Grade the 2021 Bengals draft

[PDub80]

(05-03-2024, 02:12 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Not to go off topic here, but what was the name of that LB that ML drafted early in his tenure? Anyone remember his name without looking him up?  

Odelll Thurman?
Ahmed Brooks?

Brooks, BTW, went on to become a STUD 

[Nicomo Cosca]

David Pollack and Odell Thurman are two of the biggest “what if” players the Bengals have ever had. Both had the potential to be great.

I assumed he was talking about one of them.

[coachmcneil71]

(05-03-2024, 02:33 PM)Whatever Wrote: If you're expecting Day 3 picks to strike fear into the opposition, then you have very unrealistic expectations for Day 3 picks.

Tell that to Yoshi 

[coachmcneil71]

(05-03-2024, 03:01 PM)PDub80 Wrote: Odelll Thurman?
Ahmed Brooks?

Brooks, BTW, went on to become a STUD 

Not those guys. I loved Brooks and Thurman while they lasted.

 I think it was Mervs first year. He drafted some obscure LB fairly early. I think injuries derailed the guy's career. 

[Nicomo Cosca]

(05-03-2024, 03:18 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Not those guys. I loved Brooks and Thurman while they lasted.

 I think it was Mervs first year. He drafted some obscure LB fairly early. I think injuries derailed the guy's career. 

David Pollack? Not obscure (he was a 1st round pick), but his career was ended when he broke his neck in a game against the Browns. I’ll never forget it as I was at that game.

[PDub80]

(05-03-2024, 03:18 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Not those guys. I loved Brooks and Thurman while they lasted.

 I think it was Mervs first year. He drafted some obscure LB fairly early. I think injuries derailed the guy's career. 

Caleb Miller! ILB Arkansas.

[coachmcneil71]

(05-03-2024, 03:21 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: David Pollack? Not obscure (he was a 1st round pick), but his career was ended when he broke his neck in a game against the Browns. I’ll never forget it as I was at that game.

Not Pollack, he was actually the dude that I wanted the year we drafted him. Was a beast at UGA. Injured against the Browns if I remember correctly. 

I'm gonna have to look it up. Early in the 2000's. 

[Nicomo Cosca]

(05-03-2024, 03:28 PM)PDub80 Wrote: Caleb Miller! ILB Arkansas.

All I remember about him is he made it onto the cover of Sports Illustrated!

[Nicomo Cosca]

(05-03-2024, 03:31 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Not Pollack, he was actually the dude that I wanted the year we drafted him. Was a beast at UGA. Injured against the Browns if I remember correctly. 

I'm gonna have to look it up. Early in the 2000's. 

Marvin’s first year was 2003, so if it was before that it wasn’t one of his picks.

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(05-03-2024, 03:18 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Not those guys. I loved Brooks and Thurman while they lasted.

 I think it was Mervs first year. He drafted some obscure LB fairly early. I think injuries derailed the guy's career. 

Nate Webster or Lamont THompson or something?

Khalid Abdullah (I think?) from Mars Hill?

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Simmons was a pretty good Linebacker for us back in the day...

[coachmcneil71]

(05-03-2024, 03:36 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: Nate Webster or Lamont THompson or something?

Khalid Abdullah (I think?) from Mars Hill?

Truck with the W! I'm pretty sure I was thinking of the Abdullah kid.

[coachmcneil71]

(05-03-2024, 03:28 PM)PDub80 Wrote: Caleb Miller! ILB Arkansas.

I had forgotten about Miller..lol.. Abdullah or whatever it was is who I was trying to recall.

[coachmcneil71]

(05-03-2024, 03:31 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: All I remember about him is he made it onto the cover of Sports Illustrated!

Wines Hard getting smoked is an excellent memory and very rep worthy. Appreciate it! Warms my heart seeing this.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(05-03-2024, 04:51 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Wines Hard getting smoked is an excellent memory and very rep worthy. Appreciate it! Warms my heart seeing this.

Same. I remember that. It's an epic pic. Disliked Wines Hard more than about anyone, him and the Pig made me sick!!!  

[Brownshoe]

(05-03-2024, 08:28 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I’d say Marvin gets the edge until Zac produces a Whit or a Geno caliber player. Excluding layups like Burrow and Chase in the top 5 (Marvin had AJ anyway). The only other All Pro we’ve drafted other than Chase in the last decade or so was Bates who was Marvin’s last draft class.

The best player outside of the top 5 they’ve drafted under Zac is probably Tee. Who’s obviously a good player, but not on the level of those other guys.

So Marvin gets 2 all pro players in later rounds out of 16 years. We will find out how many later round big picks Taylor gets.

[Whatever]

(05-03-2024, 03:15 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Tell that to Yoshi 

Uh...kid had 116 receiving yards and a couple of scramble drill TD's.  Nobody in the league fears Yoshi and his 4.6 YPT.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(05-03-2024, 05:17 PM)Whatever Wrote: Uh...kid had 116 receiving yards and a couple of scramble drill TD's.  Nobody in the league fears Yoshi and his 4.6 YPT.

Believe he had 3 TD's and could of had many more yards if Browning saw him running wide open a couple other times.

Not bad for the lack of snaps and being a late round pick from a liar school...

[casear2727]

(05-03-2024, 05:22 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Believe he had 3 TD's and could of had many more yards if Browning saw him running wide open a couple other times.

Not bad for the lack of snaps and being a late round pick from a liar school...

Hopefully Yoshi has learned his routes if he wants passes from Burrow other than scramble drill throws.

[leonardfan40]

I’d give this draft a solid C+. Chase is awesome. Mac as well. Two difference makers in one draft is an automatic passing grade for any team. Carman would be thought better of if he had a real chance at LT. He’s not good anywhere else but I’ll call him a bust with an Asterisk. We got decent production out of our D line picks and spot depth at o line later on and including Carman. Those games/snaps matter.

People are always much harder on our own drafts than other teams. Not every player will be a star. Nobody drafts like that. The thing the bengals have done well is get a lot of solid role players and depth guys with their “bad” picks. Just because a 3rd/4th/5th/6th rounder isn’t a multi-year starter does not mean it wasn’t a good draft. The bengals have drafted very well since Taylor took over. Last years draft is looking very impressive. Obviously the Burrow draft was a home run. His first draft was unspectacular but still valuable with lots of role players and a solid but not great starting tackle. Sample is a great blocker and finally started showing modest usefulness in the passing game last year which is all we need from our blocking TE.

Look at our LB drafting for example. Two absolute steals in Wilson and Pratt. The other guys we’ve drafted have also been great picks even though they aren’t stars. Bailey, ADG have both played well on ST’s and more importantly when we were devasted by LB injury a while back (plus Bachie but he wasn’t a draft pick). An entire room built from the ground up with the draft under Taylor. And I have no complaints about our LB group. Same with our WR room this year. Chase, Tee, Jones, Yoshi, Burton. Another group where we should be very well off with nothing but Taylor draft picks.

Tons of important starters and depth/role guys in the secondary as well. The only place we haven’t gotten studs under Taylor in the draft is the trenches which is hard for anyone to get because there are so few guys that big who are also good enough to be stars in this league. But he has taken the FA money and put it into those positions very effectively with Trey, reader, rankins, Cappa, OBJ, Karras, etc. If Murphy and Mims end up being hits, we’re winning a SB for sure. Still got a great shot even if both bust.