Every year, there is one player that I couldn't watch enough on film. One player that I love his mentality, energy, and overall football talent.

For me a couple years ago, it was Derwin James. Of course, I wanted Price as well as that seemed like the guy the Bengals were centered ( ) on, and they have seemingly undervalued safeties in draft stock historically. But I loved James. I was certain he would end up in pissburgh...thank God that didn't happen.


Last year, it was Juan Thornhill. Can you sense a there here? I have watched the ratbirds and steelers destroy the Bengals with some legendary safety play for many years. I wanted a guy that had outstanding traits but also that "alpha dog" mentality. A guy with a serious case of the red ass. A bully.

This year, that player is Kyle Dugger. He tested very well at the Combine:

40 yard dash- 4.49
225 Bench- 17 reps
Vertical- 42" (!)
Long jump: 134" (!)

That athleticism, at 6' 1" 217 lbs with an amazing 6' 6.5" wingspan. He is a striker that doesn't often miss and has outstanding ball skills as well. He had 10 INTs and 18 PBUs in his career. And at Lenoir-Rhyne, he was quite a standout so it wasn't like teams didn't know to avoid him. Oh, and he was also a ridiculous punt returner.

He could help right away on special teams and play the hybrid nickel OLB for the Bengals and allow them to cut Shawn Williams.

My dream would be that they could get him in Rd 3.

That is "my guy" for this year...who is yours?

The one player (aside from Joe Burrow) that I've included in every single mock draft I've put out this year, is Michael Pittman Jr. WR So. Cal.

It's out of my typical character to get locked onto a WR, as I'm typically a trenches guy. I know that he's not a popular pick among the board regulars, but that doesn't matter to me. With Pittman, everything that I've read or watched on him points toward him making a smooth transition to the pro game. At 6'4" 233 and 4.52 speed, strong frame that wins battles for the ball in the air. Comes from NFL bloodlines, reported that he carries himself with a professional's demeanor.

Sure, he doesn't have that blazing 4.38 speed of Denzel Mims, but John Ross is already our faster, speed demon. Pittman's 4.52 isn't slow by any measure, as AJ Green's combine 40 was 4.50, and he's been plenty fast enough for the NFL. With the WR class being so crowded, the Bengals, along with 31 other teams, will be fighting over defenders in the 2nd round. I just think that Pittman will be a tremendous value at the top of the 3rd, when in any typical draft class he'd likely go inside the top 40 picks.

(04-12-2020, 03:38 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The one player (aside from Joe Burrow) that I've included in every single mock draft I've put out this year, is Michael Pittman Jr.  WR So. Cal.

It's out of my typical character to get locked onto a WR, as I'm typically a trenches guy.  I know that he's not a popular pick among the board regulars, but that doesn't matter to me.  With Pittman, everything that I've read or watched on him points toward him making a smooth transition to the pro game.  At 6'4" 233 and 4.52 speed, strong frame that wins battles for the ball in the air.  Comes from NFL bloodlines, reported that he carries himself with a professional's demeanor.  

Sure, he doesn't have that blazing 4.38 speed of Denzel Mims, but John Ross is already our faster, speed demon.  Pittman's 4.52 isn't slow by any measure, as AJ Green's combine 40 was 4.50, and he's been plenty fast enough for the NFL.  With the WR class being so crowded, the Bengals, along with 31 other teams, will be fighting over defenders in the 2nd round.  I just think that Pittman will be a tremendous value at the top of the 3rd, when in any typical draft class he'd likely go inside the top 40 picks.

Im a Denzel Mims guy myself. We can't count on Ross or AJ for that matter to play a full season so saying we don't need that blazing speed because we have Ross is just wishful thinking. 

We need the guy that can take the top off the defense, especially a guy with good size like Mims. We have a couple possession type WRs with Boyd and Tate that I think Pittman compares more towards, so if it were up to me I think it would be smarter to draft the more explosive WR to pair with Burrow.

