Post-Draft Chatter

[HoosierCat]

As Army said elsewhere, happy draft day! Just a few more hours!

 

[HoosierCat]

Mel’s final mock will get the Army stamp of approval:

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28. Cincinnati Bengals

Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt

Kancey can wreck games from the interior line, and NFL teams covet that type of player. He's so quick at the snap. He's undersized -- 6-foot-1, 281 pounds -- but he had 13.5 sacks over the past two seasons. The Bengals ranked 29th in sacks last season (30), and Kancey could help the entire front seven.

 

[HoosierCat]

Meanwhile, McShay gets my vote!

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28. Cincinnati Bengals

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

Gibbs has been mentioned a lot to me this week, and I really think he ends up in the first round. At 5-foot-9 and 199 pounds, he isn't going to be a true three-down back, but he can change an entire offense because of his open-field elusiveness, pass-catching traits and speed. Joe Mixon's future in Cincinnati is unclear, and the running back depth chart is light behind him. Want to get back to the Super Bowl? Team Gibbs up with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals have two picks on Day 2 and could take advantage of a deep tight end class to further stack the offense, too.

 

[AMPHAR]

Gibbs would be awesome in the passing game.    There are immediate snaps available.     Thing that would concern me is it seems of the recent Alabama picks they've taken there have been missed games in the first year.   Now Gibbs was a transfer in so maybe the Alabama grind isn't as pronounced.   There are certainly productive NFL Bama backs to pick from.

Forbes - was Lapham's pick (If he's there).   This guy has risen in recent weeks.  Fast, Long, Ball Hawk.  Would love.  But wondering about his size and the Bengals like run supporting CBs.

 

[ArmyBengal]

Yes, my dude Kancey is my hope.

I would have no issue with adding Gibbs either. Then again, there are more than a handful of players I could see them taking and would have little concern with.

Like I always ask, “Who else was on the board”?
That’s what can make or break my pleasure with the selection.

[TJJackson]

1 hour ago, HoosierCat said:

Meanwhile, McShay gets my vote!

 

blech

Army: is it fair to say that if Kancey is on the board at 28, it sorta kinda doesnt matter who else is still available?

[TJJackson]

 

[membengal]

Given Kancey's historically short arms...no? I have no idea how the Bengals will view that. 

 

Give me Gibbs. 

[HoosierCat]

You know who else had short arms?

 

[HoosierCat]

OT: remember to pour one out for our former mayor tonight. Jerry Springer, dead at 79.

[HoosierCat]

Hobs makes TJ’s day.

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28.BENGALS _ OL Peter Skoronski, Northwestern; Geoff Hobson, Bengals.com

The classic "We Can't Believe This Guy Was Here," to use a dusty cliché. And guess what?

He's not going to be there. No way. He has a better shot at being mayor of Chicago than coming here. Remember, even the name of this thing (Mock Draft) says it's a flawed endeavor. But it does allow us to do the exercise. If a player is clearly the best player on the board with no debate, you can never go wrong picking him and worrying about position later.

This would be safety Dax Hill two years in a row. A player with legit first-round grades (and there were only about 15 of them last year) making it to the back end of the round. What are the odds of that happening again for the Bengals? Especially with supposedly even fewer first-round graded prospects this year?

Skoronski looks for all the world to be one of those legit guys. So if not him (or any other first-rounder), the hope is that someone who is in their top 28 on their board is going to be there. And then, they hope the player matches up with a premium position to match the value of the pick.

That's a lot of things that have to go right that are beyond their control. The Bengals haven't traded out of the first round in 34 years, but now wouldn't be a bad time. The meat of this draft is supposedly in the middle and it matches up with 1989, when they slid out of No. 27.

They picked up UCLA running back and current Bengals director of player relations Eric Ball at No. 35, giving them two second-rounders and an extra fourth-rounder. Maybe they can go lower and make it an extra third-rounder, but you get the idea.

Like the last draft, the Bengals have no immediate Opening Day need. But there are plenty of roster needs, such as depth at wide receiver, tight end, and running back. The age-old dilemma, though, is those aren't positions exactly viewed as premium and if you wait too late to get, say, a tight end, is he good enough to help you?

So the position the guy plays has a lot to do with it, but you can't get too wrapped up in it. Skoronski is a great example because there are a lot of similarities to the Bengals' 2006 draft and the case of LSU's Andrew Whitworth.

Whitworth played a record number of games for LSU at left tackle, but he was there in the second round because many scouts didn't think he was athletic enough to do that in the NFL (never mind he was a stud in the most athletic college league in the country) and had him projected as potentially an elite guard who could kick out to right tackle.

