While not exactly an off-the-charts pick, he'll be solid. Excellent zone coverage receiver. Finds the soft spots. Great hands and adjusts very well to the ball. Not a great blocker, but decent at times.

If he's there and there's no one else that falls into our lap like Paris Johnson, Witherspoon, Myles Murphy, etc., he'll be our pick.

Just my prediction.

If he's not high on our draft list, we may even trade down.

This would be a polarizing pick, plenty of arguments. I'm open to it but it could be more strategic than just filling possibly their biggest weakness (even with Smith Jr.) at a lower value position.

I think they'd envision him as basically a slot receiver they move around that gives them a Boyd replacement in a year and can be their #2 target if Higgins talks go south. Or good grief for the league if they keep Chase, Higgins and Kincaid fulfills his potential while staying healthy. If the TE salaries and tag stays down they could be saving money long term having a quality #2 target getting paid almost half what a WR gets.

They could still take a true TE late in the draft with all the depth there as well. The pick is very possible, but they better he sold on his potential and health.

I don't know, if he doesn't have injury issues - he could be the best TE in the draft. Better than taking the OT out of Tenn but OL seem like a crap shoot if they make it to the 2nd round.

O line is pretty much always a crap shoot. I've seen guys that are 'no doubters' come up as complete scrubs. Look at our last three O Line 1st rounders. Not exactly great. Obuehi, Price, Jonah Williams. Bust, Very Average, Average.

(04-23-2023, 11:09 PM)phil413 Wrote: This would be a polarizing pick, plenty of arguments.  I'm open to it but it could be more strategic than just filling possibly their biggest weakness (even with Smith Jr.) at a lower value position.  

I think they'd envision him as basically a slot receiver they move around that gives them a Boyd replacement in a year and can be their #2 target if Higgins talks go south.  Or good grief for the league if they keep Chase, Higgins and Kincaid fulfills his potential while staying healthy.  If the TE salaries and tag stays down they could be saving money long term having a quality #2 target getting paid almost half what a WR gets.

They could still take a true TE late in the draft with all the depth there as well.  The pick is very possible, but they better he sold on his potential and health.

Pretty much this is why I think they take him.  This frees up Boyd's cap space, keeps a weapon for Burrow, allows us to sign the big three - Tee, Chase & Joe.

(04-23-2023, 09:28 PM)EatonFan Wrote: While not exactly an off-the-charts pick, he'll be solid.  Excellent zone coverage receiver.  Finds the soft spots.  Great hands and adjusts very well to the ball.  Not a great blocker, but decent at times.

If he's there and there's no one else that falls into our lap like Paris Johnson, Witherspoon, Myles Murphy, etc., he'll be our pick.

Just my prediction.

If he's not high on our draft list, we may even trade down.

Doubt it. I think the Irv Smith Jr signing means if we take a TE early it will be one that CAN block.

Darnell Washington, Michael Mayer with our first pick or any of the others later who are all better blockers than Kincaid.

Will gladly say that I am wrong if we do take Kincaid, and will try to talk myself into it if we do. He IS a good Receiver and like you 
said, has a knack for finding the soft spots in the Defense which is a rare quality we haven't really had in a TE since Eifert. If we do 
take Kincaid I hope he doesn't turn into another oft injured TE though.

(04-24-2023, 02:23 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Doubt it. I think the Irv Smith Jr signing means if we take a TE early it will be one that CAN block.

Darnell Washington, Michael Mayer with our first pick or any of the others later who are all better blockers than Kincaid.

Will gladly say that I am wrong if we do take Kincaid, and will try to talk myself into it if we do. He IS a good Receiver and like you 
said, has a knack for finding the soft spots in the Defense which is a rare quality we haven't really had in a TE since Eifert. If we do 
take Kincaid I hope he doesn't turn into another oft injured TE though.

Yeah, Kincaid is just a slot receiver IMCO, and we need a blocker and somebody to occupy the backers and safeties in the middle of the field.

Peter Shraggs on NFL Network just said he thinks Washington will fall out of the first and LaPorta could actually go before him.

This is getting crazy this close to the draft!

