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Build the Trenches - OSUfan - 03-03-2024
Free Agents Re-signed:
Tanner Hudson
Cal Adomitis
Tee Higgins
Joe Bachie
Trenton Irwin
Very Possible Returns:
D.J. Reader (at least a 1 year deal)
Cody Ford
Akeem Davis-Gaither
Free Agent Losses:
Tyler Boyd
Jonah Williams
Irv Smith
To set up this simulation the Bengals had specific targets of value with the 18th selection who were off the board at #18:
J.C. Latham (16)
Joe Alt (10)
Quinyon Mitchell (15)
Taliese Fuaga (13)
With these target players off of the boards I felt it was prudent to look at offered trades for the 18th overall selection and attempt to assess how the draft may fall given the selections already made. The Bengals traded the 18th overall selection to Detroit which they used to select Jer"Zhan Newton who would have been my pick had I retained this selection. Below is the trade recap:
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The Draft:
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RE: Build the Trenches - OSUfan - 03-03-2024
RD. 1 - 29th Selection:
Graham Barton - OL - Duke - 6'5" 314
Barton is the best OL prospect on the boards and frankly an overall prospect than several who have already been selected in my opinion. Barton is arguably the most versatile lineman in the entire draft and has the talent and abilities to play all five positions across the line. Barton lined up at LT in '23 for the Blue Devils but I believe that center is his home in the NFL and I believe that he compares favorably to Creed Humphrey. Ted Karras is a free agent in '25 so this gives Barton a season to acclimate to the NFL or if the staff feels it is in the best interest of the team he could line up at another position for '24 or he could replace Karras in '24 and Karras could line up elsewhere.
The technique that Barton displays in pass and run blocking is virtually flawless. In the run game, being the technician that he is, he centers up the defender and uses great hand positioning to drive and displace the defender. As a pass blocker he has the natural strength to sit down and anchor against bull rushers while possessing the excellent athleticism to mirror speed on the edges. Arm length is probably the single aspect that would deter NFL teams from playing him on the edge as a full time starter. His elite football IQ is apparent as you watch him operate and diagnose stunts and blitzes.
RD. 2 - 49th Selection:
T'Vondre Sweat - DT - Texas - 6'4.5" 366
Sweat will not be single blocked and defenses are going to have to plan for him every week in their run game plan. His ability to take up blockers will allow other defenders to stay clean and make plays. Sweat is an immovable force at NT and gives the Bengals the player they have been missing behind Reader as well as the heir apparent to take over or Reader. With Reader off of the field the Bengals struggled mightily to stop the run, that should not be the case with the selection of Sweat. He plays with extremely violent hands and while pass rushing is not his mainstay he does have the ability to collapse a pocket on passing downs especially if not double teamed.
The Bengals needed help on the interior line and this is huge in more ways than one.
RD.2 - 61st Selection:
Ruke Orhorhoro - DT - Clemson - 6'4" 294
Orhorhoro showed up at the combine and solidified that his impressive tape comes with a reason and that near elite traits and flashes are backed by pure athletic talent and raw power. Ruke posted the second highest overall athleticism score for DTs and that shows on the tape he put together at Clemson. Clemson is known for putting out productive and well coached defensive linemen and he continues this tradition for them. Ruke posted elite scores in the 40 and 10 yard split while backing with a display of his raw power in putting up 29 reps. At Clemson he displayed violent hands and an overall understanding of how to defeat offensive linemen with a variety of moves.
When evaluating the great tape and testing of Orhorhoro you must also consider that this kid did not start playing football until he was a junior in high school. The ceiling for him is very high. Sweat and Orhorhoro should be the infusion of talent and toughness that this Bengals defensive line has been missing and hopefully pushes others to seriously raise their game.
RD. 3 - 80th Selection:
Kiran Amegadjie - OT - Yale - 6'5" 326
The Bengals have a need for a day 1 starter at RT and Kiran fills that need. When a player with the elite traits and physical attributes that he possesses plays at a school such as Yale you expect for them to completely overmatch everyone they play against and this is absolutely what the tape shows with Kiran and then some. His domination of defenders at this level look absolutely effortless. His elite length of over 36" arms goes along way for him in keeping his body clean from defenders and allowing him to direct them where he wants them. One thing you worry about with rookies is having the mental aptitude early on to process and being a Yale grad should ease some concerns about IQ and processing abilities.
Yes, there are things for Kiran to work on but most of the weaknesses you can point out have to do with coachable technique issues which with his smarts should be able to be readily cleaned up. I feel really good about the Bengals adding this young man as a bookend to Brown Jr. and Kiran has the abilities to play LT, this is where he played at Yale, and could be seen as a candidate to slide over when Brown moves on.
