04-17-2020, 10:32 PM
With the draft just days away, who are the players you absolutely would HATE to see the Bengals pick?
Obviously, it is all relative to draft position. A player you'd hate to see at 33 is fine at 65, so I'll give you my list.
1. Denzel Mims in the 2nd round.
I get why people like him. He had decent production in college, he ran a 4.38 40 and has great size.
... But I watch him and I just don't see him getting consistent separation. He uses a very subtle push off a lot right before the ball arrives and, while it wasn't called a lot in college, I think NFL refs watch offensive PI a little closer. And he doesn't play up to his 40 time at all. He also has a relatively high drop percentage. And I am just, in general, very nervous about major off season risers. How did evaluators watch him at the end of the season and say "3rd or 4th rounder" and then, with no real games played past that point, change their mind to "elite first round prospect" because of a week of practices and a 40 yard run?
Also worth noting: the players he beat at CB at the Senior bowl? ...Not a single day 1 or day 2 prospect among them. Troy Pride Jr, Michael Ojemudia, Lamar Jackson, Javaris Davis, Essang Bassey, Terrell Burgess were the CBs on the North team, where Mims made his name in the practices. In the actual game, he played against the South team CBs, who were Kindle Vildor, Dane Jackson, A.J. Green, Reggie Robinson II and Darnay Holmes. Holmes may go in the 3rd round as a slot corner, but the rest are also day 3 corners.
So are we really surprised that Mims did well against future day 3 and undrafted cornerbacks? Honestly, I'm kind of nervous about any WR that became well known because of the Senior Bowl practices. That includes Van Jefferson, K.J. Hill and Anthony Gandy-Golden. All of these guys got a stock bump from the Senior bowl playing against exclusively bad cornerbacks.
Its just too many concerns and weaknesses. I see some mock drafts having the Bengals take him at 33 and I'm just nervous about him replacing AJ. He's a very risky prospect to me.
2 through 4. Van Jefferson, K.J. Hill and Anthony Gandy Golden in the 4th round (or earlier).
For the reasons I mentioned above. The Senior Bowl had such a huge mismatch in talent between WRs and CBs, it'd be hard to take any stock gain for the WRs with any level of credulity. If they want to take a flier on them in the 5th or 6th round, I understand, but not in the 4th.
5. Jordyn Brooks in the 3rd round (or earlier).
Brooks is beginning to get day 2 hype and it's beginning to worry me. This guy is a fine run stopper, but that role is consistently becoming less valuable in the NFL. I just can't justify picking a linebacker who is super one dimensional in day 2, especially at the top of either round. He may be great against the run, but linebacker is evolving in the NFL. These run pluggers are barely even 2 down players anymore. With so many teams running 3 WR sets as their base set, you really only need 2 starting LBs, maybe even 1 if you have a big safety playing a nickel backer role. And that 1 or 2 starting LBs should definitely be able to at least sit in a middle zone competently (and, ideally, be able to cover a TE or RB in a pinch) which I am not certain Brooks is capable of doing.
If Brooks is still there in day 3, I'd consider him. But I just don't think the role he fills is worth a day 2 pick in today's NFL.
6. Lloyd Cushenberry III in the 2nd round.
If you watch Cushenberry against Auburn,
If you watch Cushenberry against Auburn, you'd instantly want us to stay away from him forever. He just gets so thoroughly bombarded by Derrick Brown...and granted Brown is a great player, but a 33rd pick in the draft needs to at least stand their ground against a player like that. They'll run into a lot of Browns in the NFL. I think Cushenberry benefited a ton from Burrow's agility and mobility in the pocket as well as the quick hitting plays that LSU called. I'd consider him in the 3rd or 4th round if we need a back up center, but I am very nervous about moving a guy like him to guard, considering how much he can be pushed off the ball.
7. Netane Muti in the 3rd round (or earlier).
The injuries man. They just scare the daylights out of me. His potential is sky high, but we can't spend a top 100 pick on a guy who could conceivably spend more time on the injury list than active list. A day 3 pick you can take a risk on a talented player who can't stay healthy, but in the first 3 rounds, steer clear.
8 and 9. Austin Jackson or Ezra Cleveland in the 2nd round.
I know it's low hanging fruit and I know it's been said time and time again, but Jackson and Cleveland just seem like Ogbuehi clones to me. A promising OT with great athleticism who won't be ready to start until he adds strength. Ugh. I know similar prospects don't always come out the same, but I think I'm suffering from PCOTD.
