PFF Draft Grades

[Nicomo Cosca]

CINCINNATI BENGALS: B+

1 (18): T Amarius Mims, Georgia
2 (49): DI Kris Jenkins, Michigan
3 (80): WR Jermaine Burton, Alabama
3 (96): DI McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M
4 (115): TE Erick All, Iowa
5 (149): CB Josh Newton, TCU
6 (194): TE Tanner McLachlan, Arizona
6 (214): EDGE Cedric Johnson, Ole Miss
7 (224): S Daijahn Anthony, Ole Miss
7 (237): C Matt Lee, Miami Fl.

Mims — Cincinnati beefs up its pass protection in front of Joe Burrow by adding the massive Mims. He’s a fantastic athlete for his size but struggled with injuries at Georgia. Regardless, he allowed just six quarterback pressures across 402 career pass-blocking snaps and should start very soon, as Trent Brown is only a short-term solution at right tackle.

Jenkins — Jenkins is arguably the pound-for-pound strongest player in the draft. His 87.2 run-defense grade since 2022 ranked fifth among Power Five interior defenders, while his 82.7 PFF grade in 2023 ranked third among Big Ten interior defenders. Jenkins lacks length and an ideal pass-rush package, but his power alone will have him on the field on Sundays.

Burton — Despite sliding a bit due to some off-field concerns, Burton has a three-level skill set with great explosiveness and impressive ball skills. He didn’t drop any of his 57 targets this past season and could be a solid complement to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins from Day 1 due to his downfield playmaking ability.

Jackson — Jackson projects as a nose or three-technique in a 4-3 defensive scheme because he excels as a one-gap penetrator. He’s limited by a lack of length, but that didn’t stop him from racking up 34 run stops since 2022 (third-most in the SEC) with 14 of them for no gain or loss (fifth in the SEC). He’ll need to learn to hold up to double team blocks and develop a pass-rush repertoire, but he can be successful in a rotation.

All — The Bengals find a potential long-term starter in the fourth round, with All ranking as the third-best tight end on the PFF big board. His 2.62 yards per route in 2023 ranked second among draft-eligible tight ends.

Newton — Ranking 12th among Big-12 cornerbacks, Newton earned an 87.7 PFF grade combined over the past two seasons. Across 413 coverage snaps last year, he allowed just one touchdown.

McLachlan — The Bengals doubled up on tight ends by adding the safe-handed McLachlan. He didn’t drop a single pass from 45 catchable targets in 2023. His 530 receiving yards and four touchdowns were both career highs.

Johnson — Johnson has a solid size-speed combination for an edge defender this late in the draft and offered solid production in his final season in college. From 850 pass-rushing snaps over the past three seasons, he racked up 107 quarterback pressures, including 13 sacks.

Anthony — Anthony allowed just one touchdown across 394 coverage snaps in 2023. Opposing quarterbacks managed a passer rating of just 54.7 when targeting him in coverage.

Lee — Lee was exceptional in 2023 with the Hurricanes, ranking 10th among FBS centers in PFF grade (79.1). He didn’t allow a single sack on 414 pass-blocking snaps, and his 89.1 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked third among FBS centers. Lee is well worth a swing here for the Bengals, a team that continues to find value late in the draft.

The Bengals 2024 draft class grade ️https://t.co/QeZRiLA6ae

— PFF CIN Bengals (@PFF_Bengals) April 27, 2024

[Luvnit2]

(04-27-2024, 10:15 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: CINCINNATI BENGALS: B+

1 (18): T Amarius Mims, Georgia
2 (49): DI Kris Jenkins, Michigan
3 (80): WR Jermaine Burton, Alabama
3 (96): DI McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M
4 (115): TE Erick All, Iowa
5 (149): CB Josh Newton, TCU
6 (194): TE Tanner McLachlan, Arizona
6 (214): EDGE Cedric Johnson, Ole Miss
7 (224): S Daijahn Anthony, Ole Miss
7 (237): C Matt Lee, Miami Fl.