BIG NO to Kincaid.

(04-24-2023, 03:09 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: Yeah, Kincaid is just a slot receiver IMCO, and we need a blocker and somebody to occupy the backers and safeties in the middle of the field.

Peter Shraggs on NFL Network just said he thinks Washington will fall out of the first and LaPorta could actually go before him.

This is getting crazy this close to the draft!

BIG NO to Kincaid.

I would flip for joy if Darnell Washington fell to the 2nd and we picked him.

LaPorta is a good one and he was on a team with shit at QB. I could see a team taking him earlier than most think. I think he is the 
most sure thing at TE in this draft besides your guy Mayer. Washington just has that crazy upside and could be the next Gronk with his
size, strength, hands, athleticism and blocking ability. Give me the guy with the highest upside or the sure things at TE. DW, Mayer or 
LaPorta and I would be really happy.

TE's DO fall, WR's are the more prized position group early as far as Offensive weapons go.

There's just something about Kinkaid that that makes me question whether or not he possesses the requisite toughness to live up to 1st round status. His production came in bunches, there were back injury concerns, his blocking isn't so hot, a lot of his highlight reel plays were pretty long developing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but watching how he gets up after he takes a hit gives me pause as well.  All this said, he does scream "Bengals draft pick" in a lot of ways. 

He's becoming the player that I really hope they do not take.

Assessments of Kincaid seem to be all over the place. ESPN's list of best available players has him as 12th best in the draft, and Mayer as 20th. Then Legwold, a senior ESPN analyst, has him as 30th on his list, but Mayer as 12th.

I would think Mayer best fits the Bengals, as he can not only catch but is a willing blocker, or a Legwold states: "a high level of blocking skill at the in-line tight end position."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2023/story/_/id/36184202/2023-nfl-draft-jeff-legwold-ranking-top-100-prospects

I just think Mayer will be gone by #28.

Kincaid is the pick if literally 0 QBs get picked before the bengals selection. But I cant imagine they would take him over even a worse corner or WR or a O line prospect. Can’t imagine they not getting trade offers if this happens

(04-23-2023, 09:28 PM)EatonFan Wrote: While not exactly an off-the-charts pick, he'll be solid.  Excellent zone coverage receiver.  Finds the soft spots.  Great hands and adjusts very well to the ball.  Not a great blocker, but decent at times.

If he's there and there's no one else that falls into our lap like Paris Johnson, Witherspoon, Myles Murphy, etc., he'll be our pick.

Just my prediction.

If he's not high on our draft list, we may even trade down.

I just cannot see using a first round selection on a guy that is recovering from a fracture in the back. Just not a wise decision especially considering he is a liability as a blocker.

The first TE we take will be a primary receiving threat. I don't think they care as much about blocking when it comes to their TEs. Hurst, Uzamah, Smith aren't great blockers. They value the pass game with those guys.

I'm actually game for Kincaid if they look to use him predominantly as a receiver and not have to block much.
Essentially going much more to 12 personnel.

I’ll be happy with Kincaid, same with Mayer, LaPorta & Kraft.

(04-25-2023, 06:01 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: The first TE we take will be a primary receiving threat.  I don't think they care as much about blocking when it comes to their TEs.  Hurst, Uzamah, Smith aren't great blockers.  They value the pass game with those guys.

I disagree while Uzomah and Hurst were not dominant blockers they were pretty darn good at it. Besides that the overwhelming factor for me with Kincaid is the back injury with a first round selection.

(04-25-2023, 08:15 PM)OSUfan Wrote: I disagree while Uzomah and Hurst were not dominant blockers they were pretty darn good at it. Besides that the overwhelming factor for me with Kincaid is the back injury with a first round selection.

From what I heard - it was a fracture.  That's a non-factor for me.

I'm still not sold they take a TE round 1. But if I had a choice Kincaid would likely be it. He is just a big slot tho. I personally think a 4th receiver is more important in this offense then a TE. With Burrow loving empty and Higgins and Boyd theoretically gone after this season, wide receiver is a significant need people are underrating.

I'd prefer a surprise wideout pick at 28 if they are looking for a "big slot receiver".