2021 NFL Draft

[ArmyBengal]

No, this isn't my mock draft for next year, well.... not yet.

Rather, they announced the NFL draft will be in Cleveland next year.
I tried to make reservations, but the rates for the rooms aren't loaded up yet.
ArmyBengal Jr. and myself are definitely going for at least the first round festivities !!!

[TJJackson]

GIMME A LINEMAN

[ArmyBengal]

A bunch of them TJ !!!

[TJJackson]

one can only hope.......

[HoosierCat]

There’s not going to be any good OL left at pick 31. ;p

[TJJackson]

wait....why dont we just go ahead and WIN the superbowl, and ergo pick at 32?

[HoosierCat]

2 hours ago, TJJackson said:

wait....why dont we just go ahead and WIN the superbowl, and ergo pick at 32?

Well, this is the Bengals we’re talking about...

[TJJackson]

oh shit, youre right, sorry

[ArmyBengal]

I have been looking at the 2021 draft thoughts early on and while it shouldn't, it kind of surprises me that many projections just pencil the Bengals in for a top 5 pick.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not projecting a trip to the Super Bowl here, but would it shock anyone to see the team finish 8-8 ??
That may be stepping out on a limb considering all the turnover and youth expected to get playing time, not to mention the o-line, but still.
I'm simply not expecting another 2-14 out of these guys.

 

[HoosierCat]

I honestly have no idea what to expect out of this season. With covid screwing up the whole offseason and who knows what impact it will have by this fall, I could see just about anything. If it were a normal year, yeah, 2-14 seems way too pessimistic and 8-8-ish far more likely. But 2020? It’s a clusterfuck. At this point I’m just happy to wake up in the morning.

[HoosierCat]

 

[TJJackson]

I fully expect the  Bengals to have a top 3 pick this year

if it is the number 1 spot they need to trade down for as many day 1 and day 2 picks as they can get

[TJJackson]

Expected 2021 draft order for the Bengals as of midseason 2020

1, Passblocking ORT

2. Passrushing DE

3. Passrushing DT

4. Speed WR

5. 3-down TE

6. Developmental Passblocking OT

7a. Punter

7b. either a OL or DL with Longsnapping experience, or a developmental Passblocking Swing OT

[HoosierCat]

1. WR

2. K

3. P

4. WR/KR

5. TE

6. traded to NE for a bowl of chowdah, Duke was hungry

7a. TJ’s dead gramma 

7b. OL

[Stripes]

Rough estimation of priorities, at least as I'd rank them:

OT > DT > G > DE > LB > CB

Alright all of those seem essential and desperate, so this is depressing I'm done

[membengal]

They need a rush DE who can hold the edge in the worst sort of way.

[TJJackson]

On 11/10/2020 at 1:23 PM, HoosierCat said:

7a. TJ’s dead gramma

My dead gramma is worth at least a low 3rd :-)

[TJJackson]

On 11/10/2020 at 7:18 PM, Stripes said:

Rough estimation of priorities, at least as I'd rank them:

OT > DT > G > DE > LB > CB

Alright all of those seem essential and desperate, so this is depressing I'm done

I can't help but to like the emphasis on (GIMME A) linemen in this priority listing, but I actually think we are fairly well off with OGs right now relative to other spots.......I *think*

ORG

Xavier Su'a-Filo  is adequate and is signed  to a fairly cheap contract throught 2022.  So I see him as the starter at ORG through 2022.  For 2023, I think Jordan is *probably* the next man up

OLG

I love Spain.  Love him.  LOVE. Yes, it was just one game, but what a great game for a guy with no practice.  I see him as the starter probably at ORG, and hope I see an extension to his base contract asap.

OG BACKUP - Next man up

I am not as enamored of Michael Jordan as the team seems to but I see him as a third solid but unspectacular starter at either OG spot.  Got to at the very least credit him as a fairly experienced and CHEAP next man up

OTHER OG Backups

I cant see us keeping them all on the roster, but I think we have very good depth here all of the sudden.  We added Finley, who can play both OG spots as well as OC, to the existing group of Redmond, Jordan, Sutherland, and Price.   I see this as pretty good depth.  Yes, one or two of these have to go because we just cant roster so many guards and Centers, but this is a good problem to have.  In any case, adding another OG in the draft would mean yet another decent veteran has to go

Now all this said, if we did go Guard I'd want a spectacular one......a Quinton Nelson type player who could could bring this line from (at best) below average to maybe average, possibly ever slightly above average.  So if this kinda player were available at one of our earlier picks, he'd at least be in consideration.