I think Mims is gonna be a special player in the NFL, he has the size, speed, ball skills, and body control to be a special player. 

We still need to improve the Oline but I don't think thats gonna happen all at once, so grab Mims in 2(unless a LB or OT falls) and draft a LB and OL in 3-4 and we still get alot of what we want, can't improve everything in one draft but we do get more explosive with this pick.

I’m with Sunset. Count me as another vote for Pittman. Other than Burrow, he’s probably the one player I’d be most excited about if we take him. Might not be a burner, but give me a DK Metcalf type WR that can just straight up outmuscle people any day.

(04-12-2020, 05:08 PM)BobJones4980 Wrote: Im a Denzel Mims guy myself. We can't count on Ross or AJ for that matter to play a full season so saying we don't need that blazing speed because we have Ross is just wishful thinking. 

We need the guy that can take the top off the defense, especially a guy with good size like Mims. We have a couple possession type WRs with Boyd and Tate that I think Pittman compares more towards, so if it were up to me I think it would be smarter to draft the more explosive WR to pair with Burrow.

I think Mims is gonna be a special player in the NFL, he has the size, speed, ball skills, and body control to be a special player. 

We still need to improve the Oline but I don't think thats gonna happen all at once, so grab Mims in 2(unless a LB or OT falls) and draft a LB and OL in 3-4 and we still get alot of what we want, can't improve everything in one draft but we do get more explosive with this pick.

Mims will probably not make it out of the first, unfortunately.

(04-12-2020, 05:08 PM)BobJones4980 Wrote: We need the guy that can take the top off the defense, especially a guy with good size like Mims. We have a couple possession type WRs with Boyd and Tate that I think Pittman compares more towards, so if it were up to me I think it would be smarter to draft the more explosive WR to pair with Burrow.

You did read that Pittman has essentially the same speed as AJ Green, right?  Tearing down the guy that I'm supporting, just because you prefer another is not a sound argument.  Mims has great speed, yet Pittman has a higher grade from the NFL than Mims.  

I'm a Robert Hunt guy from Louisiana. I think he can absolutely wreck people as a guard, even though he played tackle at Louisiana. He feels like a plug and play that can start for you for the next ten years.

(04-12-2020, 06:40 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: You did read that Pittman has essentially the same speed as AJ Green, right?  Tearing down the guy that I'm supporting, just because you prefer another is not a sound argument.  Mims has great speed, yet Pittman has a higher grade from the NFL than Mims.  

First, I wasn't "tearing down" your guy. I like Pittman. I just think that he is more similar to guys we already have, possession type WR's like Tate and Boyd.

Second, you stated NFL has him graded higher than Mims but they also have him as a possession reveiver, which is what I was alluding to.

I just think that we have guys that play similar enough to Pittman that he seems kind of unnecessary. While a guy like Mims brings something to the table that we are missing, a 6'3 explosive WR that can get behind defenses with a large catch radius. 

So yea I think you misunderstood what I was saying in that first post, I wasn't "tearing down" Pittman, I actually compared him to Boyd and Tate who I think are very good WRs in the NFL. I was just stating that I don't think he is the type of WR that this team needs right now.

Cesar Ruiz is my guy. He can play all 3 interior spots in any scheme you want to run. The Bengals interior line is such a mess he would bring stability next to Hopkins.

(04-12-2020, 07:02 PM)BobJones4980 Wrote: First, I wasn't "tearing down" your guy. I like Pittman. I just think that he is more similar to guys we already have, possession type WR's like Tate and Boyd.

Second, you stated NFL has him graded higher than Mims but they also have him as a possession reveiver, which is what I was alluding to.

I just think that we have guys that play similar enough to Pittman that he seems kind of unnecessary. While a guy like Mims brings something to the table that we are missing, a 6'3 explosive WR that can get behind defenses with a large catch radius. 