Who are your guys?
Obviously, it is all relative to draft position. A player you'd hate to see at 33 is fine at 65, so I'll give you my list.
1. Denzel Mims in the 2nd round.
I get why people like him. He had decent production in college, he ran a 4.38 40 and has great size.
... But I watch him and I just don't see him getting consistent separation. He uses a very subtle push off a lot right before the ball arrives and, while it wasn't called a lot in college, I think NFL refs watch offensive PI a little closer. And he doesn't play up to his 40 time at all. He also has a relatively high drop percentage. And I am just, in general, very nervous about major off season risers. How did evaluators watch him at the end of the season and say "3rd or 4th rounder" and then, with no real games played past that point, change their mind to "elite first round prospect" because of a week of practices and a 40 yard run?
Also worth noting: the players he beat at CB at the Senior bowl? ...Not a single day 1 or day 2 prospect among them. Troy Pride Jr, Michael Ojemudia, Lamar Jackson, Javaris Davis, Essang Bassey, Terrell Burgess were the CBs on the North team, where Mims made his name in the practices. In the actual game, he played against the South team CBs, who were Kindle Vildor, Dane Jackson, A.J. Green, Reggie Robinson II and Darnay Holmes. Holmes may go in the 3rd round as a slot corner, but the rest are also day 3 corners.
So are we really surprised that Mims did well against future day 3 and undrafted cornerbacks? Honestly, I'm kind of nervous about any WR that became well known because of the Senior Bowl practices. That includes Van Jefferson, K.J. Hill and Anthony Gandy-Golden. All of these guys got a stock bump from the Senior bowl playing against exclusively bad cornerbacks.
Its just too many concerns and weaknesses. I see some mock drafts having the Bengals take him at 33 and I'm just nervous about him replacing AJ. He's a very risky prospect to me.
2 through 4. Van Jefferson, K.J. Hill and Anthony Gandy Golden in the 4th round (or earlier).
For the reasons I mentioned above. The Senior Bowl had such a huge mismatch in talent between WRs and CBs, it'd be hard to take any stock gain for the WRs with any level of credulity. If they want to take a flier on them in the 5th or 6th round, I understand, but not in the 4th.
5. Jordyn Brooks in the 3rd round (or earlier).
Brooks is beginning to get day 2 hype and it's beginning to worry me. This guy is a fine run stopper, but that role is consistently becoming less valuable in the NFL. I just can't justify picking a linebacker who is super one dimensional in day 2, especially at the top of either round. He may be great against the run, but linebacker is evolving in the NFL. These run pluggers are barely even 2 down players anymore. With so many teams running 3 WR sets as their base set, you really only need 2 starting LBs, maybe even 1 if you have a big safety playing a nickel backer role. And that 1 or 2 starting LBs should definitely be able to at least sit in a middle zone competently (and, ideally, be able to cover a TE or RB in a pinch) which I am not certain Brooks is capable of doing.
If Brooks is still there in day 3, I'd consider him. But I just don't think the role he fills is worth a day 2 pick in today's NFL.
6. Lloyd Cushenberry III in the 2nd round.
If you watch Cushenberry against Auburn,
If you watch Cushenberry against Auburn, you'd instantly want us to stay away from him forever. He just gets so thoroughly bombarded by Derrick Brown...and granted Brown is a great player, but a 33rd pick in the draft needs to at least stand their ground against a player like that. They'll run into a lot of Browns in the NFL. I think Cushenberry benefited a ton from Burrow's agility and mobility in the pocket as well as the quick hitting plays that LSU called. I'd consider him in the 3rd or 4th round if we need a back up center, but I am very nervous about moving a guy like him to guard, considering how much he can be pushed off the ball.
7. Netane Muti in the 3rd round (or earlier).
The injuries man. They just scare the daylights out of me. His potential is sky high, but we can't spend a top 100 pick on a guy who could conceivably spend more time on the injury list than active list. A day 3 pick you can take a risk on a talented player who can't stay healthy, but in the first 3 rounds, steer clear.
8 and 9. Austin Jackson or Ezra Cleveland in the 2nd round.
I know it's low hanging fruit and I know it's been said time and time again, but Jackson and Cleveland just seem like Ogbuehi clones to me. A promising OT with great athleticism who won't be ready to start until he adds strength. Ugh. I know similar prospects don't always come out the same, but I think I'm suffering from PCOTD.
Who are your guys?
![[Image: oN5QAdY.png]](https://i.imgur.com/oN5QAdY.png)
