2005 NFL Draft Overview

[bengalboomer7]

:player: Well, now that the draft is over let's get to analyzing what we got

1. David Pollack - the more I think about it the more I like it especially since he said he would play outside LB. I think he's a guaranteed solid starter with his motor and intesity giving him the chance to be something special. get used to that name folks

2. How we love those Georgia boys. O'Dell Thurman is another player that I can see being a guaranteed solid player. Great for what we need him for which is plugging between the tackles

On a side note, and not to get into a 4-3, 3-4 debate again, but with all these LB's being stockpiled(barring any veteran cuts) are se seeing a casual adjustment to the 3-4?

3. Chris Henry-I thought this was a little bit of a reach and probably could have been had later but you can't argue with his talent. If our coaching staff can lasso him in we might be jumping for joy on this one later. We might be cussing up a storm, too!

4. Eric Ghiaciuc-Don't know too much about him but is surely our center of the future(fingers crossed here) Obviously marvin was higher on him than guys like Brown or Wilkerson. I'll just have faith

5.Adam kieft - Another lineman? This bother me a little because we have drafted two lineman along with Andrew from last year. What does this mean when levi, Steinbach and Willie coem up for FA. Or is this guy just the solid backup of the future?

6.Tab Perry What does two drafted WR's spell for K-wash and Pdub?

7. Jonathon Fanene-I really liked this pick. i was looking at one of Utah's Dt's and Fanene stands out on game tape. He played real nice in the Lousville?(I think) game at the end of the year. Nice pick to end the draft

One thing I have to get off my chest is the amount of tiems that ESPN went to a commercial when it was the Bengals pick. I'm telling you it's a conspiracy!! Classless act by the boys and really really hurt my feelings I don't know if I can ever forgive the Worldwide leaders.

Overall I would give us a B to B+. There were some picks towards the later rounds where i thought there was more value elsewhere but that's why I am only watching it on TV(although I'm soon to be in a war room near you) I did notice some of these picks put some significant bullseyes on some of our vets. We have drafted four LB's in the last two years and picked up one in FA. Does this mean some guys are on their way out or are we adding depth to be more versatile with our packages on D(more 3-4, 2-5 sets like the Patsies) I also think two drafted WR's sends a pretty strong message to Washington and Warrick. I say K-wash could be cut and Pdub we'll hit the market after this year. Who knows but the picks appeared to be geared more towards needs than marvin's famous Best Player Available

So what does everyone else think. I definitely think we got tougher up the middle on defense which was very important and we certainly got some more weapons and protection for Carson wich is also extremely important. I know for sure that I am insanely pumped about this years upcoming season. Who-Dey!!! :player:

[AGrizzlyBaer]

so do we try to bring in shazor and/or brimmer for rookie f.a. i dont know

[Whur CHad At?]

My draft grade:

C-

[TJJackson]

Grade

First 4 picks: A

Last 3 picks: F. Can I give an F-? If so, then F-

Overall: C-

[turnip]

Grade

First 4 picks: A

Last 3 picks: F. Can I give an F-? If so, then F-

Overall: C-

How the hell do you get a C- if the first 4 picks are an A? If the 5th/6th/7th round picks produce ONE player who can contribute out of 3, that is a great draft. It's not that the last picks don't matter, but compared to the earlier picks they are not nearly as significant.

[Whur CHad At?]

Grade

First 4 picks: A

Last 3 picks: F. Can I give an F-? If so, then F-

Overall: C-

As much as I don't want to, I totally agree with TJ.

[TJJackson]

How the hell do you get a C- if the first 4 picks are an A?  If the 5th/6th/7th round picks produce ONE player who can contribute out of 3, that is a great draft.

My post

My rating

Do your own

Have a nice day, mine is ruined.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Overall I would give us a B to B+.

So what does everyone else think. I definitely think we got tougher up the middle on defense which was very important and we certainly got some more weapons and protection for Carson wich is also extremely important. I know for sure that I am insanely pumped about this years upcoming season. Who-Dey!!! :player:

IMO? A- to B+. Light years improved from the last draft no question!

Defense starts to become what Marvin invisions. Jumps into the top 15 minimum.

With so many quality guy's to throw to, Carson Palmers right arm will be getting quite a workout. Good thing he's got a cannon!