So yea I think you misunderstood what I was saying in that first post, I wasn't "tearing down" Pittman, I actually compared him to Boyd and Tate who I think are very good WRs in the NFL. I was just stating that I don't think he is the type of WR that this team needs right now.

You want to compare a guy with similar speed to AJ Green, to Auden Tate??

I like Tate, but Pittman is hands down a better ball player, by far.  And as for Boyd?  Boyd is good, but the Bengals have an out in his contract after this season.  The Bengals currently have the highest amount invested in a WR corps, in the entire league.  I think that a guy like Pittman will develop to be equal to or greater than that of Tyler Boyd.  And having Pittman on a rookie contract, while AJ plays out his final years is a good thing.

Essentially, Pittman makes a ton more sense, as the Bengals can go up high for a WR just about any draft season.  They just franchised AJ Green, and in my opinion, will sign him to a 4 year deal.  So in summary, no need to jump up high for a WR, when the team still needs improvement in other areas.  Pittman is a tremendous value, at the top of the 3rd.

Josh Jones is the pipe dream at 2. He’s been my guy for a long time

(04-12-2020, 03:38 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The one player (aside from Joe Burrow) that I've included in every single mock draft I've put out this year, is Michael Pittman Jr.  WR So. Cal.

It's out of my typical character to get locked onto a WR, as I'm typically a trenches guy.  I know that he's not a popular pick among the board regulars, but that doesn't matter to me.  With Pittman, everything that I've read or watched on him points toward him making a smooth transition to the pro game.  At 6'4" 233 and 4.52 speed, strong frame that wins battles for the ball in the air.  Comes from NFL bloodlines, reported that he carries himself with a professional's demeanor.  

Sure, he doesn't have that blazing 4.38 speed of Denzel Mims, but John Ross is already our faster, speed demon.  Pittman's 4.52 isn't slow by any measure, as AJ Green's combine 40 was 4.50, and he's been plenty fast enough for the NFL.  With the WR class being so crowded, the Bengals, along with 31 other teams, will be fighting over defenders in the 2nd round.  I just think that Pittman will be a tremendous value at the top of the 3rd, when in any typical draft class he'd likely go inside the top 40 picks.

Pittman is a pretty solid prospect, and I see a lot of potential.  His coach likened him to JJ Smith-Schuster.  I find it funny that if he had run a 4.45 vs. a 4.5 forty yard dash he would have likely been talked about as a first round prospect.

One guy that I like a lot is Chase Claypool and he ran very well.  I think a team will love him enough to take him in Rd 2 as well.  

So I like some of these RB's but we aren't going to take one early. Jonathan Taylor ripped off a 4.39 at 226 lbs. That surprised me.

(04-12-2020, 07:23 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: You want to compare a guy with similar speed to AJ Green, to  Auden Tate??

I like Tate, but Pittman is hands down a better ball player, by far.  And as for Boyd?  Boyd is good, but the Bengals have an out in his contract after this season.  The Bengals currently have the highest amount invested in a WR corps, in the entire league.  I think that a guy like Pittman will develop to be equal to or greater than that of Tyler Boyd.  And having Pittman on a rookie contract, while AJ plays out his final years is a good thing.

Essentially, Pittman makes a ton more sense, as the Bengals can go up high for a WR just about any draft season.  They just franchised AJ Green, and in my opinion, will sign him to a 4 year deal.  So in summary, no need to jump up high for a WR, when the team still needs improvement in other areas.  Pittman is a tremendous value, at the top of the 3rd.

I mean your comparing the guys 40 time to AJ Green, not me. I think you may be putting more stock into the 40 times than I am, just because a guy lines up in shorts and runs a 40 time similar to AJ Green does not mean that he is gonna have the same jump off the line, quickness, or a number of other things that matter for a WR.

I was obviously comparing Tate and Boyd to the kid as possession receivers and not 40 times.

