3
Draft Gem: Nick Vigil
https://youtu.be/Iif2NWLiZZI
I knew that he had talent coming out but I was concerned that he wouldn't hang around long. The Lamar Jackson play will be forever remembered.

WHOA: Jordan Willis
https://youtu.be/dWVJHdZQyek
At that time I know on some boards I seen him as a late one early two. I just knew we caught a steal on an athlete where we drafted him. Sometimes the freaks steal your money.

 4
Draft Gem: Clint Boling
https://youtu.be/aq6AwhEqoqw
The guy was never on my radar coming out of Georgia and although he had some growing pains early he turned out to be extremely solid. Aside from popular belief including me at times we've drafted talent and developed properly.

WHOA: Sean Porter
https://youtu.be/5hRea_CWzVE
Well this was just another case of had it totally wrong!
This guy was a heck of a talent coming out of Texas A&M at that time and some will still argue a late first round prospect. I remember him just fading away like cotton candy because it was quick!

5
Draft Gem: George Iloka
https://youtu.be/OYj5eAEsipw
I mean this prospect was just big and could run but I just wasn't sure if the skill set would transfer out of the Mountain West. Some people had him in thier mocks but I just didn't see it. He played here at a high level until we couldn't or didn't pay him and at one point was a top three position player at his peak in the AFC. ( Not exaggerating)

WHOA: Christian Weathermen
Solid player coming out of Arizona State who I thought maybe we stole two rounds later than where we should've got him. Its funny because I can't really remember him in competition for a job. Who was he behind at the time Zeitler or his eventual replacement? I'm not even sure he's in the league right now.

 6
Draft Gem: Brandon Wilson
https://youtu.be/QJsCRbjNW-4
I mean from what I can remember he was a solid player coming out of Houston.( Could be wrong on the school)The return game is what I can remember most but not much as a defensive back. The moral of the story is the guy is on his way to a pension in the NFL and is still active on this roster until....

WHOA: Cobi Hamilton
https://youtu.be/yQ70cFebC70
For me I knew that he needed a bit of development coming out of Arkansas but I thought that he could be a solid contributor over time. Where we ended up drafting him was a steal at the time.

7
Draft Gem: Mason Schrek
https://youtu.be/Z6w_9bPhM70
I didn't know him then and I don't know him now but I'll tell you is that he's etched his place on this organization. I'm sure he's around here somewhere getting six figures. The man does "Something" well. Kudos to him.

WHOA: Mario Alford
https://youtu.be/umITie6jAlI
I can remember mocking him to the Bengals in the seventh round in that draft but it was deleted along with my earlier work here. This guy was explosive coming out of West Virginia as a returner and in the offense.. I have to post his highlights....

Good OP.

One nit, Brandon Wilson is a safety, not a RB.

I never get too excited about draft picks until I see then play. Phillips started out like gangbusters & got me excited, but that was long after the draft.

I thought K Jake Elliot was a great pick and he did not even make our roster.

I remember some thinking Cody Core was a steal.
Sub-4.5 at 205 lbs and a solid 3-cone (6.78) while putting up a respectable 1202 yards and 10 TDs on 78 receptions his final two seasons with Treadwell stealing the spotlight.
Some thought he was going to make a quality WR3/4.

(05-23-2022, 06:16 PM)Emeritus Wrote:  6
Draft Gem: Brandon Wilson
https://youtu.be/QJsCRbjNW-4
I mean from what I can remember he was a solid player coming out of Houston.( Could be wrong on the school)The return game is what I can remember most but not much as a defensive back. The moral of the story is the guy is on his way to a pension in the NFL and is still active on this roster until....

Actually I should have listed Wilson as one of my favorites.

He ran in the 4.3's coming out of college.  Played DB, RB, and KR.

(05-23-2022, 06:09 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I personally wouldn't call Billings a bust, especially as a 4th round pick.
He played arguably above the average 4th rounder when he was a Bengal.
Bengals just decided to go after a better player in Reader and let Billings walk.

He chose to sit out 2020 (I believe because of COVID), and he didn't even play 100 snaps for Browns last year though.
I still thought he was a solid NT for Bengals 2018-2019.

That’s fair, he definitely showed some promise after a while. I just had much higher expectations for him so he’s a “bust” compared to what I hoped he would be. Thought he could be even better as a pure NT while also adding in impressive pass rush (for a big DT) from that spot as well which never developed. He was still solid for his draft position but was a miss for me.

(05-23-2022, 06:41 PM)leonardfan40 Wrote: That’s fair, he definitely showed some promise after a while. I just had much higher expectations for him so he’s a “bust” compared to what I hoped he would be. Thought he could be even better as a pure NT while also adding in impressive pass rush (for a big DT) from that spot as well which never developed. He was still solid for his draft position but was a miss for me.