A few picks that many hate now, but I feel he had to look to the future too. Not just the 2005/06 seasons.

I'm happy with it. I'm really happy we stole a player Cleveland badly wanted!! :player:

[membengal]

This hand wringing and panty bunching over the end of the draft is silly, IMO.

We simply can't easily project late round picks at this point. Period.

What we CAN project easier are rounds 1-3. And we nailed those.

B+ draft for me. Looking forward to seeing the new players at camps.

[skyline]

Have a nice day, mine is ruined.

Ruined? The day I take football that seriously is the day I quit watching...

Anyway. I'd give it an overall B. I love the first four pickss. As for 5-7, I'm not really sure about these guys. If they pan out in some unforeseen way then this draft moves up to an A. If not, then it drops down to a C.

Then again, Pollack, Thurman, and Henry could turn out so well that nobody will care what we did with those last few picks.

[DontPushMe]

How the hell do you get a C- if the first 4 picks are an A?  If the 5th/6th/7th round picks produce ONE player who can contribute out of 3, that is a great draft.

My post

My rating

Do your own

Have a nice day, mine is ruined.

You were probly one of the people screaming for Anttaj Hawthorne in the 2nd round... and then again in the 3rd... then the 4th... then the 5th. This was a solid draft, some of you take fan-run draft sites too seriously.

[TJJackson]

You were probly one of the people screaming for Anttaj Hawthorne in the 2nd round...

Who was that?

DontListenToMe?

Oh, ok, no problem. I never do.

[DontPushMe]

You were probly one of the people screaming for Anttaj Hawthorne in the 2nd round...

Who was that?

DontListenToMe?

Oh, ok, no problem. I never do.

For someone who claims to not read my posts, you sure do reply to them a lot.

[rob_justdmb]

Have a nice day, mine is ruined.

Ruined? The day I take football that seriously is the day I quit watching...

seriously. try and get out, maybe have have some sex some time...

[schweinhart]

IMO? A- to B+. Light years improved from the last draft no question!

Defense starts to become what Marvin invisions. Jumps into the top 15 minimum.

I hear you Mr. Broome. It's night and day

Bengals picked better this year at positions of need and upgrade.

DE/SSLB: Hardy and Big Duane might still play this year but that's it.

MLB: Natester looks cooked.

WR: If anything happens to Chad or P-Dub is gone.

C: Better late than never.

LT: Much obliged Alex Sulfsted. Good luck with real estate sales.

WR: Same as above w/ maybe a KR in the making.

DE: Maybe 5 DEs stick.

[turnip]

How the hell do you get a C- if the first 4 picks are an A?  If the 5th/6th/7th round picks produce ONE player who can contribute out of 3, that is a great draft.

My post

My rating

Do your own

Have a nice day, mine is ruined.

I know it's your ratings...I'm just trying to understand if you really think we can have our top 4 picks receive an "A" grade...and still say we get a C- (which means below average?) overall. I'm hoping you are just exaggerating...but it's hard to tell.

Pollack should be the Marvin-style linebacker soon. Combine the toughness and strength he has developed as a DE with his awesome agility, and it's hard not to get excited about having a player like this who brings so much intensity to the game. My only possible concern is his lack of speed for an OLB..but that is just nitpicking, this guy will be a starter. A solid pick for sure.

Odell is another guy who can contribute right away behind Landon, and will undoubtedly push Landon. He wraps up his tackles and is fast and quick, could be a huge steal.

Chris Henry, I really like this pick. He *could* end up being the best receiver out of this draft, better than Edwards, Williams, and Williamson. Character won't be a concern on the field, because ML won't let that happen. He's a boom or bust, but I'm glad we're taking a chance on this BOOM waiting to happen.

Those are the 3 important picks. As for the rest:

Ghiaciuc has a lot of potential, I like that at this draft position the Bengals are looking for potential for greatness as opposed to readiness to be mediocre.

Kieft...basically...see Ghiachiuc...this guy has a lot of potential too at the RT position. I am really liking that we took solid, value-picks in the first couple rounds, and then became more focused on potential. All of these players so far are going to require some good coaching, we'll see how it pans out.

Tab Perry...not a potential pick this time. He could be a possession receiver, and/or make some noise on special teams...not a player I know much about, so it's tough to judge. Not thrilled, but it's only the 6th round.

