(04-28-2023, 12:53 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: No, we shouldn’t have.  Tell me the last great tight end that got drafted in the first round… I’ll give you a hint, you have to go back OVER 10 years.

Pretty much. You have a guy like Pitts who could be great and Hockenson has really been on the upswing. Fant is solid. Otherwise, you're probably going all the way back to 2007 to find Greg Olsen as the last great TE. Vernon Davis the year before him.

(04-28-2023, 12:53 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: No, we shouldn’t have.  Tell me the last great tight end that got drafted in the first round… I’ll give you a hint, you have to go back OVER 10 years.

By great do you mean they have to be All-Pros? Because in 2019 you have Hockenson and Fant, and in 2017 you have Engram who has been great whenever he's not been attached to Daniel Jones. I would still count Kyle Pitts in 2021, too.

(04-28-2023, 10:07 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: By great do you mean they have to be All-Pros? Because in 2019 you have Hockenson and Fant, and in 2017 you have Engram who has been great whenever he's not been attached to Daniel Jones. I would still count Kyle Pitts in 2021, too.

yea Evan Engram may have had the most underrated season for a tight end last year. Nobody wants to give him credit 

(04-28-2023, 10:07 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: By great do you mean they have to be All-Pros? Because in 2019 you have Hockenson and Fant, and in 2017 you have Engram who has been great whenever he's not been attached to Daniel Jones. I would still count Kyle Pitts in 2021, too.

(04-28-2023, 10:10 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: yea Evan Engram may have had the most underrated season for a tight end last year. Nobody wants to give him credit 

Hockenson had a great year when he got away from Matt Patricia.

(04-28-2023, 09:57 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: Pretty much. You have a guy like Pitts who could be great and Hockenson has really been on the upswing. Fant is solid. Otherwise, you're probably going all the way back to 2007 to find Greg Olsen as the last great TE. Vernon Davis the year before him.

Engram has been an absolute dumpster fire until Jacksonville resurrected his career last year (his 6th season). Fant has been meh, but his stats don't scream "thank god we took this guy in the 1st!"

Pitts has under performed compared to the expectations he's had in the league IMO. Still young but that guy was getting mega hype coming into the draft like he's going to change the TE position or something. 


Fact of the matter is ---- more often than not 1st round TE's haven't lived up to the hype. The best TE's in the league didn't go in the 1st round -- Kelce 3rd, Andrews 3rd, Kittle 5th, Waller 6th, Goedert 2nd, Schultz 4th etc... I do include Hockenson in that conversation, obviously, and he was a 1st. Other than that the numbers don't look promising for taking a 1st round TE --- and I definitely can't make an argument for taking one in the 1st round this year when it's well documented that this is a very deep TE class.

(04-28-2023, 10:14 AM)ChaseThis Wrote: Engram has been an absolute dumpster fire until Jacksonville resurrected his career last year (his 6th season). Fant has been meh, but his stats don't scream "thank god we took this guy in the 1st!"

Pitts has under performed compared to the expectations he's had in the league IMO. Still young but that guy was getting mega hype coming into the draft like he's going to change the TE position or something. 

Pitts had a thousand yards in 2021 there are only a few TE's that have ever done that. How bad is it that Marcus Mariota was a downgrade from a 50 year old Matt Ryan. 

(04-28-2023, 10:17 AM)Synric Wrote: Pitts had a thousand yards in 2021 there are only a few TE's that have ever done that. How bad is it that Marcus Mariota was a downgrade from a 50 year old Matt Ryan. 

I guess I am putting too much emphasis on last year where he had a sophomore slump so to speak and then ended up injured. Agree that he had a shit quarterback. I can't imagine Ridder doing a whole lot better for his case, though. 

(04-28-2023, 10:14 AM)ChaseThis Wrote: Engram has been an absolute dumpster fire until Jacksonville

Wrong. His 2017 and 2020 were very good. And in 2018, he only played 11 games and still racked up 577 yards

his hands were inconsistent, and he isnt a very good blocker, but he does get open and makes plays

Look, TE's can be great additions to an offense. But they need to be schemed in or so good and so special that they can act as a H back or Slot receiver. The latter are very rare breeds.

On top of that the TE isn't valued in our scheme and that likely isn't to change. People just really need to get over our lack of emphasis on TE. It isn't changing, even if we draft one on day 2.

(04-28-2023, 10:14 AM)ChaseThis Wrote: Fant has been meh, but his stats don't scream "thank god we took this guy in the 1st!"

34-year-old Joe Flacco
Brandon Allen
Drew Lock
Jeff Driskel
Brett Rypien
Teddy Bridgewater
Geno Smith

That's the QBs Fant has caught passes from in his career. He's done quite well considering his situation.

(04-28-2023, 10:17 AM)Synric Wrote: Pitts had a thousand yards in 2021 there are only a few TE's that have ever done that. How bad is it that Marcus Mariota was a downgrade from a 50 year old Matt Ryan. 

Kyle pitts is the biggest outlier at the tight end position since Vernon Davis… from a prospect standpoint. Even still the book needs to be written on him.

The fact is, when we look back in five years… would you be surprised if Whyle or Laporta or musgrave is the best tight end from
This class?

It’s a very interchangeable position. None of these guys are Kyle pitts and no one knows who the next witten/kelce/goedart is. So you ALWAYS take the better value early and take the lottery tickets later. The bengals double dipping today and tomorrow will exponentially increase their chance of hitting over taking Mayer last night.

It’s just the facts.

Ok Zac. Now its up to "Your" guy. Mr. Drew Sample.
You wanted it now you got it sir.
Now matter how much success ..Still the 4th & 2 guy!

Very smart to pass on the tight ends and focus on adding good football players with great intangibles. We needed to add to our pass rush and secondary and we did it with great value picks.

From here the draft is wide open. Tight end isn’t a huge need for this offense. We can find value in the 5th. I wouldn’t mind an olineman next. But first and foremost, I want best player available. Great job so far sticking to BPA.

(04-18-2023, 08:49 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: Sample and Irv pretty much mean that Duke and Zac don't have to double up on TE in the draft. It doesn't prevent them from taking one in the first if the draft falls that way.

I'd like a single dip before the fifth dip.

Well. Trading back with Washington on the board and letting the Steelers get him between pick REALLY stung. Not gonna lie. I am not happy about taking a S. We traded up last year to take 1. And took Dax in the first. Investing another early pick on a S with all the other guys on the board is hard to swallow.

The answer is yes. He really is.

Quote:Is Zac Really Happy With Irv Smith & Drew Sample

Yes - Yes he is.

We'll draft Kuntz or Whyle or the kid from Purdue tomorrow.

(04-29-2023, 01:27 AM)pulses Wrote: We'll draft Kuntz or Whyle or the kid from Purdue tomorrow.

Right, it's not like all of the good prospects are gone.  I am hoping Whyle, as I think he could have a bit quicker of a transition to the NFL.  I've liked him better than Tucker Kraft throughout the pre-draft process.   

(04-29-2023, 01:36 AM)Dr.Z Wrote: Right, it's not like all of the good prospects are gone.  I am hoping Whyle, as I think he could have a bit quicker of a transition to the NFL.  I've liked him better than Tucker Kraft throughout the pre-draft process.   

I think Kuntz has a chance to be very good as well.