Yea I think people that had him pegged as a 1st rounder were underwhelmed, but he played well for a 4th rounder.

I may be going further back than your window of disappointment but I have another...

Keiwan Ratliff CB Florida
https://youtu.be/S_3Om2hDIkQ
It seems like I waited for a decade to see the guy from Florida and never did. He was a second rounder so I'm sorry Fred had to get this bum brisket on the grill.

(05-23-2022, 04:27 PM)fredtoast Wrote: ROUND 3

High Hopes:
2015.. 99  Paul Dawson ILB
2019.. 72  Germaine Pratt   LB

Surprised
2012.. 83  Mohamed Sanu WR
2018.. 77  Sam Hubbard DE


ROUND 4

High Hopes:
2015.. 120  Josh Shaw CB

Surprises:
2011.. 101  Clint Boling G
2017.. 116  Carl Lawson OLB

ROUND 5
High Hopes:
2014.. 164  A.J. McCarron QB
2018.. 170  Darius Phillips CB

Surprises:
2012.. 167  George Iloka DB
2012.. 166 Marvin Jones WR

ROUND 6
High Hopes:
2011.. 167  Ryan Whalen WR
2017.. 193  Jordan Evans LB
2019.. 211  Rodney Anderson RB

ROUND 7
High Hopes:
None

Josh Shaw, I really thought he was talented, guess he couldn't put it together.

Was very happy we drafted Rodney Anderson, but was hoping he would get a year of not much activity to help get over his medical issues... *sighs blew knee in pre-season.

Was also hoping Jordan Evans would put it all together. 

I try not to have too many that i get excited about. 

(05-23-2022, 08:05 PM)Emeritus Wrote:

I may be going further back than your window of disappointment but I have another...

Keiwan Ratliff CB Florida
https://youtu.be/S_3Om2hDIkQ
It seems like I waited for a decade to see the guy from Florida and never did. He was a second rounder so I'm sorry Fred had to get this bum brisket on the grill.

I was super stoked when we drafted Ratliff.

SEC Defensive Player of the Year.  Top punt returner.  Even played WR in Florida's Bowl game against Michigan and caught a td pass.

Dontay Moch dude had some really impressive pre season but could never make it happen in the regular season.
I thought Darius Phillips would be a star as a special team player but he had a bizarre drop off.

I was a huge Germaine Pratt fan and thought he was gonna be on pair with the Devins. He is not as good as Devin White although really the difference isnt that big... he has been better than the Steelers trade up to 10 Devin Bush.

I thought Jefferson, Moch and Sands were all going to be something. Also thought Will Clarke would amount to more than he did.

(05-24-2022, 12:39 AM)Synric Wrote: I was a huge Germaine Pratt fan and thought he was gonna be on pair with the Devins. He is not as good as Devin White although really the difference isnt that big... he has been better than the Steelers trade up to 10 Devin Bush.

That was just a bad LB class in general.  I remember catching hell for saying I wouldn't touch Bush before the 2nd.  The Steelers did that big trade up to get him and he wound up not even being worth picking up the 5th year option on.

Pratt sealed the W over the Raiders and ended the streak. Definitely well worth a 3rd.

(05-23-2022, 05:28 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: Finley was a bit of crap shoot I guess.  The Bengals ended up with 3 picks in the 4th round that year but they did trade up to get him (I think they gave up 2 6th round picks?).  At least he gave us this moment against the Steelers.  A bright spot during a very depressing season.  Then in 2021 the Bengals traded him and their 7th round pick to the Texans for their  6th round pick.  That 6th round pick was used on Chris Evans. 



So at least they got something out of him aside from that one shining moment.     Also I noticed in the "Break Out" season thread several people picked Evans.  If that happens then maybe the Finely pick would have worked out in a round about way.  :)

You know, I wonder if our Bengals started turning the CULTURE, ATTITUDE, and EXPECTATIONS around right after Finley's victory over the Steelers.  It sure feels like it carried into this year.

(05-23-2022, 05:20 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I also liked Tyler Kroft a lot.

He missed the combine for some reason then put up a bunch of really impressive numbers at his pro day. And he was big (6'6", 250). I think he is still playing in the NFL.

He just signed with the 49ers

(05-23-2022, 05:28 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: Finley was a bit of crap shoot I guess.  The Bengals ended up with 3 picks in the 4th round that year but they did trade up to get him (I think they gave up 2 6th round picks?).  At least he gave us this moment against the Steelers.  A bright spot during a very depressing season.  Then in 2021 the Bengals traded him and their 7th round pick to the Texans for their  6th round pick.  That 6th round pick was used on Chris Evans. 



So at least they got something out of him aside from that one shining moment.     Also I noticed in the "Break Out" season thread several people picked Evans.  If that happens then maybe the Finely pick would have worked out in a round about way.  :)

There was a pre-draft ranking that year that had Ryan Finley as the 31st best player in the draft. May have been ESPN? Anyway that didn’t pan out but I remember being encouraged for a minute.

