What Are Your Priorities In This Draft?!

[Whatever]

(04-19-2025, 08:35 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: RAS does not distinguish NT and DT. A lot of the bigger NT types suffer on RAS as a result when compared to 3Ts. 

You have to compare them/him to other NTs, not DR/3Ts. 

And no, he was not much of a reach. 

To answer the OP: 

1) Immediate impact difference makers, anywhere is fine. No QB or WR or OT early, unless you are moving the OT to G. I'd prefer G (Zabel or Jackson), S (Emmanwori or Starks), or some kind of pass rush help (Harmon, Nolen, Green). 

But a higher end guy at another position would still take preference over ANY of those guys (Warren, Walker, Jeanty, Johnson, W. Campbell, Membou). J. Campbell or Lovelandor Barron is a tougher call.

2) Guard
3) Safety
4) Pass rysh from DT 
5) Pass rush from edge
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My board for Rd1 would be: 

1) Carter 
2) Hunter 
3) Graham
4) W. Cambell
5) Membou
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6) Walker
7) Warren
8) Johnson 
9) Jeanty
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10) J. Campbell 
11) Jackson 
12) Zabel 
13) Starks 
14) Emmanwori 
15) Harmon 
16) Loveland 
17) Nolen 
18) Green
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If I think Loveland can block, he jumps to 10th or 11th..I forgot Green initially. 

I think the first 9 will almost certainly be gone. I'd be fine with any of the 2nd 9, plus Barron.

Jackson has the second lowest RAS of any NT the Bengals have drafted this century, ahead of only Shelvin.  The only starting NT's they drafted had a RAS of over 5(Peko and Billings).  So yes, it trends lower, but not that much lower.

[Clark W Griswold]

I just want them to use a late pick on Desmond Watson.

He has to be able to help stop the run, right?
Not sure he will ever be an impact player but the NFL is entertainment and he would be fun to watch.

[mallorian69]

D line, D line, D line, G, D line, D line

[Junglejuice]

Pick good players. That's it. Period.
If you draft talent everything will take care of itself.
Anything besides QB or Special Teams operations is on the table IMO.
Just get talented guys.

[BFritz21]

(04-21-2025, 11:31 PM)Junglejuice Wrote: Pick good players.   That's it.  Period.
If you draft talent everything will take care of itself.  
Anything besides QB or Special Teams operations is on the table IMO.
Just get talented guys.

We do have a lot of needs but we can't just take good players because we have needs on this team to put us over the top.

We can't take a running back or receiver early, and tackle would be a mistake unless they can play guard, but outside of that, you're pretty much right, although I would argue that tight end early is also a wasted pick since we just signed Chase and Tee and we have so many other needs.

[Whatever]

(04-22-2025, 12:39 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: We do have a lot of needs but we can't just take good players because we have needs on this team to put us over the top.

We can't take a running back or receiver early, and tackle would be a mistake unless they can play guard, but outside of that, you're pretty much right, although I would argue that tight end early is also a wasted pick since we just signed Chase and Tee and we have so many other needs.

A few years back, folks said we don't NEED Tee Higgins.  We had AJ, Boyd, and *gag* Auden Tate.

The following year, people said we don't NEED Ja'Marr Chase.  We have Tee and Boyd.  

You never regret drafting great players, regardless of how stacked you may appear to be at a position.  Conversely, you will always regret drafting guys that don't work out, regardless of how weak you look at that position.  

[*psychdoctor*]

1- impact defensive lineman
2- IOL
3- IOL
4- SAF
5- LB
6- RB/WR

[Nepa]

(04-22-2025, 01:50 PM)Whatever Wrote: A few years back, folks said we don't NEED Tee Higgins.  We had AJ, Boyd, and *gag* Auden Tate.

The following year, people said we don't NEED Ja'Marr Chase.  We have Tee and Boyd.  

You never regret drafting great players, regardless of how stacked you may appear to be at a position.  Conversely, you will always regret drafting guys that don't work out, regardless of how weak you look at that position.  

