10-28-2021, 02:59 PM
(10-27-2021, 08:32 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Remember all the years of everyone complaining we did not have enough scouts, Tobin sucked at drafting, and flat out missing on a lot of high draft picks (looking at you John Ross, Cdric Oggiboggi, Jake Fisher, etc)
Since Taylor came into the building and is working with Tobin:
2019-
1 11 11 Jonah Williams Offensive Tackle Alabama
2 20 52 Drew Sample Tight End Washington
3 8 72 Germaine Pratt Linebacker North Carolina State
4 2 104 Ryan Finley Quarterback North Carolina State Swing and a miss
4 23 125 Renell Wren Defensive Tackle Arizona State
4 34 136 Michael Jordan Guard Ohio State Swing and a miss
6 9 182 Trayveon Williams Running Back Texas A&M
6 38 210 Deshaun Davis Linebacker Auburn Swing and a miss
6 39 211 Rodney Anderson Running Back Oklahoma Swing and a miss
7 9 223 Jordan Brown Cornerback South Dakota State Swing and a miss
2020-
1 1 1 Joe Burrow Quarterback LSU Grand Slam homer
2 1 33 Tee Higgins Wide receiver Clemson Homer
3 1 65 Logan Wilson Linebacker Wyoming Homer over the center field wall
4 1 107 Akeem Davis-Gaither Linebacker Appalachian State
5 1 147 Khalid Kareem Defensive end Notre Dame
6 1 180 Hakeem Adeniji Offensive tackle Kansas
7 1 215 Markus Bailey Linebacker Purdue
2021-1 5 5 Ja'Marr Chase Wide receiver LSU Grand slam
2 14 46 Jackson Carman Offensive tackle Clemson homer
3 5 69 Joseph Ossai Defensive end Texas looks to be a homer
4 6 111 Cameron Sample Defensive end Tulane
4 17 122 Tyler Shelvin Defensive tackle LSU
4 34 139 D'Ante Smith Offensive tackle East Carolina
5 5 149 Evan McPherson Kicker Florida homer
6 6 190 Trey Hill Center Georgia
6 18 202 Chris Evans Running back Michigan
7 7 235 Wyatt Hubert Defensive end Kansas State
So in 2019 we missed on a 4th rounder and a couple of 6th and 7th rounders.
In 2020 every player has stuck on the roster and is contributing unless injured.
In 2021 every player has stuck on the roster and is contributing unless injured.
Same Tobin, same scouting room, same owner from the Marvin Lewis days. I think it's obvious what changed.
I simply cannot wait to see what they bring to us when we are drafting at the end of the round.
Great OP. A couple thoughts....
Context. The first year was a bit of a rush job due to the late hire, and really contains the only misses (late rounders), mistake (trading up for Finley), and reach (Sample in Rd 2).
The last two years were impacted by COVID, but aided by us staffing the Senior Bowl. Also, ZT had a philosophy implemented by then. A type. Culture guys. Winners. Captains. High IQ/coache's sons. I think everyone from the 2nd draft was a team captain, coache's son, or both except for Higgins, who won a national title at Clemson.
Now, the flip side of installing a new culture is that a lot of the old guard gets moved out, so we should not get too caught up in the fact that all the drafted guys from the last two years made the team. It is still impressive. But what is more impressive is how many genuine contributors we have gotten.
I kind of divide the draft into two parts. The first three rounds are your main course. You should expect to get guys who can contribute there. The later rounds is more like gravy when you get a good one. And it often takes time for those guys to develop.
Rounds 1-3.
1: J. Williams, Burrow, Chase
2: Sample, Higgins, Carman
3: Pratt, L. Wilson, Ossai.
7 starters. Burrow & Chase look like All Pros. Wilson seems to be headed towards a Pro Bowl. Williams has been mostly solid. Higgins & Pratt are solid starters. Carman is developing right before our eyes. Ossai looked brilliant before he got injured, and was gonna be our DE in passing situations along with Hendrickson. Sample was a reach in round 2, but is a solid blocking TE/backup.
Rounds 4-7.
4: Finley, Wren, Jordan, ADG, C. Sample, Shelvin, Smith.
5: Kareem, McPherson
6: T. Williams, Davis, Anderson, Adeniji, Hill, Evans
7: Brown, Bailey, Hubert.
Rd 4 from 2019 was almost a total whiff, though injuries have limited Wren. Ditto Rd 6 & 7 frim that year and T. Williams with injuries. 2 practice squad guys from 7 picks from Rds 4-7 in 2019 stinks.
But the next two years have been better. ADG is a solid reserve who could challenge Pratt to start. McPherson is an upgrade at PK, despite the misses vs GB. Evans is more than useful as a 3rd down back. Kareem & C. Sample are acceptable depth on the DL. Bailey & Shelvin stuck, as did Adeniji, Smith, though both got hurt. As did Hubert. And I forgot Hill.
Still, a starter (McPherson), 2 legit contributors (ADG, Evans), 2 rotation guys (Kareem, Sample), and 5 other guys who made the roster (Adeniji, Bailey, Shelvin, Smith, Hill) ain't too bad for 4-7.