It's scary how similar. One NFC exec told NFL com about Skoronski, "He's a Pro Bowler at guard but just an average tackle if a team keeps him there." Skoronski even wore Whitworth's No. 77 at Northwestern.

Clearly, Whitworth was the best player on their board at No. 55, although there was a lively debate about him and University of Miami returner Devin Hester that Whitworth ultimately won because Hester was seen as not having a position to play.

It didn't seem to be such an inspiring pick at so high in the draft. Left tackle Levi Jones was expected to sign a contract extension by training camp and it was assumed Pro Bowl tackle Willie Anderson would get one, too, at some point. By the preseason finale, both did. And their guards, Bobbie Williams and Eric Steinbach, were top-of-the-line vets.

But when the season began, all hell broke loose. Center Rich Braham suffered a career-ending injury in the opener, Steinbach moved to center and Whitworth replaced Steinbach at left guard in his second NFL game. Whitworth started 12 games as a rookie and 16 the next year at both spots when Jones suffered a knee injury. By 2009 Whitworth was the left tackle on the way to four Pro Bowls and maybe the Hall of Fame.

Which is why if you take the clear top player on the board no matter the position, it usually works out for you. They never take a safety in the first round. Hill, it will be recalled, was the first one the Bengals took that high since taking Daryl Williams 30 years before at No. 28.

Now, if there's not a clear top player, that's where the fun begins.

 

[TJJackson]

even a blind squirrel like Bagdad Hobs finds a nut sometimes

[ArmyBengal]

If Kancey is there, I want him to be the pick. However, I will understand if he’s not and won’t blow a fuse. There are plenty of other players that will make me happy at #28.

I like Gibbs as well Mem !!

[HoosierCat]

Here’s the six guys over at nfl.com:

Jeremiah: Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin

Brooks: Harrison

Schrager: Vikings trade up to 28 to get Hendon Hooker. Bengals get Minny’s third- (No. 87 overall) and fourth-rounder (119) in this year's draft, as well as a second- and fourth-rounder in 2024.

Zierlein: Gibbs

Davis: Gibbs

Edholm: Gibbs

 

[AMPHAR]

I don't disagree entirely with Hobson as the opening day "needs" can be reasonably filled.   However, they are overstocked at OT and under stocked at RB, TE, CB when compared to what they usually keep for opening day.   Is it by design?  Probably.   The talking heads  have said the stronger position groups are CB and TE so they filled other spots via FA? Maybe.  Everyone seems to believe RBs can be found (although I don't think it is that easy).

I don't see OT early at all.   Wouldn't argue with one and would be greatly surprised if the top tackle found its way to 28.   But I consider this a non-prediction by Hobs.   Might as well mock them Will Anderson.

 

 

[membengal]

42 minutes ago, TJJackson said:

even a blind squirrel like Bagdad Hobs finds a nut sometimes

you and hobs are one and the same. He cannot stop screeching trenches. Seriously, it's like he's you. He's really annoying with this shit. 

[membengal]

For everyone screaming that Gibbs won't play enough to justify 28 - what % of snaps is a DE, CB or DT gonna get? 

 

Hint, won't be more than what Gibbs would...

[Wraith]

If the two TEs are gone, and the four OTs are gone (Skoronski, Thomas, Johnson, and Wright...my personal fav), and Bijan Robinson is not available,  I want them to go Interior Pass Rusher.   Either Kancey or Adebawore.  The last two seasons have ended because of unblockable DTs.  Kancey for sure #1 but close behind is Adebawore.  Raw, still learning how to use his body but the most freakish athlete in this draft, longer than Kancey, Team Captain, academic all American.....checks off ALOT of boxes

[TJJackson]

Youre gonna miss me tonight, arent you mem :-)

[membengal]

Um...

 

 

[membengal]

My preference in order for pick 28 (assuming we don't trade back or up)

Wright

Gibbs

Forbes

Kincaid

Mayer

A falling DE 

Kancey 

Banks (cb)

On off chance...JSN if he falls

[AMPHAR]

I keep landing on CB, TE, or RB.   Land these 3 positions in any particular order with the first 3 picks its going to play well with me.

I don't see any pick that will be upsetting.   There's snaps available at TE, RB, CB this year.    Just about every position next year aside from O-line. 

TE and CB are supposedly the best position groups so there you go.   We'll see.

[Stripes]

I've been so distracted by work that I forgot the draft is even today.

Pick someone good please and thanks.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Great, a big KC boof fest, music video, celebrities, former players,  typical NFL bullshit.  Just announce the damn picks.  Gets worse every year.  

[HoosierCat]

Bengals won’t be up for a million years so I’m watching Gettysburg.