strong

A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama C Ehh, probably the best QB on the board at the time, but I didn't want one

Marquis Flowers, LB, Arizona D prospect reach

James Wright, WR, LSU F Who? big time reach

Lavelle Westbrooks, CB, Georgia Southern B good pick to develop

My grades in BOLD at best this draft grades out to a C or C- if Hill doesn't go boom in a bar.

I voted D in the pool because I have no desire to hook up with this draft. LOL

[Scottishbengal]

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State Top move at a position of need.

Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU. Should prove a good counterfeit for Gio in the running game.

Will Clark, DE, West Virginia. Added depth.

Russell Bodine, C, North Carolina. Added depth with no pressure to start.

A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama. Daltons negotiating position got stronger ...if not looking to replace Dalton in this draft was this a wasted pick

Marquis Flowers, LB, Arizona late round development project

James Wright, WR, LSU. Late round development project.

Lavelle Westbrooks, CB, Georgia Southern. Late round development project.

Whilst I love the Dennard pick I think we failed to address areas of need in free agency and the draft in terms of immediate impact. Off-season for me is a C grade

[gregcook68]

Well done!!

/>http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Bengals-flex-in-AFC-North-arms-race/1fd4167a-1832-4856-b83f-13fc9a760eb4

“Once again, the Bengals knocked it out of the park,” is how NFL.com put it. SI.com gave the Dennard pick an A-minus and ESPN gave the draft a thumbs up.

[Stripes]

seemed to cover various positions of need and get decent value according to many people

F

[HoosierCat]

Mel gives them a B.

/>http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/7684/bengals-nfl-draft-mel-kiper-success

[kingwilly]

Just a couple of comments.

Dennard is an A, blue-chip player. He will be starting early. Newman and/or Jones should bring it to keep a job.

Hill will be excellent, and provide the burst and big rip plays that BJGE simply can't. Some liked Hyde but Hill is a more dynamic back.

Clarke is a "meh" pick. They liked him so we will wait to see. To me, there were bigger needs, and better DEs there. This was the place to take a Center.

Bodine is a big reach. Likely could have been had as an UDFA. With needs at S and CB, they had several options here but moved up and reached.

McCarron is just silly. Why did all the terms pass on him? They likely viewed him as a Dalton-esque player, and who's hot to go after that? No need to take a backup in r5. Plenty of guys to develop over a couple of seasons had later or as an UDFA.

Flowers, Wright, Westbrooks, decent depth picks but we don't need Lbs unless they are going to really push to start and upgrade the D.

Anyways, I give it a C due to Dennard and Hill but Clarke, Bodine and McCarron keep this draft from being special.

[gregcook68]

I agree with Volcom, for me, this whole notion of grading picks before the first practice, let alone the first snap, is strictly to support the board.

I abstain and give benefit of the doubt to the professionals until the season unfolds.

[ArmyBengal]

I missed almost the entire draft between school, family and illness.

I finally got a chance to catch up and wished I wouldn't have bothered.

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St. -- I love this pick and still can't believe he was there.

Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU -- I probably like this pick more than most, but the risk is there. Buh bye BJGE.

Will Clark, DE, West Virginia -- The coaching staff think they really have something in him, but I would've preferred Stork.

Russell Bodine, C, North Carolina -- Stork would have changed this pick. Give me Brock Vereen, Telvin Smith, or David Yankey. Hate this pick.

A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama -- Hate this pick more than round 4. Jared Abbrederis would have given us more at this point.

Marquis Flowers, LB, Arizona -- Why draft a LB that has no chance of beating out any of the other no names we currently have. Hate it.

James Wright, WR, LSU -- Abbrederis would have changed this pick. FB ?? TE ?? Anyone ??

Lavelle Westbrooks, CB, Georgia Southern -- Not a single OT in the whole draft ?? Not one worth taking among the crap ??

So FOR ME:

I love round 1.

Really like round 2.

Kinda like round 3.

Hate rounds 4-7.

If I were to try to place a letter grade, it would probably average out to a C+.

With the recent drafts working out the way they have, I will hold back on hating with every breath I can muster, but I wanted more than what it appears we got.

[ArmyBengal]

On a side note, I'd like to offer up a huge "Thank you !!" and "Job well done !!" to Hoosier for keeping things moving through the draft with the threads.

I was hoping to be around even for a little while, but that didn't happen.

Thanks brother !!!

[HoosierCat]

Not a problem. It gave me an excuse to put off the lawn work to Sunday!

[kingwilly]

I agree with Volcom, for me, this whole notion of grading picks before the first practice, let alone the first snap, is strictly to support the board.

I abstain and give benefit of the doubt to the professionals until the season unfolds.

Remind us again why you are here?

We discuss and speculate, and opine and celebrate and such.....

If you choose to hold off, simply deferring to the professional football people, what reason do you need to remind us of that?