Yes, passing on top prospects -- especially in the first two rounds -- because of chasing needs is not a recipe for success IMHO and reeks of desperation. It also means counting on rookies. I would prefer to take the blue-chipper, and if there are still gaps at the end of the draft, make a trade or pick up players who will inevitably be let go after the draft. 

[Soonerpeace]

Hard to know their thoughts with Trey & Pratt’s status undecided.

[*ochocincos*]

(04-22-2025, 10:05 PM)Nepa Wrote: Yes, passing on top prospects -- especially in the first two rounds -- because of chasing needs is not a recipe for success IMHO and reeks of desperation. It also means counting on rookies. I would prefer to take the blue-chipper, and if there are still gaps at the end of the draft, make a trade or pick up players who will inevitably be let go after the draft. 

But have you SEEN some of these position groups the Bengals have right now?
The Bengals put themselves in a situation where some of their starters are just downright not good or there's too much risk to just ride or die with who they got.

I want whatever gets the team back to the AFCCG/SB this year and next year.
I don't care about what a prospect is going to be 3 years from now.

They NEED a starting Guard (or two), they NEED 1-2 pass rushers.

[kevin]

(04-15-2025, 07:10 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: We only have six picks, and obviously only picks in the early rounds, usually the first three, become contributors, especially early contributors.

What are your top priorities to get difference makers in the first three?

We obviously need the most help in the secondary, interior offensive line, interior defensive line, d end, and secondary, so where are your top priorities in this draft?

I keep going back and forth because I want Nolen in the first round or even end or safety, but then I keep remembering that we need to finally give Burrow protection, so I go back to IOL.

I've wanted to go Nolen because, on top of getting pass rush from the tackle position, he'll free up our ends from being doubled and improve the pass rush in that sense, but do we ignore that and just try to outscore teams?

Do we trust Peters to improve the IOL without two high picks?

Do we draft a linebacker? That's always the forgotten position for me because I still think of backers as predominantly run stoppers (which is still a big part of it) but it has become such a passing league (I know backers still play a part in pass rush and pass coverage). I just never have them as a top priority.

Will we be active in free agency to improve the areas of need that we can't fill in the draft? I know there will be players cut, but are there any players now that you want or probable cuts that you want?

What are your areas of concern that you want to see addressed in the draft? What areas do you want to see addressed in free agency after the draft?

Am I putting too much emphasis on the need for guards?

Priority Defense if team wants to get back to play-offs.  We've had Burrow, Chase, Higgins but lack of defense just kills this team, and we know that from change in D Coach. 

It is said this Draft is Deep in D Line and in RB's.  So we should get D Help and I would expect a RB at some point to add depth.  If the RB they draft ends up the best RB on team, great.  We might get a steal at RB if the draft is so loaded at RB.  In going for best players available, a good RB would add depth on offense and special teams. Not early, but somewhere in draft. 

As for not many late round picks, those round 6 and 7 picks aren't much better than undrafted college players signed as soon as draft over.  So Bengals will get plenty of undrafted players when draft ends, and they more than make up for lack of late picks.  I would rather have more earlier picks with top quality still on the board. 

So Bengals need Defense and Defense is there to be drafted.  Some may not agree with a RB in this draft, but this draft has far more RB talent than most drafts.  Since losing Mixon, RB depth has been weak. Bringing back Perrine might help, or might not. Some good fresh legs out of a solid college pool  of RB's could help.  

The Draft is suppose to be loaded with D Line and RB quality.  So I'm thinking Bengals get plenty of Defense and a new RB, and don't worry about late rounds as they bring in undrafted quick and fast.  The O Line players are in question early in this draft. Bengals might find some undrafted guys to coach up to block. Bengals O line coach in 1988 under Paul Brown and Sam Wyche use to say give him some late or undrafted blockers, and he will coach them up. 

GO BENGALS.....BACK TO PLAY-OFFS.