Just hanging out on my birthday today and decided to see if the Mock Draft Database could give me a draft that was worthy of the day and I believe it certainly did. If the actual draft turns out somewhere close to this I would be absolutely thrilled!

I feel as if the biggest need of the Bengals is to improve the offensive line in major ways. Right tackle is an obvious need but the line ended up ranked 26th overall and that cannot continue. I believe every position must be evaluated on the line other than LT where we have a major investment in Brown Jr. .

After the offensive line I believe the interior defensive line needs to be addressed. Hill has played well as the starter at the 3 but he is not getting younger and those behind him have not lit it up. If Reader does return which I believe most would like to see they still must address a quality heir apparent that can take some snaps off of his plate while not having a drop off stopping the run.

I have been a Joe Mixon supporter but I feel like it is time for the offense to go in another direction at the lead RB position.

Outside of those things I feel like we are looking at some depth at the CB and WR position as well as TE.

So following is the draft which I feel was outstanding!

   
   

RD. 1 - 18th Selection



JC Latham - OT - Alabama - 6'6" 330

Having Latham still sitting there at #18 falls right into the Bengals lap. I have heard some negative things from posters about Latham but when I watch film on this guy I see the most NFL ready RT prospect in the draft. He checks every box at the position with length, width, and anchor while displaying outstanding awareness. He has went against the best competition in the country and has competed at an elite level while doing so. I have not seen a tackle graded above Latham that generates more pure natural power. He dominates his opponents and is a dozer in the running game. He has also displayed enough athleticism and movement to be a candidate for LT if needed.

RD. 2 - 49th Selection



Jackson Powers-Johnson - C - Oregon - 6'3" 320

The top center in the draft and just a nasty competitor at the position. Jackson looks to impose his will on defenders on every single snap and does not appear to happy just blocking them but would rather put them on the ground. Powers-Johnson and Latham embodies that attitude that is needed in the AFC North division. Jackson is just physically dominating at the center position and while he does not have elite length he uses the power he generates to make up for it. Jackson brings position versatility having logged snaps for Oregon at C, both guard positions, and RT. The best description I have heard for Jackson is that he is just a football player and even helped out at DT during the Alamo Bowl due to injuries.

Jackson gives the Bengals the opportunity to put truly the best 5 linemen on the field as Karras has also played OG at the NFL level and could replace Volson at LG.

RD. 3 - 80th Selection



Trey Benson - RB - Florida State - 6'1" 223

You hear the terms beast or special thrown around a lot but Benson is a back that I truly believe is special. Benson has elite explosion thru the hole as well as elite feet. He has regularly put on display outstanding vision and processing skills. He is powerfully built and while he has not carried a heavy workload as a receiver he has shown to be a natural receiver when he has been called upon. Benson brings the ability to immediately hit a hole a get thru it as soon as it opens rather than the lineman having to sustain blocks for extended periods rather they can disengage and look to get to the second level. The duo of Benson and Brown give the Bengals two backs with excellent explosion and quickness that are efficient and able in pass protection as well.

A new and welcome era in the Bengals running game.

RD. 4 - 115th Selection



McKinnley Jackson - DT - Texas A&M - 6'2" 325

I know many would like to get Sweat out of Texas but he was off the board in the second round and honestly I feel that improving the offensive line must be the primary focus and with that in mind I believe Powers-Johnson probably provided a better value if Sweat was still available.

Not only does Jackson bring a powerful player at the NT position but he brings excellence in leadership. As a junior last season for A&M he took home multiple awards that included Defensive Leadership Award, Defensive MVP, and the teams Strength and Conditioning Award. Jackson brings a high motor, outstanding football IQ, and very violent hands to go with his explosiveness off of the line. He lacks elite length but that has not stopped him from wreaking havoc on opposing backfields. He will need to continue to develop his skills in taking on double teams but being able to consistently demand double teams should keep other defenders clean to make plays.

If Reader returns then Jackson provides and excellent heir apparent to take significant snaps and keep Reader fresh but if he does not return then he provides a capable player to fight for the starting NT position.

RD. 5 - 147th Selection



DeWayne Carter - DT - Duke - 6'3" 305

I had no intention of taking back to back DTs until Carter was sitting there in the Bengals lap. When I watch Carter play I have some flashbacks to Geno and Carter could be that 3 tech that the Bengals have been searching for since Geno. He is not as productive a pass rusher as Geno but he plays with similar leverage and explosion and shines as a dominant run stopper. That does not mean that he cannot get after the passer but rather he needs to refine this portion of his game a bit more.

Carter plays with outstanding strength and displays a high football IQ which should be expected from a player at Duke. He does not have great length but just like Geno he counters that by playing with outstanding leverage. Carter is a player that will most certainly push Hill for major snaps on the Bengals front.

RD. 5 - 174th Selection



Johnny Dixon - CB - Penn State - 6'0" 196

I had intended to target a WR or TE with selection until Dixon was sitting there at the top of the board. Dixon comes pretty complete at the CB position and checks the boxes of a high end man cover corner at the NFL level. He has displayed outstanding route awareness to go with outstanding acceleration, length, and ball skills. He is going to have to continue to improve himself as a tackler and refine his use of his hands but he brings qualities to the DB room that just cannot be coached. Is an excellent addition to the defensive backfield especially if the do not return Chido.

