2023 OL Draft Prospects Group Assessments

[SunsetBengal]

(03-22-2023, 06:54 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: We only carried 10 last year. We have 12 signed plus the the PS guys. Though Collins & Jonah are coming off injury. Jonah shouod be good by June but Collins may be out for the beginning of the year. And of course, Jonah has requested a trade post-Orlando Brown signing.

4/5ths of the starters are locked, with RT the question mark with Jonah's trade request and Collins' injury. Neither seems like a long term solution at RT. Jonah immediately balked at playing RT and wanted out. I doubt he would re-up here with Brown at LT moving forward. Collins is signed through 2024. Both guys make a lot of money (over $21 mil combined) and neither was very good last year. Though not awful. Thinking of ways to pay Highins, Burrow, Wilson & others has to start with getting Jonah or Collins or both off the books. Be it this year or next.

Problem is, what we have behind them at OT is either unimpressive (Adeniji, Ford) or unproven (Carman, Smith). Though Varman showed some promise last year, it was all at LT. I don't see us getting rid of both Jonah & Collins this year. One, max. Especially at this late date, it is not like there are fantastic FA options to spend on right now, especially on the OL. We won't leave protecting Burrow up to a draft crapshoot plus Carman MAYBE being able to play RT.  Maybe if we scored a plug & play RT in the draft, but that looks increasingly unlikely.

Among the reserves, I only really see Carman & Scharping as safe. Carman showed enough last year for me to be comfortable with him as the backup LT. And enough for a look-see at RT if Jonah is traded while Collins is out. We may not need to draft a RT, we may already have one. Scharping is the only reserve G we have, with Ford listed as a T and orefering to play there.

I think a draft pick could knock Hill off the roster, and he may be battling with a now healthy Brown anyway. There is not room for all of Adeniji, Smith, and Ford to make it. Though if Collins is on PUP & Jonah is traded, there would be. Ford would have to function as the #4 guard.

We'll have more clarity on Jonah soon. If he stays, I think it is unlikely we take a OT in Rd1. A stud would have to fall to us. Mid rounds, I think TE, CB, DE, RB, WR, and IOL have better value. Though maybe Mauch or Bergerson are worth it. Dawand Jones is a stretch at #28 and gone by #60. If one of the nice IOL guys are there at #60 (Avila, Schmitz, Tipperman, Wypler) I would think hard on it. But we need TE & pass rush more ATM.

I look for the team to draft possibly 2 OL in the upcoming draft, as well as sign 2-4 priority UDFAs to the position group.  The team is in a bad spot, as far as having to go into free agency to comprise the bulk of their OL starters.  With a franchise QB about to get paid, as well as attempting to keep not one, but a pair of elite WRs on the team, position groups like OL need to be drafted and developed type of players.

Carman showed enough promise for me to still have hope for him, Volson exceeded my expectations.  The team couldn't have said it louder that Jonah Williams was a failure to launch at LT by going out and buying Brown Jr.  We have two more seasons with Karras and three with Cappa before it will be time to see what the new crop of draft and develop interior OL look like for the Bengals. Even having invested in La'el Collins, RT is still a tremendous question mark heading into this season.  Hopefully between Williams, Ford and Collins they can get it figured out for the next season.  However, I'm still putting my betting money on the Bengals drafting a Tackle in the first 3 rounds, one that they see as being the RT for the next 5-10 years.

Btw, you're doing a great job of keeping us all posted on the position group "as it stands" throughout the offseason process, nice job.