As for the last pick, I have never heard of him. But then again I haven't heard of a lot of 7th roudn picks. I do find it interesting that in his NFL profile it says he played some Tackle in his college career.

Overall I give us a B

[BengalszoneBilly]

I hear you Mr. Broome. It's night and day

Bengals picked better this year at positions of need and upgrade.

I don't really know WTF the draft focus was last year.

Best Player Available? Doubtful. 1st choice from last years draft kills that option.

Positions of Need? Closer maybe, but not nearly done to the level accomplished this year.

I'll call last years draft "unfocused" and just leave it at that!

[jditty47]

ill give it about a B-. pollack, thurman, and henry made it an A. basically after that i took about a 1/3 a grade hit on each pick after that. 4th A-, 5th B+, 6th B, 7th B- get it? got it? good.

[HairOnFire]

1 - Pollack. Great pick. When you read and hear sources describing this guy as a potential pro bowl player. Well, that's about as much potential impact as any team can expect drafting at #17. Not at all unhappy they didn't trade down. A+

2 - Thurman. Outstanding. Figured the odds of him still being on the board were no better than 50% and after hearing the rumors confirmed that he would have been the target after trading down...how can the choice be 2nd guessed? Character questions nag at the back of my brainpan but I can't bring myself to get truly upset by gossip. B+

3 - Henry. Mars needs women. Palmer needs weapons. If I would have been 5 minutes faster getting online you guys would have heard me pimp this guy before the pick was made. 'Nuff said. Besides, drafting another wideout was a major topic this offseason and the 3rd or 4th round was where I always felt the move should be made. He'll need time to develope into a potential starter but he's talented enough to contribute right away. And just for the record I don't think this pick sends ANY message to Kelley Washington. Peter Warrick may be another matter, but lets not kid ourselves....that decision won't be based on this pick. A

4 - Ghiaciuc. Perfect place to take a center and this is the one they chose. Hard to argue with that. Plus, I haven't seen this guy enough to say whether the pick was good or bad. Granted some of you guys seem to be able to pull a trick like that off, an idea I find humorous, but maybe your draft guides are better than mine. That said, I like what I've read and what little I remember from the televised combine coverage. C+

5 - Kieft. I know less about this guy than anyone the Bengals drafted. Quite frankly, I'm tempted to throw a grade out just because I like the idea of adding O-line depth but because I know so little about the prospect I think I'll show restraint. No Grade.

6 - Perry. Plays in my Southern California backyard so I know enough that when his name was called I immediately thought....kick returner. Didn't even consider the WR angle even though he's got some potential. This years version of Maurice Mann? Still, I thought the pick was odd....mostly because I was busy looking elsewhere. Guess Marvin wasn't kidding about being satisfied with his TE's, ehh? C+

7 - Fanene. Totally off my radar until reminded of his play the season prior. Kind of an overachiever with some potential. My guess is that they drafted their favorite undrafted free agent...something that isn't uncommon. Still, he wasn't my favorite undrafted free agent because I was looking to add an athletic but raw SS project who might stick on special teams. C

Add it all up...mix it around...adjust for the importance of the rounds players are selected at...and I end up with a B.

[DontPushMe]

I hear you Mr. Broome. It's night and day 

Bengals picked better this year at positions of need and upgrade.

I don't really know WTF the draft focus was last year.

Best Player Available? Doubtful. 1st choice from last years draft kills that option.

Positions of Need? Closer maybe, but not nearly done to the level accomplished this year.

I'll call last years draft "unfocused" and just leave it at that!

Uhh, Perry was the best player available on the bengals board last year when we took him, that should be good enough for you guys. He was 2nd on mine, behind Kevin Jones. I dont see how at the point he was drafted anyone could of had more then 3 or 4 people rated above him.

[HoosierCat]

A little instant analysis? Oh, sure, why not, everybody'll be doing it, right?

Going into the draft, I thought the biggest needs on offense were at LB (in and out) and SS. On offense, I was hoping to see them address C and TE. So, positionally...

