There's just so much that can and will happen between now and draft day it's really hard to speculate on where we'll be that day player wise??

I highly doubt J. Williams is still here as others have said. So RT is for sure a bigger need!! If Fugua is there at 18 I'm not going to be upset if he's the pick. As I've said 100X now, LOL. We have to get much better at running the ball to have any hope in AFCN, especially in 2nd half of season. Having a good Oline is of course a giant part of that.

OT

(01-16-2024, 12:15 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: It is January 16th. The Combine has not occurred yet, nor have any of the post season bowls like the Senior Bowl, East West Shrine Bowl etc.

Based on current draft profiles, there seems to be a very deep OT class in this draft. There are 5 OTs that are considered locks for the first round in Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu, Taliese Fuaga, JC Latham and Amarius Mims.

The final 3 are all considered likely or realistic to be available at our pick, #18.

It is not a deep DT class, with only one consistently being mocked in the first round and considered unlikely to make it to #18.
It is a deep WR class, but the expectation is that we will franchise tag Higgins.

There is a general sentiment among fans and writers familiar with the Bengals that Jonah Williams is likely gone, as is Reader.

With that in mind, with no further knowledge of how the offseason was going to go, if today (and today only) someone offered you the bet of whether the Bengals would pick an OT at #18 or any other position, which side of the bet would you take?

can pollack develop an OT havent seem him do it yet

I would go with RT being the pick. It’s a need for sure and there should be a good player available at 18.
Mims would be good but his injuries scare me (PTS from Ced Ogbuehi)
My guy at 18 right now would be Fuaga from Oregon State.

Whoever it is hopefully they will be able to develop him for once.

(01-17-2024, 01:02 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: can pollack develop an OT havent seem him do it yet

If he can't, he needs to be fired immediately.

Teams are going to have the top 8-10 OT’s in all different orders. They are each outstanding but come with diff skills & traits. I don’t think there’s a clear cut top guy right now. A bunch of guys competing for that top spot. Great year to need one! Loaded OT class.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 16, 2024

(01-17-2024, 12:01 PM)Synric Wrote: I could argue filling the OL with B-Level Free Agents hasn't really worked either. 

They've worked out better than pretty much any of the OL draft picks though, which is saying something.

(01-17-2024, 12:01 PM)Synric Wrote: I could argue filling the OL with B-Level Free Agents hasn't really worked either. 

Depends.  ESPN recently released their Team win rates for the trenches and the Bengals were actually ranked 9th in Run Block Win Rate.  So, run blocking has improved (pass block win rate still sucks).

Problem is, the RB makes more difference than people want to admit, as evidenced by teams like the 9'ers and Falcons having bad Run Block Win Rates, but top rush offense because they have studs at RB.

Unfortunately, we are still stuck in this archaic stick a scrub RB behind a bunch of "glass eaters" and you can run the ball, mindset.

(01-17-2024, 01:42 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: If he can't, he needs to be fired immediately.

Well i agree should have been gone 2 years ago

(01-16-2024, 12:42 PM)Whatever Wrote: I think it will be offense in the 1sr.  Our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd the last two drafts have all been defense.  However, I can see it being WR, OT, or Bowers(if he somehow makes it). On paper, I would prefer a T, but you never know who will be there.  

I agree with Whatever. I think it will be Offense in the 1st round, if Bowers falls to us, he is the pick. But Fuaga seems the most likely OT for us
and most likely pick at this moment. WR would be the fall back and Brian Thomas Jr looks like a perfect Tee replacement even if we do Tag Tee.

Brian Thomas Jr looks much faster than Tee with the same size.

The field and it’s not close…. They BETTER not draft a tackle with 6 career starts. Not a huge fan of fuaga, Latham I could be persuaded but DT is so much more of a need….

(01-17-2024, 08:35 PM)Jpoore Wrote: The field and it’s not close…. They BETTER not draft a tackle with 6 career starts. Not a huge fan of fuaga, Latham I could be persuaded but DT is so much more of a need….

How do you figure it’s much more of a need than OL (specifically RT)? I think RT is the biggest need. They could re-sign Reader but they should not re-sign Jonah. They need to not just replace Jonah - they need to get better at the RT spot.
This will help the run game and keep Burrow healthy which is priority #1. DT is a big need but only second to RT.

(01-17-2024, 10:47 PM)Clark W Griswold Wrote: How do you figure it’s much more of a need than OL (specifically RT)? I think RT is the biggest need. They could re-sign Reader but they should not re-sign Jonah. They need to not just replace Jonah - they need to get better at the RT spot.
This will help the run game and keep Burrow healthy which is priority #1. DT is a big need but only second to RT.

Simple. Burrow is ALWAYS gonna take hits. He’s responsible for 22-30% of sacks taken in his career.rt is a need but they could resign Jonah. Or preferably go after eluminor. But simply put offense works with or without a quality rt. Defense dosent work without really good dts. And our DT starters and depth is garbage

(01-17-2024, 02:19 PM)Synric Wrote:

Teams are going to have the top 8-10 OT’s in all different orders. They are each outstanding but come with diff skills & traits. I don’t think there’s a clear cut top guy right now. A bunch of guys competing for that top spot. Great year to need one! Loaded OT class.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 16, 2024

As DJ's tweet suggests Offensive Tackle is a strong draft class especially at the top. The chance at getting a top Offensive Tackle is good. Wide Receiver is probabaly the next closest position group but in my opinion the top of the OT class is overall better and OL is harder to find talent than any other position group.