Mims — Cincinnati beefs up its pass protection in front of Joe Burrow by adding the massive Mims. He’s a fantastic athlete for his size but struggled with injuries at Georgia. Regardless, he allowed just six quarterback pressures across 402 career pass-blocking snaps and should start very soon, as Trent Brown is only a short-term solution at right tackle.

Jenkins — Jenkins is arguably the pound-for-pound strongest player in the draft. His 87.2 run-defense grade since 2022 ranked fifth among Power Five interior defenders, while his 82.7 PFF grade in 2023 ranked third among Big Ten interior defenders. Jenkins lacks length and an ideal pass-rush package, but his power alone will have him on the field on Sundays.

Burton — Despite sliding a bit due to some off-field concerns, Burton has a three-level skill set with great explosiveness and impressive ball skills. He didn’t drop any of his 57 targets this past season and could be a solid complement to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins from Day 1 due to his downfield playmaking ability.

Jackson — Jackson projects as a nose or three-technique in a 4-3 defensive scheme because he excels as a one-gap penetrator. He’s limited by a lack of length, but that didn’t stop him from racking up 34 run stops since 2022 (third-most in the SEC) with 14 of them for no gain or loss (fifth in the SEC). He’ll need to learn to hold up to double team blocks and develop a pass-rush repertoire, but he can be successful in a rotation.

All — The Bengals find a potential long-term starter in the fourth round, with All ranking as the third-best tight end on the PFF big board. His 2.62 yards per route in 2023 ranked second among draft-eligible tight ends.

Newton — Ranking 12th among Big-12 cornerbacks, Newton earned an 87.7 PFF grade combined over the past two seasons. Across 413 coverage snaps last year, he allowed just one touchdown.

McLachlan — The Bengals doubled up on tight ends by adding the safe-handed McLachlan. He didn’t drop a single pass from 45 catchable targets in 2023. His 530 receiving yards and four touchdowns were both career highs.

Johnson — Johnson has a solid size-speed combination for an edge defender this late in the draft and offered solid production in his final season in college. From 850 pass-rushing snaps over the past three seasons, he racked up 107 quarterback pressures, including 13 sacks.

Anthony — Anthony allowed just one touchdown across 394 coverage snaps in 2023. Opposing quarterbacks managed a passer rating of just 54.7 when targeting him in coverage.

Lee — Lee was exceptional in 2023 with the Hurricanes, ranking 10th among FBS centers in PFF grade (79.1). He didn’t allow a single sack on 414 pass-blocking snaps, and his 89.1 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked third among FBS centers. Lee is well worth a swing here for the Bengals, a team that continues to find value late in the draft.

The Bengals 2024 draft class grade ️https://t.co/QeZRiLA6ae

— PFF CIN Bengals (@PFF_Bengals) April 27, 2024

TY for the PFF scores. I value the comments more than the actual grade.

I feel we have a potential franchise RT in Mims. Jenkins appears to be another DT to stop the run.

Overall, it appeared we improved the trenches which looking at 2023 was needed. Stop the run and give Joe time to throw and Bengals are a tiough team to beat. 

[THE PISTONS]

You appreciate for 2 quality starters out of any draft and a couple good contributors. Should have that here.

[CottonHill]

(04-27-2024, 10:22 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: TY for the PFF scores. I value the comments more than the actual grade.

I feel we have a potential franchise RT in Mims. Jenkins appears to be another DT to stop the run.

Overall, it appeared we improved the trenches which looking at 2023 was needed. Stop the run and give Joe time to throw and Bengals are a tiough team to beat. 

We improved depth but didn’t actually upgrade any position outside of wide receiver. Definitely not a draft for a team that thinks they can win a Super Bowl now.

[THE PISTONS]

(04-27-2024, 10:29 PM)CottonHill Wrote: We improved depth but didn’t actually upgrade any position outside of wide receiver. Definitely not a draft for a team that thinks they can win a Super Bowl now.

Really good teams don't have a bunch of draft picks that start day 1.


They needed a tackle of the future. Brown is hurt...a lot.

I think Burton gets lots of snaps replacing Boyd. I think Jenkins is in the rotation too.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(04-27-2024, 10:32 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Really good teams don't have a bunch of draft picks that start day 1.

