04-30-2022, 01:04 AM
The Bengals identified their needs and filled them very well in these first three rounds. I think they got extreme value with Hill in the first (he was being talked about as a top 15 to 20 player routinely). I think they got good value with CTB in the 2nd (He was being talked about right around where we picked him) and I am curious to see how Zach Carter works out. He is the most controversial pick so far because there does not seem to be a consensus about him. Some publications had him as a 3rd to 4th rounder (https://www.nfl.com/prospects/zach-carter/32004341-5278-6801-508d-115b8e175a05 https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Zachary-Carter-DL-Florida https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/zachary-carter/wyjwkbS5zA)
Others, like Dane Brugler and PFF, had him as a 6th round prospect.
It is worth noting, however, that Dane Brugler had him rated strictly as an edge defender. He did not put him in the IDL category. He wrote:
The way he talks about him, I can see why he would rate him as a 6th round player at edge. But some of his weaknesses (lacking flexibility to bend around the edge, below average production [presumably for a DE, as his production is outstanding for a DT], underdeveloped counters) seem to be alleviated by moving him inside and some of his strengths (transfers energy with his first two steps, quickness to fire off the ball, excellent motor and effort) all seem ideal for an interior pass rusher.
It's worth noting many of his weaknesses were also listed for Perrion Winfrey (body stiffness, below average Change of direction, struggles to break down in small spaces, underdeveloped pass rush counters, lacking pass rush instincts, poor tackle production) and their strengths are similar as well (length, powerful fast hands, good pass rush moves), but Winfrey was graded as a DT, not an edge. And he happens to have Winfrey as a 2nd round player, something we already know the NFL disagrees with.
One thing Dane mentions several times with Winfrey is that he was not overly impressed with the tape of Winfrey during college ("A two-year starter at Oklahoma, Winfrey lined up at nose guard in former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s 3-3-5 base scheme. It was tough to get an accurate read on him in the Sooners’ slanting front, however, his skills were unleashed at the Senior Bowl and allowed him to show scouts his flashes of dominance."), but was blown away by his performance at the Senior Bowl. So, you know, that may be the dividing line here. Because if there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's that the Senior Bowl creates hype for players that the NFL doesn't really carry over (you saw it with the Senior Bowl's darling, Jermaine Johnson, falling from where media reporters thought he'd go [top 10] to right where he was predicted to go prior to the Senior Bowl [late first - early second]).
Others, like Dane Brugler and PFF, had him as a 6th round prospect.
It is worth noting, however, that Dane Brugler had him rated strictly as an edge defender. He did not put him in the IDL category. He wrote:
Quote:Pros: Moldable frame with adequate length ...
accelerates quickly and gets into the chest of blockers ...
transfers the energy from his first two steps into contact and leverages his body to generate movement ...
hands are a blur ...
has an array of rush moves, including an efficient arm-over and swipe technique to slingshot past blockers ...
quick to fire through gaps and reset his vision to find the ball carrier ...
uses length to lock out, read, and contain the edge in the run game ...
wins with extra effort, and his motor stays cranked ...
versatile, with experience up and down the defensive line from the A-gap to outside the tackle.
Cons: Narrow rusher and doesn’t have the body flexibility to bend the edge ...
average explosion and inconsistent snap anticipation, a bad combo for a defensive lineman ...
doesn’t have natural pass rush instincts ...
flashes a variety of rush moves but struggles to efficiently patch them together ...
physical hands can knock him off his rush track ...
finds himself out-flanked in the run game ...
late to unwind from blocks and must improve his shed skills ...
lack of flexibility hurts his ability to break down in small spaces, leading to missed tackles ...
below-average production and averaged less than three tackles per game as a college starter.
Summary: A two-year starter at Florida, Carter was used up and down the defensive line in former defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s scheme, spending most of his time as either a three-technique or five-technique. His pass rush efficiency and backfield production improved each season in Gainesville, with 20.5 tackles for loss over his final 24 games. Carter is at his best with a runway, where he can rush head-up with physical hands to generate power, extending into blockers and putting them on skates. He has quick read-and-react ability in the run game, but powerful blockers can out-leverage him, leaving him late to shed. Overall, Carter is
limited in the ways he wins as a pass rusher because of his stiffness and undeveloped counters, but he is a high-effort, quick-footed athlete who is well-versed with various defensive techniques. He projects as a rotational base end in the NFL.
The way he talks about him, I can see why he would rate him as a 6th round player at edge. But some of his weaknesses (lacking flexibility to bend around the edge, below average production [presumably for a DE, as his production is outstanding for a DT], underdeveloped counters) seem to be alleviated by moving him inside and some of his strengths (transfers energy with his first two steps, quickness to fire off the ball, excellent motor and effort) all seem ideal for an interior pass rusher.
It's worth noting many of his weaknesses were also listed for Perrion Winfrey (body stiffness, below average Change of direction, struggles to break down in small spaces, underdeveloped pass rush counters, lacking pass rush instincts, poor tackle production) and their strengths are similar as well (length, powerful fast hands, good pass rush moves), but Winfrey was graded as a DT, not an edge. And he happens to have Winfrey as a 2nd round player, something we already know the NFL disagrees with.
One thing Dane mentions several times with Winfrey is that he was not overly impressed with the tape of Winfrey during college ("A two-year starter at Oklahoma, Winfrey lined up at nose guard in former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s 3-3-5 base scheme. It was tough to get an accurate read on him in the Sooners’ slanting front, however, his skills were unleashed at the Senior Bowl and allowed him to show scouts his flashes of dominance."), but was blown away by his performance at the Senior Bowl. So, you know, that may be the dividing line here. Because if there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's that the Senior Bowl creates hype for players that the NFL doesn't really carry over (you saw it with the Senior Bowl's darling, Jermaine Johnson, falling from where media reporters thought he'd go [top 10] to right where he was predicted to go prior to the Senior Bowl [late first - early second]).
![[Image: oN5QAdY.png]](https://i.imgur.com/oN5QAdY.png)