But........I think the other two needs you named plus DE are definitely bigger needs than OG going into 2022

aside: Adeniji is listed as a OG on the team website, but personally,  I see him more as an OT.  Same with the Big Johnson, sometimes referred to as just 'Fred'

[HoosierCat]

The thing about the OL is that there have been so many injuries and so much shuffling that we really don’t know much more than we did ahead of the season. We all figured Williams would be OK and Hopkins was serviceable at least and Bobby Hart sucked and beyond that who knew. Eight games in and yeah, Williams in OK, Hopkins has been serviceable and Hart, well, hasn’t sucked quite as bad as we feared  but still isn’t threatening to go to any pro bowls any time soon. Hopefully over the second half of the year we’ll get a better look.

[TJJackson]

I am starting to rethink my stance of 2021 draft priorities.......WJ3 keeps regressing, the FAs are generally injured all the time, and last years surprise - Darious Philips - is both of the above

so corner is most definitely a high need, even if WJ3 stays with the team (which I dont think he will)

I think a 1 or a 2 will need to be devoted to this spot before CB becomes as weak a spot as LB was and still (as the newbs develop) is

So I need an OL, CB, DT, and DT all in the first two rounds.....hehe.......sounds like I need to trade down a bit :-) or count on the FO to spend some mooney in FA.  Yeah, I laughed too

[TJJackson]

Version 2 of Expected 2021 draft order for the Bengals as of midseason 2020

1t, (from Tradedown) Passblocking ORT

2a. Passrushing DE

2t. (from Tradedown) Man/Press CB

3. Passrushing DT

4. Speed WR

5. Man/Press CB

6. 3-down TE

7a. Punter (Huber eligible for Social Security next year)

7b. either a OL or DL with Longsnapping experience, or a developmental Passblocking Swing OT.  Preference is for best athlete over most experienced, and an injured higher ceiling player over a healthy lower ceiling player

[HoosierCat]

 

[HoosierCat]

 

[AMPHAR]

This isn't an easy off season for the Bengals.     Unfortunately you have to say good by to Atkins and Green unless they are willing to work on 3rd tier deals.   That sucks for a fan.

You must sign William Jackson and Lawson.   I would prioritize a late summer deal with Bates.   IF any of these pieces leave then your are taking steps back IF you don't throw significant caps dollars or draft pick into a replacement.   So that's probably $25-30 mil in cap room.

Free Agent guard probably at least 10 mil in cap too. 

I'd say realistically they need 7-10 top 150 draft picks.   Accounting for their typical hit rate.    Only way to come close to that is trade out of some spots.     However,  league wide there are not a whole impact offensive linemen in a draft class.

Sewell with no college reps.   Can you afford to trade out of getting him?   Can he come in and have an impact skipping his last season?

Similar issue as last year.   Clearly Burrow was worth the pick.   However,  keeping the right to draft him robbed you of additional draft picks that they need to build around him.

I hope Sewell makes the grade.  He's there when they draft.   Select him and hopefully he's an impact tackle.

But you are then needing pixy dust looking for rookie impacts from 4th and 5th rounders if you stay and select him.

 

 

[HoosierCat]

It seems to me the best idea would be to go out in March and sign a proven vet OT, preferably a RT,  then trade down for a bunch of picks and draft the hell out of the OG position. The flaw in Andre’s proposal is that deal for Thuney. The Bengals won’t pay for guards.

But I doubt that happens. As always, the Bengals FO is convinced it’s smarter than anyone else and they aren’t going to back off Bobby Hart after just giving him a big check. More likely that if they have the opportunity they draft Sewell and plug him in initially at RG with a plan to move him to RT down the line (Whit did something similar on the left side years ago iirc).

Of course this all assumes that Burrow’s injury isn’t more catastrophic than it looked, which was pretty bad. But I’m going to wait until we hear more before going down that road.