They needed a tackle of the future. Brown is hurt...a lot.

Right. And we didn’t have our starting RT during either playoff runs.

[CottonHill]

(04-27-2024, 10:32 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Really good teams don't have a bunch of draft picks that start day 1.


They needed a tackle of the future. Brown is hurt...a lot.

I think Burton gets lots of snaps replacing Boyd. I think Jenkins is in the rotation too.

That’s somewhat true but we most certainly were not a good team last year. Last place in the division. Also, the chiefs, lions, ravens, eagles all play plenty of rookies. They just draft the right ones and they are normally the obvious choices as opposed to trying to outsmart everyone.

[Eraserhead]

(04-27-2024, 10:59 PM)CottonHill Wrote: That’s somewhat true but we most certainly were not a good team last year. Last place in the division. Also, the chiefs, lions, ravens, eagles all play plenty of rookies. They just draft the right ones and they are normally the obvious choices as opposed to trying to outsmart everyone.

Ah,, you're one of those. 

[Luvnit2]

(04-27-2024, 10:59 PM)CottonHill Wrote: That’s somewhat true but we most certainly were not a good team last year. Last place in the division. Also, the chiefs, lions, ravens, eagles all play plenty of rookies. They just draft the right ones and they are normally the obvious choices as opposed to trying to outsmart everyone.

You seem to feel you could have drafted better.


By all means, give us your 10 picks in the 2024 draft. We can ask the mods to a sticky and revisit at the end of each year

I feel we lost the trenches in 2023 and of course lost our QB. Last place in our division, but a winning 9-8 record and we lost our QB.

Mims is a beast and potential franchise OT, our draft is not for just 2024, it is for the future. Jenkins is possibly he strongest DT in the draft and a run stopper. We lost our run stopper Raeder also later in 2023. We added a first-round talent in the third round. He will replace Boyd in 2024 for a couple of million a year versus over 10 million a year. The Burton pick allows us to save cap space at WR to use on Chase long term and may be able to replace an expensive Higgins in 2025 if the two sides can't agree on a contract. 

[wanga]

(04-27-2024, 10:29 PM)CottonHill Wrote: We improved depth but didn’t actually upgrade any position outside of wide receiver. Definitely not a draft for a team that thinks they can win a Super Bowl now.

Mims a huge upgrade. I’ll bet you’ve got his jersey already. 

[wanga]

(04-27-2024, 11:15 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: You seem to feel you could have drafted better.


By all means, give us your 10 picks in the 2024 draft. We can ask the mods to a sticky and revisit at the end of each year

I feel we lost the trenches in 2023 and of course lost our QB. Last place in our division, but a winning 9-8 record and we lost our QB.

Mims is a beast and potential franchise OT, our draft is not for just 2024, it is for the future. Jenkins is possibly he strongest DT in the draft and a run stopper. We lost our run stopper Raeder also later in 2023. We added a first-round talent in the third round. He will replace Boyd in 2024 for a couple of million a year versus over 10 million a year. The Burton pick allows us to save cap space at WR to use on Chase long term and may be able to replace an expensive Higgins in 2025 if the two sides can't agree on a contract. 

Yep there’s no one more comfortable than an armchair expert. 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

I agree with the grades. Amarius Mims and McKinnley Jackson are my favorite picks, I don't care what anyone says. Mims has
the most upside of any OT in this Draft, great size, balance, feet, athleticism, is smart and just doesn't let his QB get hit at all
and McKinnley Jackson takes on double teams and shuts down the run game. I like Kris Jenkins a lot with his strength as well,
love his blood line and love his results at Michigan.

Jermaine Burton is extremely talented and could be the steal of this Draft. What he did doesn't mess with me like what Mixon
did. Fantastic router runner with amazing quicks and speed with great hands. All is hard to tackle, has good hands and can be a
beast if he stays healthy, McLachlan is the insurance thank God, LOVE MCLACHLAN, GREAT PICK!

Watched Josh Newton for years being a badazz Corner, love the guy.

Won't talk about the guys I don't care about as much, put my thoughts about them in their threads for now.

