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Saturday Night Simulation - OSUfan - 02-24-2024
With the recent move of tagging Tee Higgins and using the 5th year option on Chase it appears that WR, while still important, is not as major a factor heading into the '24 draft as it was just last week. With this new information I decided to do a simulation with this information in hand as well as the following assumptions and considerations.
Free agents relatively certain to return:
Tanner Hudson
Trenton Irwin
Cal Adomitis
Joe Bachie
Free agents that could be considered pretty likely to return:
DJ Reader - at least a 1 year deal
Cody Ford
Akeem Davis-Gaither
Free agents more than likely lost:
Tyler Boyd
Chido Awuzie
With these considerations and assumptions here is the Draft Simulation:
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RE: Saturday Night Simulation - OSUfan - 02-25-2024
RD. 1 - 18th Selection:
Taliese Fuaga - OT - Oregon St. - 6'5" 332
At just like that the hole at starting RT is filled. Fuaga is just a very well rounded pure RT prospect that comes with a wealth of experience at the position after logging over 1500 snaps for Oregon State. He plays with a mean streak that is desperately needed by the Bengals offensive line unit and looks to just punish defenders in the running game. He comes off the ball with excellent explosion in the running game and is extremely sound when dropping into pass protection. He will need to continue to be disciplined with his pad level and he is not a prospect to eventually move to LT.
Like Big Willie he is a pure RT prospect who also like Willie could man the position at a Pro Bowl level for the next 10 years. This is a high value selection that fills the most pressing need for the Bengals.
RD. 2 - 49th Selection:
T'Vondre Sweat - DT - Texas - 6'4" 346
Next to RT the most pressing need could be considered DT tackle and that is at both interior positions of NT and 3 Tech. Sweat provides the best option at NT in the entire '24 draft. Sweat is nearly immovable at NT and routinely will draw double teams from the offensive line and consistently defeats those double teams. Stopping the run in the AFC North and NFL in general are a must and stopping the run is his specialty. He plays with heavy and violent hands and has the pure power to discard blockers almost effortlessly. The Bengals suffered against the run without Reader in '23 and if Reader does not return this is a critical selection and critical as well if he does return as it will allow the Bengals to keep Reader fresher by having someone to take snaps that performs at a high level as well.
Sweat did not pile up sacks in college however he ranked very highly in QB pressures. He may not get to the QB a lot but he is extremely disruptive to the pocket and the double teams that he consistently draws should keep other defenders clean and free them up to make plays. This is a high value huge, not just his size, selection for the Bengals.
RD. 3 - 80th Selection:
Ruke Orhorhoro - DT - Clemson - 6'4" 290
I had not considered back to back DT selections but I also did not expect Orhorhoro to be sitting there for the Bengals in the 3rd round. Ruke quickly became one of my favorite DT prospects the more film I watched on him. When watching his tape it is hard to believe that you are watching a kid that did not start playing football until he was a junior in high school. Orhorhore has elite raw power and he couples this with elite explosion off of the ball. His natural instincts for the game show in his ability to very effectively use clubs, rips, push-pull, or even the bull rush to defeat blockers. Considering the short time that he has played football and how quickly he has arrived at this point of development it could safe to assume that his ceiling is a rather high one.
With the value the Bengals got in the 2nd and 3rd rounds the D line should be a strength for this team heading into the '24 campaign.
RD. 4 - 116th Selection:
Khyree Jackson - CB - Oregon - 6'3" 203
Chido was not the same player in '23 upon returning from injury so it would not shocking to see the Bengals not wishing to pay the asking price to bring him back as as a free agent. Given a highly possible loss of Awuzie and the uncertainty of availability of DJ Ivey, who was coming on at the end of the season, then CB should be at least a mid draft consideration and with this selection the Bengals add a corner that brings elite size and length to the position to go with good overall speed and very good ball skills. He is experienced in man and zone cover skills and plays with good aggression however it is that very aggression that he will need to learn to temper at the NFL level to avoid flags. If he can learn to really trust his skills and improve his hand usage he could be an outstanding NFL corner and should be a welcome addition to the DB room.
RD. 5 - 148th Selection:
Jaylen Wright - RB - Tennessee - 5'11" 210
Wright could be the nearly perfect back to pair with Chase Brown to take the Bengals running game to the next level. He has elite long speed and excellent explosion and acceleration. Most importantly he brings elite vision to the position and can quickly identify gaps and running lanes and then use his explosion to exploit those gaps. He was not used heavily as a receiver but showed sure hands when targeted. What could be very important in him seeing early season snaps is his willingness and ability as a pass protector. If the Bengals decide to move on from Joe Mixon and to develop a next level running game then a dynamic back like Wright in rotation with Brown could go along way in achieving it.
RD. 5 - 175th Selection:
Ben Sinnott - TE - Kansas St. - 6'4" 254
Sinnott brings outstanding acceleration and the speed to test the seams of a defense as well as extreme physicality in looking for YAC once the ball is in his hands. Sinnott runs a diverse route tree and displays very natural hands as a receiver. He is an adequate blocker and played the H-back position before being employed as an inline TE for K State. Sinnott is dangerous as a receiver and paired with Hudson should make for the best pair of TEs this team has seen in some time. His ability as a receiver adds just one more element of depth to an offensive attack that was already dangerous.
RD. 6 - 196th Selection:
Sataoa Laumea - OL - Utah - 6'4" 319
Laumea is a very experienced OL prospect that played both guard and tackle for the Utes. Laumea played well at RT for Utah but his best football was played inside for the Utes where his length and physicality was best utilized. He is extremely powerful and does just blocks but displaces defenders in the run game. The Bengals need to add quality linemen to this OL unit and I believe Laumea could be quality depth in '24 and pushing for a starting spot by '25 if not sooner.
RD. 7 - 235th Selection:
Dwight McGlothern - CB - Arkansas - 6'1" 185
Dwight brings good size and length to the position as well as experience from facing an SEC schedule. He has displayed outstanding ball skills and over the past two seasons has recorded 18 pass breakups, 4 INTs, and an exceptional QB rating of under 50.0 when targeted. Needs to become more consistent in his technique and continue to improve the use of his hands to avoid flags but overall is a solid depth piece to add to the DB room.
RD. 7 - 252nd Selection:
Jalen Coker - WR - Holy Cross - 6'1" 218
Coker was very productive at the FCS level and received an invite to the Shrine Bowl. Coker is a good all around WR prospect that has displayed good route running ability, very natural hands, and the ability to produce after the ball is in his hands. As with Iosivas he will have time to develop and learn what it takes to play the position at the NFL level. This selection should give the Bengals just one more young and talented receiver to develop as a future weapon for this arsenal.