2025 Draft Talking Points

[TJJackson]

50 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

 my gut is telling me they should go OL there.

yep

I just got a mock on PFN where OT Kelvin Banks fell to us at 17

[ArmyBengal]

The OT in the 2nd round I really, really like is Jonah Savaiinaea.
Dude is going to be a OG in the league but could still get you backup duties at OT if needed.

[ArmyBengal]

In regards to a trade down scenario, those OT's soon to be OG's would be my target.

[TJJackson]

3 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

Big, athletic OT's that will probably move inside, but still capable of backing up the OT spot as well in a pinch.
That honestly might be the best approach as I view things anyway.

Yeah

Until the league allows for some form of roster expansion, position versatility is gold.

There really should be 60-63 dressing for game day, allowing for one more sub at most every position 

That aside, most of the college OTs have arm lengths of 33 inches or less and will as such often become OGs

[HoosierCat]

1 hour ago, TJJackson said:

yep

I just got a mock on PFN where OT Kelvin Banks fell to us at 17

He has slipped down into the late teens/early 20s now so it's looking more and more likely he will be there. I would be very happy if he were the pick.

 

1 hour ago, ArmyBengal said:

The OT in the 2nd round I really, really like is Jonah Savaiinaea.
Dude is going to be a OG in the league but could still get you backup duties at OT if needed.

Count me in on Savaiinaea as well. Gotta have that dude whose last name is impossible to spell!

1 hour ago, ArmyBengal said:

In regards to a trade down scenario, those OT's soon to be OG's would be my target.

Same. Trade down, snag an extra top 100 pick, grab the best remaining T/G first and then give the other three second and third round picks to Al.

[HoosierCat]

Ah, here it is! The headline that TJ has been waiting for:

Bengals attended Ashton Jeanty's pro day ahead of NFL draft

[TJJackson]

By AI, do you mean the computer that runs SoaG's rascal runaround chair?

[TJJackson]

33 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

Ah, here it is! The headline that TJ has been waiting for:

Bengals attended Ashton Jeanty's pro day ahead of NFL draft

 

They dont need to take a RB in this draft, but it they feel they need a cheap rookie RB, there's this thing right after the draft called UDCFA. 

WR?  Same.  

Have at it.   :-)

[ArmyBengal]

1 hour ago, HoosierCat said:

Ah, here it is! The headline that TJ has been waiting for:

Bengals attended Ashton Jeanty's pro day ahead of NFL draft

I might be the outlier having this opinion, but I really don't think Jeanty is that good.

[HoosierCat]

2 hours ago, TJJackson said:

By AI, do you mean the computer that runs SoaG's rascal runaround chair?

Al, not AI.

[AMPHAR]

IMPACT?   Well depends on what you personally judge as making an impact, but below are the DL/LB hybrid top guys from previous year with percent of snaps, and sacks.    By and large the opinions of this year's crop as a whole has it a better and deeper vs. 2024.

1. Byron Murphy 11 - 40% snaps, .5 sack

2. Johnny Newton - 47% snaps, 2 sack

3. Braden Fiske - 60% snaps, 8.5 sacks

4. Dallas Turner - 26% snaps, 3 sacks

5. Jared Verse - 75% snaps, 4.5 sacks

6. Chop Robinson 53% snaps, 6 sacks

7. Kris Jenkins, 44% snaps, 3 sacks.

Rams got the most out of their 2 front seven picks (Fiske and Verse).   All these guys were mid 1st/2nd rounder types.  

Of course got to factor in scheme, injury, roster make up.     With the Bengals, I think any  pick in the first 4 rounds at DT or DE would mirror a 40% snap count 3-4 sacks at Best.     That's with the assumption of Trey extension.   They are going to have to fend off Trey, Ossai, Murphy, Sample at DE.  DT - Hill, Jenkins, Slaton, Jackson.

So there's a bigger potential of IMPACT at Safety.  OT/G. (Assuming any OT would play inside first), IMO.

I do feel like not getting 2 DL from this draft would be disappointing. 