RD. 4 - 116th Selection;
Jaylen Wright - RB - Tennessee - 5'10.5" 210
There has been talk of revamping the Bengals running game and gaining cap space by moving on from Joe Mixon and the addition of Wright could go along way in these things happening. Wright has extreme explosion and elite long speed when he gets in the open field. Wright as the acceleration and burst to exploit the slightest of holes made by the offensive line and his ability to jump cut leads to many defender misses. His speed can also be a hinderance to him at times as he plays faster than those around him and his speed can make immediate cutbacks difficult. Wright has shown the ability to as well put his head down and run with power and he displayed very natural hands as a pass catcher at Tennessee. Wright is willing in pass protection and has shown himself efficient at the task but this is something he needs to continue to develop.
Chase Brown and Jaylen Wright could be the duo of dynamic backs that could take the Bengals running game to the next level and take pressure off of the passing game. A great stat for Wright is that he posted runs of over 10 yards on more than 25% of his runs.
RD. 5 - 148th Selection:
Luke McCaffrey - WR - Rice - 6'1.5" 198
While the Bengals appear to have retained Tee Higgins for the '24 season, they need to continue to add high quality receivers and depth to the WR room. McCaffrey comes with outstanding lineage being the brother of Christian and the son of Ed McCaffrey. Luke is a converted QB and his knowledge in an offense is shown in his ability to understand what a defense is trying to do and to exploit soft spots within the defense. While Luke may not have elite natural traits or sprinter speed what he does do is the little things that help to separate receivers such as catch in traffic and exploit the middle of a defense. Drops are not in the vocabulary of McCaffrey and he has displayed elite hands at the position.
McCaffrey is a quality depth addition that should really help ease the pain of losing Boyd in the slot. Luke could prove to make his living in the slot at the NFL level.
RD. 5 - 163rd Selection:
Nehemiah Pritchett - CB - Auburn - 6'0" 188
The Bengals have added some solid performers over the last couple of seasons in Taylor-Britt, Turner, and Ivey. However, with what is the expected loss of Awuzie in free agency and the uncertainty of availability from the Ivey injury the Bengals could use some more quality depth in the room and Pritchett should certainly help on that front. Pritchett brings outstanding speed and length to the position and has shown the ability to challenge catches with really good timing and anticipation. Where Pritchett needs to really improve is in run support if he wants to push for snaps as a starter in the future at the NFL level.
RD. 5 - 175th Selection:
Jared Wiley - TE - TCU - 6'6" 253
The Bengals are looking to add more explosion and receiving ability to the TE room and Wiley gives them a big target with good speed that can create mismatch problems as a receiver. Wiley has very sure hands and did not show to have what many might consider focus drops while he was at TCU and knows how to use his power forward frame to shield the ball from defenders and make the physical catch. Wiley has very good deep speed for his size and can test the seems of a defense. Where Wiley needs to improve is his footwork in getting out of breaks with more explosion and fluidity as well as being more physical against initial contact. He is an adequate blocker but will need to improve some technique issues on this front.
RD. 6 - 196th Selection:
Jordan Whittington - WR - Texas - 6'1" 205
With Worthy and Mitchell in the Texas receiving corp the contributions of Whittington often got overshadowed but he is a big-bodied chain mover that makes tough catches in the middle of the field. After the ball is in his hands he knows what to do with it. He has the wiggle to make defenders miss and the knows how to set up his blockers and produce yards after he catches the ball. He is a valuable asset to an offense and as well should provide great value on special teams. He is exactly the type of player you build from the middle down on a roster with.
RD. 7 - 235th Selection:
Tanner McClachlan - TE - Arizona - 6'5" 244
McClachlan may not wow you with athletic ability that jumps off of the screen but what he does do is just find ways to produce when he gets his chances. Tanner displayed good long speed at the combine posting a 4.61 40 and posted good vertical and broad jump scores which show more athleticism than he is often credited with. He plays with the intensity and fire on every down that coaches everywhere are looking for in a player. He hangs on to the ball even thru explosive hits and is a tough tackle once the ball is in his hands. Tanner could be a special teams maven for the Bengals and has the traits to develop into a high quality TE2 for them.
RD. 7 - 252nd Selection:
Jarius Monroe - CB - Tulane - 6'0" 204
Monroe is a well built CB that made the move from Nicholls State to Tulane and showed the jump in competition was not an issue. Over the past two seasons Monroe displayed very good ball skills while recording 6 INTs and 22 pass break ups. He has displayed good coverage skills and very good speed and is an asset in run support. Monroe just needs to continue to hone his skills and show the ability to adapt to competition increases as he has in the past.
RE: Build the Trenches - Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 - 03-03-2024
It starts in FA.
I'd prioritize:
1) Bringing Reader back.
2) DT help (Wilkins & L. Williams look like they will hit the market).
3) RT at some level. HR: Onwenu. 3B: Smith. 2B: Brown. 1B: Eluemunor. Onwenu hitting the market is unlikely, but the others are there.