04-25-2022, 11:58 AM
I'm taking the gamble that Dax Hill could be there, although I think he has the talent to go in the upper teens or early 20's.
If not Hill, I think there are some other options at safety in Rd 1 or Rd 2 that I'd be ok with taking (although less excited about).
1) Dax Hill, DB Michigan (6'0", 191 lb) - Hill can cover with the best of them. He's so good in coverage that he can even play CB, but I like him as a Bates replacement after this year. Even though he's lighter than 200 lbs (which is Bates' size), he is a good, aggressive tackler and attacks in the run game too. I think as a rookie, he can come in and play a couple different spots before taking over full time at Safety after likely Bates and/or Bell leaves in FA next year.
2) Cam Taylor-Britt, DB Nebraska (5'11", 196 lb) - Zone-heavy coverage guy who has great size, ball skills, and tackling ability. I love CTB as a guy to compete with Apple for that outside starting CB spot. He's also had experience as a safety, which is great value.
3) Zachary Carter, DL Florida (6'4", 282 lb) - Versatile DL who can play both base DE and also 3T. I'd love to try to convert Carter to a full-time 3T. I think he has immediate value as a situational pass rusher as a nickel DT.
4) Spencer Burford, OT/OG UTSA (6'4", 304 lb) - Burford is a guy who has started at LT the past two years at UTSA after playing OG prior. He's athletic and has good size, ideal for a zone scheme. For those wondering, he does have nearly 35" long arms, so length won't be a problem. I see him being a good, versatile OL that can compete with Carman for starting LG reps, but if he doesn't get that, he can be a good swing OT. With Burford addition, I'd see Prince or Adeniji getting the boot.
5) Romeo Doubs, WR/PR Nevada (6'2", 201 lb) - Accomplished outside WR and PR in the MWC. I think Doubs can come in to replace Tate as the new WR4. He makes big plays and has speed to go along with good size. He also lacks fear, having no problem playing in traffic. Put up 138 receptions for 2111 yards and 20 TDs across 20 games the past two seasons. He's a very highly accomplished PR, averaging 12.5 YPR on 37 PRs and a TD.
6) James Mitchell, TE Virginia Tech (6'3", 255 lb) - A team captain and versatile TE who can play both inline and the slot. He suffered a season-ending knee injury just two games into the 2021 season, but he was a good receiver the previous two years before. He put up 47 receptions for 796 yards (16.9 YPR) for 6 TDs in 2019-2020. He might be seen as too short, but he's the same height as Thad Moss, so I don't think the Bengals would shy away.
7-NYG) Jeremiah Gemmel, LB UNC (6'1", 225 lb) - Well-rounded leader of the Tar Heel defense that could be a quality depth LB to replace Evans.
7) Clint Ratkovich, FB/H-B Northern Illinois (6'1", 231 lb) - Bigger back who many analysts feel confident can serve in a versatile role of short-yardage, goal-line, pass catcher, and FB/H-B due to his skill set and size. He fills Perine's role admirably but adds additional value by serving as FB/H-B.
If not Hill, I think there are some other options at safety in Rd 1 or Rd 2 that I'd be ok with taking (although less excited about).
1) Dax Hill, DB Michigan (6'0", 191 lb) - Hill can cover with the best of them. He's so good in coverage that he can even play CB, but I like him as a Bates replacement after this year. Even though he's lighter than 200 lbs (which is Bates' size), he is a good, aggressive tackler and attacks in the run game too. I think as a rookie, he can come in and play a couple different spots before taking over full time at Safety after likely Bates and/or Bell leaves in FA next year.
2) Cam Taylor-Britt, DB Nebraska (5'11", 196 lb) - Zone-heavy coverage guy who has great size, ball skills, and tackling ability. I love CTB as a guy to compete with Apple for that outside starting CB spot. He's also had experience as a safety, which is great value.
3) Zachary Carter, DL Florida (6'4", 282 lb) - Versatile DL who can play both base DE and also 3T. I'd love to try to convert Carter to a full-time 3T. I think he has immediate value as a situational pass rusher as a nickel DT.
4) Spencer Burford, OT/OG UTSA (6'4", 304 lb) - Burford is a guy who has started at LT the past two years at UTSA after playing OG prior. He's athletic and has good size, ideal for a zone scheme. For those wondering, he does have nearly 35" long arms, so length won't be a problem. I see him being a good, versatile OL that can compete with Carman for starting LG reps, but if he doesn't get that, he can be a good swing OT. With Burford addition, I'd see Prince or Adeniji getting the boot.
5) Romeo Doubs, WR/PR Nevada (6'2", 201 lb) - Accomplished outside WR and PR in the MWC. I think Doubs can come in to replace Tate as the new WR4. He makes big plays and has speed to go along with good size. He also lacks fear, having no problem playing in traffic. Put up 138 receptions for 2111 yards and 20 TDs across 20 games the past two seasons. He's a very highly accomplished PR, averaging 12.5 YPR on 37 PRs and a TD.
6) James Mitchell, TE Virginia Tech (6'3", 255 lb) - A team captain and versatile TE who can play both inline and the slot. He suffered a season-ending knee injury just two games into the 2021 season, but he was a good receiver the previous two years before. He put up 47 receptions for 796 yards (16.9 YPR) for 6 TDs in 2019-2020. He might be seen as too short, but he's the same height as Thad Moss, so I don't think the Bengals would shy away.
7-NYG) Jeremiah Gemmel, LB UNC (6'1", 225 lb) - Well-rounded leader of the Tar Heel defense that could be a quality depth LB to replace Evans.
7) Clint Ratkovich, FB/H-B Northern Illinois (6'1", 231 lb) - Bigger back who many analysts feel confident can serve in a versatile role of short-yardage, goal-line, pass catcher, and FB/H-B due to his skill set and size. He fills Perine's role admirably but adds additional value by serving as FB/H-B.
Zac Taylor 2019-2020: 6 total wins
Zac Taylor 2021-2022: Double-digit wins each season, plus 5 postseason wins
Zac Taylor 2023: 9 wins despite losing Burrow half the season
Zac Taylor 2024: 3-5 so far. If he can turn this into a playoff appearance, it will be impressive.
Sorry for Party Rocking!
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
Zac Taylor 2021-2022: Double-digit wins each season, plus 5 postseason wins
Zac Taylor 2023: 9 wins despite losing Burrow half the season
Zac Taylor 2024: 3-5 so far. If he can turn this into a playoff appearance, it will be impressive.
Sorry for Party Rocking!