 

[ArmyBengal]

9 minutes ago, AMPHAR said:

I do feel like not getting 2 DL from this draft would be disappointing. 

Agree 100%.  I think they should get a DE in the early rounds (1 or 2) and maybe a pass rushing DT later.
I would be really happy with that approach.  Sprinkle a OT/OG to play on the interior early on and go from there.

[TJJackson]

Do not want at 17:

QB-RB-TE-WR-CB-P-K-LS-KR - No.  Just no

LB Jalon Walker - liability in pass coverage

DE James Pearce - too small

DT Derrick Harmon: Poor Tackling.  We already have plenty of that

OG Tyler Booker - 3.93 RAS

LB Jihaad Campbell - just had surgery

OL Josh Simmons - injured.  No more Oogies.

DE Mike Green - sexual assault charges.

DT Walter Nolen - work ethics/in-game effort

NT Kenneth Grant - need 3TDT, not another NT

 

Remaining Possibilities.  I think 1 or maybe 2 of the 5 will fall to 17

OT Banks Jr

S Emmmanwori

S Starks

DE Shemar Stewart

DE Mykel Williams

DT Tyleik Williams (trade down)

OG Donovan Jackson (trade down)

OL Josh Conerly (trade down)

I'd honestly be in favor of trading up this year to get Banks Jr or Membou, if they fall to 13 or lower.  Plug that player in as the OLG, with the intent to move him to OLT when OBJr is done.  I say this with full realization that we are down a pick this year.  quality over quantity.

[ArmyBengal]

Where I would like to see a trade up is in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Not that I would mind a first round trade up, but the cost of the move is prohibitive and when we already don't have all 7 picks, I really don't want to be giving up any when there are such needs on the defensive side of the ball and the o-line.

If they could move up and give up picks the following year, I would be better with that approach.  Not because we don't need the picks next year, but the sooner we could get to a "targeted rebuild", the better I think it will be.  Just don't take unnecessary chances on the players taken.

[ArmyBengal]

I like to play around with the mocks and take random unexpected players.

There is virtually no discussion of any skill position players being drafted this year.
That isn't something I disagree with, but you never know and there are still players I really like at those positions.

Nothing crazy in the 1st round, just go defense or o-line and keep stepping.  Hoping the same in the 2nd round.
Other skill position players in no particular order:

Will Howard, QB, Ohio State- Jake Browning is an UFA after this season.
Omarion Hampton, RB, UNC- I like his game and they can dump Zack Moss to save money with Perine back.
Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona St.- Same as above
Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa St.- Iosivas has a couple years left and if they want another big WR, they could do worse.
Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa St.- Small, speed slot guy
Dont'e Thornton, WR, Tennessee- Tall, speed guy

I'm not advocating any of these guys over the needs we know we have.
However, sometimes taking a need is a big reach and you need to pivot.

[HoosierCat]

Did a pff mok today, took Emmanwori in the first, Savaiinaea in the second and Nick Martin in the third.

Straight F's across the board, in the bottom 1% of all Bengals mocks.

This is why I continue to treat pff with a big grain of salt.

[TJJackson]

I forgot to add Shemar Stewart to my list

I edited him in

I am a little shakey on him because a lot of folks have a "looks like tarzan, plays like jane" take on him

[ArmyBengal]

Probably why I've seen Stewart falling when most would have never thought him to fall out of the top 10.
He worries me.

[TJJackson]

Added OT Josh Conerly to my list as a tradedown pick

[HoosierCat]

On 3/28/2025 at 2:38 PM, ArmyBengal said:

Probably why I've seen Stewart falling when most would have never thought him to fall out of the top 10.
He worries me.

Pretty much all the edge guys we might take at 17 worry me. Maybe I’m just gun shy because of Myles Busty, but the closer we get the more I prefer any other position.

[ArmyBengal]

Said it handful of times and will say it again… I don’t think the DE we may take at #17 is going to be significantly better than the one we can get in the 2nd round.

Myles does have me gun shy as well.