So let me get this straight, you want to take Pittman so we can replace Boyd and save some money? Thats insane, Boyd is on a damn good contract and is in the prime of his career. Why would we waste a 3rd round draft pick on a guy that may be better at some point or may bust rather than the proven guy we have til like 2023-24? I mean I feel like Im going crazy here, drafting what you essentially say is a replacement for a back to back 1000 yd WR with a 3rd round pick to save a little money, that is not a good idea at all.

Pittman does not come close to making more sense, I don't care if we take Mims or don't, honestly not even about that. The fact is we have a couple good possession WR's and we have to guys that can't stay healthy outside with Green and Ross. It makes sense to draft guys to fill that role, not drafting a guy to fill the role of our only reliable weapon that is coming off back to back 1000 yard seasons and is on a very reasonable contract. That doesn't make more sense in any world unless you are WAY overrating a player like Pittman.

(04-12-2020, 08:21 PM)BobJones4980 Wrote: I mean your comparing the guys 40 time to AJ Green, not me. I think you may be putting more stock into the 40 times than I am, just because a guy lines up in shorts and runs a 40 time similar to AJ Green does not mean that he is gonna have the same jump off the line, quickness, or a number of other things that matter for a WR.

I was obviously comparing Tate and Boyd to the kid as possession receivers and not 40 times.

So let me get this straight, you want to take Pittman so we can replace Boyd and save some money? Thats insane, Boyd is on a damn good contract and is in the prime of his career. Why would we waste a 3rd round draft pick on a guy that may be better at some point or may bust rather than the proven guy we have til like 2023-24? I mean I feel like Im going crazy here, drafting what you essentially say is a replacement for a back to back 1000 yd WR with a 3rd round pick to save a little money, that is not a good idea at all.

Pittman does not come close to making more sense, I don't care if we take Mims or don't, honestly not even about that. The fact is we have a couple good possession WR's and we have to guys that can't stay healthy outside with Green and Ross. It makes sense to draft guys to fill that role, not drafting a guy to fill the role of our only reliable weapon that is coming off back to back 1000 yard seasons and is on a very reasonable contract. That doesn't make more sense in any world unless you are WAY overrating a player like Pittman.

Awesome, then go on to promote "your guy", as the OP had asked, rather than bickering and breaking down my guy.  

(04-12-2020, 08:41 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Awesome, then go on to promote "your guy", as the OP had asked, rather than bickering and breaking down my guy.  

Yea my fault, thought we were on a discussion board to you know, discuss things. 

Guess not.

(04-12-2020, 08:45 PM)BobJones4980 Wrote: Yea my fault, thought we were on a discussion board to you know, discuss things. 

Guess not.

Well, there is always a context which is pretty much laid out in the title of a thread.  In this case, the context is Who is your guy?

What is wrong with another guy's guy?  Not so much.  Do you really think you're gonna talk him out of his guy and into yours?

Bengals are looking at the possibility of selecting Pittman in the 3rd. Other possible players are Uche, Robertson, Malik Harrison, Willie Gay, Darnay Holmes and Troy Dye.

They really like Pittman and the DBs and they have issues with these LBers.

I definitely don’t want him to replace Boyd, but I just personally like Pittman a lot. Might not be the best “fit” as far as replacing AJ, but we’re likely not doing that with a 2nd or 3rd round pick anyway. Pittman would be a great choice if he’s there in the 3rd. Having 2 guys as reliable as Boyd would be a good problem to have. And Pittman’s ceiling might be a little higher tbh.

(04-12-2020, 09:01 PM)McC Wrote: Well, there is always a context which is pretty much laid out in the title of a thread.  In tis cae, the context is Who is your guy?

What is wrong with another guy's guy?  Not so much.  Do you really think you're gonna talk him out of his guy and into yours?

I’m trying to be realistic about “my guy” being there when we pick. Mims would be great, but will he be there at 33? Doubtful.