That is all.

[princeton]

Just a couple of comments.

Dennard is an A, blue-chip player. He will be starting early. Newman and/or Jones should bring it to keep a job.

Hill will be excellent, and provide the burst and big rip plays that BJGE simply can't. Some liked Hyde but Hill is a more dynamic back.

Clarke is a "meh" pick. They liked him so we will wait to see. To me, there were bigger needs, and better DEs there. This was the place to take a Center.

Bodine is a big reach. Likely could have been had as an UDFA. With needs at S and CB, they had several options here but moved up and reached.

McCarron is just silly. Why did all the terms pass on him? They likely viewed him as a Dalton-esque player, and who's hot to go after that? No need to take a backup in r5. Plenty of guys to develop over a couple of seasons had later or as an UDFA.

Flowers, Wright, Westbrooks, decent depth picks but we don't need Lbs unless they are going to really push to start and upgrade the D.

Anyways, I give it a C due to Dennard and Hill but Clarke, Bodine and McCarron keep this draft from being special.

This.

I do like the physicality of the top 4 picks, however. It fits a Bengals need. C+

Reminds me a little of the Leon Hall draft... Hall clone in first round, RB in the second, QB whose ceiling is no higher than backup in the fifth. Hopefully Hill lasts a lot longer than Kenny Irons

[Sea Ray]

I wanted Hyde over Hill amd Mettenberger over McCarron. Hope I turn out to be wrong on those...

[gregcook68]

I agree with Volcom, for me, this whole notion of grading picks before the first practice, let alone the first snap, is strictly to support the board.

I abstain and give benefit of the doubt to the professionals until the season unfolds.

Remind us again why you are here?

We discuss and speculate, and opine and celebrate and such.....

If you choose to hold off, simply deferring to the professional football people, what reason do you need to remind us of that?

That is all.

Read again king dawg. I said I defer until the picks are given a chance.

Until then, you just don't know. Remember Archie Griffin? That was a no brainer pick for the Bengals. ...at least everyone thought! Back to back Heisman winner! How can you ho wrong? How'd that pick turn out?

We all remind each other with our opinions every day. So what was your question again?

[ArmyBengal]

Look, almost all of us are going to be wrong about one aspect or another in regards to this draft.

I don't care for the majority of this draft, but they may turn out to be studs.

However, at this time they aren't studs so i'm going to voice my displeasure at the moment.

As soon as "Jethro" earns the starting Center job and starts blowing up the big NT's in the division, I will be more than happy to come back and say I obviously must have missed something with him. That time isn't now, but I enjoy talking about it.

I'm not overwhelmed with Clarke, but he to has the ability to really come on strong in the rotation.

Who knows ??

[TJJackson]

i'm going to voice my displeasure at the moment.

be careful, mem doesn't deal well with negativity

"Jethro"

That's "Jeffro"

[ArmyBengal]

Thats "Jeffro"

I stand corrected.

[Wraith]

I missed almost the entire draft between school, family and illness.

I finally got a chance to catch up and wished I wouldn't have bothered.

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St. -- I love this pick and still can't believe he was there.

Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU -- I probably like this pick more than most, but the risk is there. Buh bye BJGE.

Will Clark, DE, West Virginia -- The coaching staff think they really have something in him, but I would've preferred Stork.

Russell Bodine, C, North Carolina -- Stork would have changed this pick. Give me Brock Vereen, Telvin Smith, or David Yankey. Hate this pick.

A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama -- Hate this pick more than round 4. Jared Abbrederis would have given us more at this point.

Marquis Flowers, LB, Arizona -- Why draft a LB that has no chance of beating out any of the other no names we currently have. Hate it.

James Wright, WR, LSU -- Abbrederis would have changed this pick. FB ?? TE ?? Anyone ??

Lavelle Westbrooks, CB, Georgia Southern -- Not a single OT in the whole draft ?? Not one worth taking among the crap ??

So FOR ME:

I love round 1.

Really like round 2.

Kinda like round 3.

Hate rounds 4-7.

If I were to try to place a letter grade, it would probably average out to a C+.

With the recent drafts working out the way they have, I will hold back on hating with every breath I can muster, but I wanted more than what it appears we got.

I agree with almost everything in this post. Coming into the draft I wanted a Guard or a Tackle and one of the top four Centers (Richburg, Stork, Martin, or Swanson) we didn't get that done however, I will reserve judgement on Bodine, it is possible that they knew something we didn't and they seem really high on him. Remember they had Gio as a resource and it is possible that Gio pushed for him. If they had Bondine ranked as a top Center then I am ok with this. I would be more excited if they hadn't gone DE in the third....if we had walked out with Stork and Dozier or Yankey I would be giddy right now...instead we have ? but I am willing to give the brain trust the benefit of the doubt, they certainly have access to a whole heck of a lot more information then I do and the track record has been pretty good lately.