I really like Matt Lee the Center from Miami. Good stuff from him.

[Eraserhead]

(04-27-2024, 11:29 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I agree with the grades. Amarius Mims and McKinnley Jackson are my favorite picks, I don't care what anyone says. Mims has
the most upside of any OT in this Draft, great size, balance, feet, athleticism, is smart and just doesn't let his QB get hit at all
and McKinnley Jackson takes on double teams and shuts down the run game. I like Kris Jenkins a lot with his strength as well,
love his blood line and love his results at Michigan.

Jermaine Burton is extremely talented and could be the steal of this Draft. What he did doesn't mess with me like what Mixon
did. Fantastic router runner with amazing quicks and speed with great hands. All is hard to tackle, has good hands and can be a
beast if he stays healthy, McLachlan is the insurance thank God, LOVE MCLACHLAN, GREAT PICK!

Watched Josh Newton for years being a badazz Corner, love the guy.

Won't talk about the guys I don't care about as much, put my thoughts about them in their threads for now.

I really like Matt Lee the Center from Miami. Good stuff from him.

Matt Lee is a sneaky good pick for the future.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(04-27-2024, 11:45 PM)Eraserhead Wrote: Matt Lee is a sneaky good pick for the future.

Probably the most underrated pick of the entire Draft. Matt Lee was really good at Miami. Just don't know if he can handle 
the physicality of the AFC North. But he can get in the weight room and get to be a bad mutha in the meantime. Lee has the
things you cannot teach.

[Luvnit2]

(04-27-2024, 11:51 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Probably the most underrated pick of the entire Draft. Matt Lee was really good at Miami. Just don't know if he can handle 
the physicality of the AFC North. But he can get in the weight room and get to be a bad mutha in the meantime. Lee has the
things you cannot teach.

I don't know much about him. Why do you guys think Lee could be. great pick?

[Eraserhead]

(04-27-2024, 10:32 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Really good teams don't have a bunch of draft picks that start day 1.


They needed a tackle of the future. Brown is hurt...a lot.

I think Burton gets lots of snaps replacing Boyd. I think Jenkins is in the rotation too.

Just think about this draft.

If Mims had more tape and experience he's probably a top 10-12 pick.
Jenkins could have went in the 30s and no one would have batted an eye.
Burton is a top 15 talent and the 4 best wr in this draft.
Jackson was the most talented nose available when they took him.
Newton was projected to be a late 1st or early 2nd by some going into last season.
The 2 te's were great values that help rebuild a room that has desperately needed it,
Matt Lee was projected as high as the 4th round at times during the draft process.

I just can't understand why fans wouldn't be loving this draft. Loaded with talent, upside and fills depth and needs.

[Nicomo Cosca]

Lee is actually a well above average athlete.



Edit: Damn, Eraserhead erasing posts.

[Eraserhead]

(04-27-2024, 11:54 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I don't know much about him. Why do you guys think Lee could be. great pick?

He has a legit shot at being the starting C once Karras moves on. He needs to add a little strength and few pounds, but he's already technically sound and is very dependable in pass pro. I was shocked when I saw the Bengals picked him in the 7th round. I thought he'd be long gone.

[THE PISTONS]

(04-27-2024, 10:59 PM)CottonHill Wrote: That’s somewhat true but we most certainly were not a good team last year. Last place in the division. Also, the chiefs, lions, ravens, eagles all play plenty of rookies. They just draft the right ones and they are normally the obvious choices as opposed to trying to outsmart everyone.

We had a winning record with Burrow injured. Do you think if he was healthy, maybe we put up more wins?

What were the obvious choices? Kipers board?

This isn't like a video game where the ratings dictate play. A guy like Atkins was a 4th Round pick. I guarantee you most of the board didn't expect him to be great.

[THE PISTONS]

(04-27-2024, 11:54 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I don't know much about him. Why do you guys think Lee could be. great pick?

He's a leader. Didn't give up many pressures. Some had him rated 3rd best Center. Started a ton of games in college.

I'll say this, around the 4th Round I was hoping we'd take him.