Bengals draft priorities heading into NFL Combine.

[NATI BENGALS]

I haven’t gotten to watch many of the DBs in the draft. But man. Cooper DeJean is an impact player. And Nate Wiggins looks like a shutdown CB. We might mess around and end up having the best secondary in the league. And with a high powered Burrow led offense putting up points making other teams have to try to play catch up and pass on us… that could be a special combo

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(02-27-2024, 09:19 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I don;t think any of us can say Tee will be here for 2 years.. my gut is probably this year but i the feeling seems that the  Bengals will not come to terms with him and he will be traded in 2025 if my guess.

I didn't say he would be. I said it was likely. 

[sandwedge]

(02-27-2024, 04:00 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I think you just re-sign Awuzie and push CB to '25 or '26. Last thing you need to do is add even more young DBs back there right now and Awuzie should be better >12 months removed from his ACL.

This! Been saying we have to keep Chido

[sandwedge]

(02-27-2024, 09:50 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: I feel like we are going to land an impact player at 18.

The way the D struggled last year and the O kept us alive even with a backup QB. I’m leaning towards D.

We are bad at drafting OL. Even though this is supposed to be a good class. I wouldn’t mind if they recognized their weakness in drafting OL well and just filled RT with a free agent.

I believe we could find a really good sound young Rt in rd 2. 

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-27-2024, 09:33 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I think they plan to.

That'd be even more worrisome then. A rookie CB wouldn't start past CTB and Awuzie, and would probably be behind Turner as well assuming he's improved with experience and a year in the system. Hilton has his own role separate from those three and presumably the first round CB.

Our first round pick needs to START this year. Can't draft more backups and projects. We haven't drafted a non-top-5 decent rookie starter in the first round since Tyler Eifert in 2013.

[Soonerpeace]

(02-28-2024, 01:28 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: That'd be even more worrisome then. A rookie CB wouldn't start past CTB and Awuzie, and would probably be behind Turner as well assuming he's improved with experience and a year in the system. Hilton has his own role separate from those three and presumably the first round CB.

Our first round pick needs to START this year. Can't draft more backups and projects. We haven't drafted a non-top-5 decent rookie starter in the first round since Tyler Eifert in 2013.

Plan to keep Awouzie

[Essex Johnson]

(02-28-2024, 02:16 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Plan to keep Awouzie

well will depend on what the market demands for him, other teams maybe in worse shape than us could move a offer above what our offer would be so for sure they need to have a backup plan which to me is drafting one probably in rounds 3/4.

[Soonerpeace]

(02-28-2024, 09:16 AM)Essex Johnson Wrote: well will depend on what the market demands for him, other teams maybe in worse shape than us could move a offer above what our offer would be so for sure they need to have a backup plan which to me is drafting one probably in rounds 3/4.

I’m sure that’s right and they will re-sign him before the draft.

[*ochocincos*]

(02-27-2024, 01:42 PM)KillerGoose Wrote:

Some #Bengals notes heading into the NFL scouting combine.

Early conversations indicate the team is prioritizing cornerback, offensive tackle, interior defensive line in the first round.

Pass catcher still an outlier.

High interest in finding a new punter in some capacity.

— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) February 27, 2024

Notice they said pass catcher, not specifically WR.
Bowers has to be on the table if available.

[SunsetBengal]

(02-28-2024, 10:14 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Notice they said pass catcher, not specifically WR.
Bowers has to be on the table if available.

Just remember that 4 other TEs were drafted before Travis Kelce that year.  TE is one of those positions where the best looking ones in college aren't always big stars in the NFL.  Look at how quickly Hayden Hurst was upstaged by Mark Andrews, etc., etc...

[*Synric*]

(02-28-2024, 10:49 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Just remember that 4 other TEs were drafted before Travis Kelce that year.  TE is one of those positions where the best looking ones in college aren't always big stars in the NFL.  Look at how quickly Hayden Hurst was upstaged by Mark Andrews, etc., etc...

The path for guys like Ja'Tavion Sanders and Theo Johnson to have better NFL careers than Bowers is a real thing looking at TE draft history.