If the Bengals have to set theirs elves up with 1 hole after free agency OT would be my preference because of the draft class.

(01-17-2024, 08:35 PM)Jpoore Wrote: The field and it’s not close…. They BETTER not draft a tackle with 6 career starts. Not a huge fan of fuaga, Latham I could be persuaded but DT is so much more of a need….

The problem with DT, as I stated in the OP, is that there may not be someone worth the #18 pick available. You got Johnny Newton, who is being mocked in the top 10 to 12 consistently, and then there's a gap of about a round until you get to Leonard Taylor, Byron Murphy and T'Vondre Sweat, and then Kris Jenkins, Brandon Dorlus, and Mekhi Mingo in that late 2nd to early 3rd round range.

We could reach for one of them, sure, but I don't know if that would be a wise use of our resources. Reaching for need is not a good draft strategy. That's how you get Billy Price.

Now, this may change with the combine, like I said. Maybe Murphy or Sweat blows the roof off the combine and becomes worth the #18 pick, but that's why the premise is about this moment right now, as none of us can predict how these prospects will move up and down the draft board in the next 3 months.

BPA not a QB

(01-17-2024, 10:47 PM)Clark W Griswold Wrote: How do you figure it’s much more of a need than OL (specifically RT)?  I think RT is the biggest need.  They could re-sign Reader but they should not re-sign Jonah. They need to not just replace Jonah - they need to get better at the RT spot.
This will help the run game and keep Burrow healthy which is priority #1. DT is a big need but only second to RT.

Starting spots currently needed are...

RT(currently 3 roster worthy under contract, usually carry 4-5)
WR2(currently 3 roster worthy under contract, usually carry 6-7)
WR3
TE(currently none roster worthy under contract, usually carry 3-4)
NT(Currently 1 roster worthy under contract, usually carry 2-3)

The only "DT" worth a 1st is a 3 tech, of which we have two roster worthy under contract and usually carry 2.  3 tech is a "would be nice to upgrade", not a "need".  But dude loves him some Newton.

(01-18-2024, 10:10 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: The problem with DT, as I stated in the OP, is that there may not be someone worth the #18 pick available. You got Johnny Newton, who is being mocked in the top 10 to 12 consistently, and then there's a gap of about a round until you get to Leonard Taylor, Byron Murphy and T'Vondre Sweat, and then Kris Jenkins, Brandon Dorlus, and Mekhi Mingo in that late 2nd to early 3rd round range.

We could reach for one of them, sure, but I don't know if that would be a wise use of our resources. Reaching for need is not a good draft strategy. That's how you get Billy Price.

Now, this may change with the combine, like I said. Maybe Murphy or Sweat blows the roof off the combine and becomes worth the #18 pick, but that's why the premise is about this moment right now, as none of us can predict how these prospects will move up and down the draft board in the next 3 months.

A: fully expect sweat and Murphy to rise. B: major proponent of the trade back, ESPECIALLY this year. Even if no DT though, I think wr would be next position. Or even de and a db isn’t out of the question either. So many routes we can go.

(01-18-2024, 11:54 AM)Jpoore Wrote: A: fully expect sweat and Murphy to rise. B: major proponent of the trade back, ESPECIALLY this year. Even if no DT though, I think wr would be next position. Or even de and a db isn’t out of the question either. So many routes we can go.

In the tweet Daniel Jeremiah was saying it's a loaded OT class. Alot of discussion that 2024 will break the record with at least 8 going round 1.  Record is 7 in 2008 I think it was the Anthony Collins draft.

(01-18-2024, 11:54 AM)Jpoore Wrote: A: fully expect sweat and Murphy to rise. B: major proponent of the trade back, ESPECIALLY this year. Even if no DT though, I think wr would be next position. Or even de and a db isn’t out of the question either. So many routes we can go.

If A works, I am more tan happy with either. Same with B. Trading back is not something the Bengals traditionally do. Neither is trading up. We tend to just stick where we are and pick whoever ends up at our pick, which is why I think OT is so likely, but I would love for either A or B to occur.

WR I am less sold on. Don't get me wrong, I love WRs. But I just think we can find a good one in the 2nd round, whereas I have absolutely no confidence in this coaching staff finding a good OT in the 2nd round.

DE and DB, if they're BPA, is always an option, but we've done that for the last 2 years. Hill had no impact in his first year. Murphy had minimal impact in his first year. I would really, really like to grab a day 1 impact player this year. It was so nice with Burrow and Chase, I'd like to get back to that.

(01-18-2024, 11:54 AM)Jpoore Wrote: A: fully expect sweat and Murphy to rise. B: major proponent of the trade back, ESPECIALLY this year. Even if no DT though, I think wr would be next position. Or even de and a db isn’t out of the question either. So many routes we can go.

Sweat is going to move up boards.  He is a beast.  Saw him dominate week in week out for Texas.  It will require a 1st rnd pick to get him.