OLB/ILB: bang-up job. Pollack has to be better than Hardy and has the potential to be a pro bowl OLB. Ditto on the inside for Odell. Grade: A

SS: not addressed. Grade: F

C: selected Ghiaciuc in the 4th. There were better players available at the time. I know they may feel Ghiaciuc will be better in a few years, the fact remains that we can't count on Braham or Moore to make it through a game of Twister without getting hurt. I would have preferred less of a project here...but, unlike SS, at least they filled a key need. Grade: B-

TE: not addressed. Grade F

So, from the standpoint of positions addressed, using the ol' college four-point scale, that's two 4.0's for ILB and OLB, an 0.0, a 2.8 and an 0.0; 10.8/5 = about 2.2, or about a C.

From a standpoint of talent, well, hell, who knows? Ghiaciuc may be a pro bowl center. Pollack might be the next Reinard Wilson. Odell could be the next Ray Lewis. Henry could be the next Carl Pickens. We'll see.

[brooklyn_bengalfan]

The first thing I'm thrilled about is that we didn't take a Michigan player in the first round right in front of one of my favorites from OSU. :player:

Overall I'll give it an enthusiastic B+

Would have loved to find a sleeper TE or Safety, but I'll trust that the value just wasn't there with the quality of guys who were available at the positions. As to those late rounds, I’m not going to freak out because these guys weren’t the popular ones among the pundits. After all, that just might mean those more popular names were simply over-rated. Time will tell if the trust in Marvin pays off.

The late round pick that I am excited about is Tab Perry. A sixth round pick with Mike Williams size, and Cincinnati roots... He’s excited to play for the Bengals, and people who are saying he won’t make the team – well we’ll see. All I know is we are in a great position to have the best receiving corps in the league.

Who Dey!!!

[Bobcat Bengal]

The first thing I'm thrilled about is that we didn't take a Michigan player in the first round right in front of one of my favorites from OSU. :player:

Overall I'll give it an enthusiastic B+

Would have loved to find a sleeper TE or Safety, but I'll trust that the value just wasn't there with the quality of guys who were available at the positions. As to those late rounds, I’m not going to freak out because these guys weren’t the popular ones among the pundits. After all, that just might mean those more popular names were simply over-rated. Time will tell if the trust in Marvin pays off.

The late round pick that I am excited about is Tab Perry. A sixth round pick with Mike Williams size, and Cincinnati roots... He’s excited to play for the Bengals, and people who are saying he won’t make the team – well we’ll see. All I know is we are in a great position to have the best receiving corps in the league.

Who Dey!!!

ha, you couldn't tell from the reactions around here.

I wasn't pissed, I was confused.....I was thinking to myself, are we going to get a TE or Safety in this draft?

Coach Lewis isn't lying when he says what he does.

No CB's, he's comfortable with our TE's and DT's.......

That's for sure.

[BengalPappaw]

I give the Bengals an "A" on the draft.

Look at the upgrades:

1. Pollack will be a significant improvement over Hardy -- especially on the pass rush. More size and quickness than Johnson

2. Thurman raises the overall quality and depth of our LBs. Improvement over Webster and and on special teams Chamberlin

3. Chris Perry is a significant improvement over Washington. (plus he adds someone besides CJ to provide "bulletin board material")

4. Ghiaciuc is a big improvement over Moore and eventually a better C than Braham

5. Kieft is a big improvement over the current backups -- Bolton and Lougheed. I'll wait to see how well he does before saying he will be a replacement candidate for Anderson or Williams at G

6. Perry -- is ML message to Washington and the other receivers that they need to step up their games. Adds more depth and

7. Fanene -- I'll give you this one-- I don't know how he fits.

To those who want us to draft a S/DT -- obviously ML did NOT believe there was any player available when we drafted that was signifcantly better than what we have.

I definitely feel better about this year's draft than I did after last year's.

:player:

[Indycat]

1 - Pollack A++

In 3 years 16 teams will be kicking themselves for passing on this guy. Pro bowl as a rookie.

2 - Thurman A for football talent, F for character

(anyone who beats up women is a poop noggin)

3 - Henry C

From what i've read, could be a star, could be a cancer.

4 - Ghiaciuc A

He's a center, we need a center. (learn fast Eric)

5 - Kieft B

Dependable OL depth.

6 - Perry A

Kick returner and potentially our best possesion receiver.

7 - Fanene C

Don't know anything about him except he's a D lineman and that was a perceived need heading into the draft.

Overall B+

I was disappointed we didn't address TE or S, but I like what we got.