RD. 6 - 195th Selection



Theo Johnson - TE - Penn State - 6'6" 260

The Bengals return to Penn State and select a very interesting TE prospect. Johnson is a technically sound and experienced inline blocker as well as offering some real match up issues as a receiver. I believe that the Bengals will return both Hudson and Sample and Johnson should make an outstanding addition to the room. Aside from being a developed blocker Johnson has shown natural hands, good route running, and the ability to produce yards after the catch. Johnson brings enough long speed to challenge the back end of the defense and to give trouble to linebackers attempting to run with him.

With continued growth I could see Johnson being a high end starting NFL TE.

RD. 7 - 234th Selection



Michael Barrett - LB - Michigan - 6'0" 239

Pratt and Wilson have proven themselves to be high end NFL backers but behind them the Bengals have a real talent drop off. Barrett should go a long way in closing that gap. Much like Pratt and Wilson he seems to be able to produce in all phases of the game with his strength being in coverage. He is a sound tackler and has shown outstanding ball skills. Barrett will need to continue to build upon his abilities to consistently stop the run and to diagnose in the run game. Overall he is a pretty sound prospect that should fit well in the room.

RD. 7 - 251st Selection



Bub Means - WR - Pitt - 6'2" 215

How this kid is still sitting there I do not know but I found no reason to pass on the selection after watching tape on this kid. He certainly shows the skills to be higher than a 7th round selection and has attributes that you cannot coach. He is a big target that on tape shows the ability to get behind the defense and seems to show high end ball tracking skills. I am sure he has things he will have to refine and improve upon at the NFL level but he sure looks like a worthy receiving project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C9ad-lpV3I

(01-28-2024, 05:55 PM)OSUfan Wrote: RD. 6 - 195th Selection



Theo Johnson - TE - Penn State - 6'6" 260

The Bengals return to Penn State and select a very interesting TE prospect. Johnson is a technically sound and experienced inline blocker as well as offering some real match up issues as a receiver. I believe that the Bengals will return both Hudson and Sample and Johnson should make an outstanding addition to the room. Aside from being a developed blocker Johnson has shown natural hands, good route running, and the ability to produce yards after the catch. Johnson brings enough long speed to challenge the back end of the defense and to give trouble to linebackers attempting to run with him.

With continued growth I could see Johnson being a high end starting NFL TE.

Theo Johnson is an experienced blocker but from the H-Back and Flex. Tyler Warren was Penn State's inline or Y-Tight End in 2023 and in 2022 Warren split that duty with Brenton Strange that played Y and H in 2022.

Theo Johnson does fit the Bengals spread rpo as the H and F.

Very curious how Benson tests/runs. Some believe he will post a sub 4.4 time.

Happy B-Day and I like that you focused on the the O and D lines.

I'll have to see how Latham tests. I'm pretty lukewarm on him. I also think the biggest missing piece to our line is the athleticism that we lack.

happy birthday ya filthy animal

(01-28-2024, 06:43 PM)Goalpost Wrote: Very curious how Benson tests/runs.  Some believe he will post a sub 4.4 time.

Nole alum... I think he hit 22mph in a game this year

Happy Birthday and it'd s very good draft!

(01-29-2024, 05:05 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: I'll have to see how Latham tests.  I'm pretty lukewarm on him.  I also think the biggest missing piece to our line is the athleticism that we lack.

I have heard others with this same sentiment so I went back and watch every bit of game tape on the Bama O line that I could find. I do not care how he tests at the underwear Olympics after watching his tape. He is as NFL ready as you are going to get in an offensive lineman and he checks all the boxes that you would want checked for a day 1 starter. As with any rookie he will have things to clean up and will need to continue to refine his game but this kid looks and plays the part. He is about a solid a RT prospect as I can remember and I would not be shocked at all to see him grade out after his rookie season higher than either Dawand Jones or Darnell Wright.

What is missing with our line is an identity in my opinion. It seems as if Pollack cannot decide if they are going to be a finesse zone blocking team or a power front. If I had my way we would go power. Line up man on man and be nasty. Personally, when your line grades out at 26th in the league overall then that line needs looked at all the way across. Unfortunately, there just is not much in the way of improvements in the free agent market for '24. About the best RT that will be on the market is our very own Jonah.

I might be in the minority, but I love watching Trey Benson run the ball.
I'd not only be excited if he was drafted as a Bengal, but I might get his jersey.
To put that in context, the only rookie I've ever purchased a jersey for was AJ Green.

(01-28-2024, 06:23 PM)Synric Wrote: Theo Johnson is an experienced blocker but from the H-Back and Flex. Tyler Warren was Penn State's inline or Y-Tight End in 2023 and in 2022 Warren split that duty with Brenton Strange that played Y and H in 2022.

Theo Johnson does fit the Bengals spread rpo as the H and F.

That may be what a depth chart may say but film would not totally support this. If you watch film both Warren and Johnson virtually mirrored the play of each other. Both frequently lined up in the H-Back role in the backfield and they both lined up inline. Penn State ran a ton of 2 TE looks and often both were lined up on each end of the O line. Go back and watch the Michigan game. Johnson may have spent more time in the Y than Warren did.

Johnson is a very experienced inline blocker.