(05-24-2022, 12:46 AM)bengaloo Wrote: I thought Jefferson, Moch and Sands were all going to be something. Also thought Will Clarke would amount to more than he did.

I too was high on Clarke. In his defense, he just came into a completely-stacked sitch; '14 (when he was drafted) he needed to get acclimatized to the NFL, so that's fine, but in '15, they had:

- Dunlap
- A still good/useful MJ
- Dingleberry
- Hunt

Ahead of him on the Depth Chart and we still had Chris Carter, who came in on 3rd downs, so the rotation wasn't as... rotating, as it was a few years prior (especially with Dunlap balling out). His 3rd year with us, when Carter was gone and Hunt was used much less/at DT, Clarke had a REALLY good year as a 4th DE and that vindicated me as him just needing a bit more opportunity... but then he went to TB and now he's out of the league.

Anyways, for myself, was high on Ryan Whalen who had hands of gold and flashed consistently when he was targeted. He just wasn't targeted much, ever. Good on STs, him not being a returner also didn't help his sitch.

Was always high on Ceej and really feel good with the vindication there.

Billings wasn't a bust at all, but we as a fanbase were indeed over-hyping him to death. He DID play well for us.

(05-24-2022, 08:30 PM)BucketE Wrote: There was a pre-draft ranking that year that had Ryan Finley as the 31st best player in the draft. May have been ESPN? Anyway that didn’t pan out but I remember being encouraged for a minute.

Not just ESPN; he got A LOT of hype in the draft and many places had him as a top 5 QB in the '19 draft (which was a good year for QBs). He's got the brain and athleticism, but his arm just didn't seem up to the task.

(05-25-2022, 11:37 AM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: Ahead of him on the Depth Chart and we still had Chris Carter, who came in on 3rd downs, so the rotation wasn't as... rotating, as it was a few years prior (especially with Dunlap balling out). His 3rd year with us, when Carter was gone and Hunt was used much less/at DT, Clarke had a REALLY good year as a 4th DE and that vindicated me as him just needing a bit more opportunity... but then he went to TB and now he's out of the league.

Anyways, for myself, was high on Ryan Whalen who had hands of gold and flashed consistently when he was targeted. He just wasn't targeted much, ever. Good on STs, him not being a returner also didn't help his sitch.

Yes Whalen was another one I thought was gonna be a good one that just never really worked out.

Fun thread!

Hits:
3. Sam Hubbard. When they took him I thought that they had "settled" for yet another OSU guy (why does it seem that the Buckeyes who turn out to be good NFL players wind up somewhere else?) I figured he would be solid against the run, but he has also been productive as a pass rusher. Sam is really good, on and off the field.
4. Clint Boling. Very solid NFL guard here for years. We haven't had very many of them. I was tempted to say Lawson, reasoning being that we essentially flipped him for Hendrickson, but that's not fair.
5. Marvin Lewis Jones. He outperformed the guy taken two round ahead of him (Mo Sanu), much the same way that second round pick Cris Collinsworth blew away first rounder David Verser years ago.
6. Rex Burkhead. Guy was (is) just a baller.
7. Clayton Fejedelem. Simmons-influenced choice, absolute stud special teamer.

Misses (sigh):
3. Dontay Moch. The elusive search for a college DE that would become a beast rush LB continues (Reinard Wilson, David Pollack, etc.) I recall Zim referring to Moch as "Dontay Smoke." Smoke was all there was.
4. Andrew Billings. There was first-round buzz about Billings, and we somehow got him in the 4th! There was a reason. Actually about 350 reasons.
5. Christian Westermann. Trolling for guards in the late rounds is what we do. Like Billings he was projected to go earlier. Apparently he dropped because he really didn't like football, which other teams knew but the Bengals didn't. I think he quit during training camp.
6. Rodney Anderson. Stud RB at Oklahoma who I think missed his senior year for injuries. He got me really excited in one preseason game and then blew out a knee again. Great kid who had very bad luck. A real shame.
7. Man, there is some real nebulosity on that list. Guess my choice will be Reid Fragel, another swing and miss from The Ohio State.

I loved Marvin Jones pre draft, so I was at least right about him, but also liked the Josh Shaw pick quite a bit, and also remember drooling over the upside of Moch (similar to the Hunt pick years later in terms of swinging for the fences on upside). This thread also reminds me of Jason Shirley, going a few years further back lol. I never loved him as a prospect, but he brought about a lot of entertaining discussions. Fun thread, I could talk all day about this stuff because of my draft nerd-ness over the years. Another tangent of sorts, but who else was ecstatic when we signed Ahmad Brooks in the supplemental draft and kept watching that amazing college highlight of him diving over the pile ?