[*Synric*]

Does anyone else expect the Steelers to trade up ahead of the Bengals for an OT in the 1st Round?

[SunsetBengal]

(02-28-2024, 10:57 AM)Synric Wrote: Does anyone else expect the Steelers to trade up ahead of the Bengals for an OT in the 1st Round?

Maybe, if they're unsatisfied with Dan Moore Jr. at LT.  They elevated last year's 1st round pick, Broderick Jones to starter later in the year, making Okorafor expendable into free agency.  

[*ochocincos*]

(02-28-2024, 10:49 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Just remember that 4 other TEs were drafted before Travis Kelce that year.  TE is one of those positions where the best looking ones in college aren't always big stars in the NFL.  Look at how quickly Hayden Hurst was upstaged by Mark Andrews, etc., etc...

Andrews was the better pass catcher coming out of college between him and Hurst, so I wasn't surprised by that one.
Hurst was taken over Andrews because he was more well-rounded.

As for Kelce, Eifert and Ertz deserved to go higher than him based on their pedigree, and both were really good in the NFL.
Eifert we know got cut short because of injuries.
Not sure why Escobar and McDonald went before Kelce though, especially McDonald.
Interestingly, Escobar was the least effective out of those 5 including Kelce.

I get your point, but it's not necessarily having to get the "best" at the position when all is said and done.
If a guy fits that team's offense/defense and looks to have good long-term potential and coming from a proven program, it can make sense they go before someone else but maybe not end up the better NFL career in the long run.

[Hammerstripes]

(02-28-2024, 01:28 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: That'd be even more worrisome then. A rookie CB wouldn't start past CTB and Awuzie, and would probably be behind Turner as well assuming he's improved with experience and a year in the system. Hilton has his own role separate from those three and presumably the first round CB.

Our first round pick needs to START this year. Can't draft more backups and projects. We haven't drafted a non-top-5 decent rookie starter in the first round since Tyler Eifert in 2013.

That's the best way to make sure you draft a bust.  I would prefer to go into the draft with no glaring holes.  We have the money to add a RT, DT and another starter if we want.

If that's the case, then you force yourself to take a guy that plays a specific position.  If sign a stud RT, do you still go OT in the draft?  

I would love for a guy to come in and take the starting job away, but I'm glad we don't have to rely on rookies like we used to.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-28-2024, 12:15 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: That's the best way to make sure you draft a bust.  I would prefer to go into the draft with no glaring holes.  We have the money to add a RT, DT and another starter if we want.

If that's the case, then you force yourself to take a guy that plays a specific position.  If sign a stud RT, do you still go OT in the draft?  

I would love for a guy to come in and take the starting job away, but I'm glad we don't have to rely on rookies like we used to.

TE
CB
NT
RT
LG
RB
P
WR

Good luck filling all those needs before the draft. There are good teams who draft starters in the first round, it's not some way to make sure you draft a bust. It's not an unreasonable expectation/hope that your first round pick can both play the majority of the snaps and not suck. It's not like we are picking 28th or 31st.

We literally just relied on Chase to take us to the SB his rookie year in '21. We've only done worse since, so I don't understand where the idea came from that we are so good we don't need rookies anymore.

[Frank Booth]

(02-28-2024, 10:49 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Just remember that 4 other TEs were drafted before Travis Kelce that year.  TE is one of those positions where the best looking ones in college aren't always big stars in the NFL.  Look at how quickly Hayden Hurst was upstaged by Mark Andrews, etc., etc...

Didn’t Kelce drop due to character concerns?

[SunsetBengal]

(02-28-2024, 01:07 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Didn’t Kelce drop due to character concerns?

Maybe, his draft profile mentions being suspended for an entire season for violation of team rules.

[Bengalion]

We need more youth investments in the trenches. Need to get younger, cheaper, and better. But it all depends on who we get at OT and DT in free agency.

[Frank Booth]

(02-28-2024, 01:17 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Maybe, his draft profile mentions being suspended for an entire season for violation of team rules.

Yep. That’s why he dropped to the 3rd round or whatever