04-01-2023, 11:03 AM
RD 2 - 37th Overall
Darnell Washington - TE - Georgia - 6'7" 264
Notables Available: M. Smith, J. Gibbs, B. Branch, F. Anudike-Uzomah, T. Simpson
When the Bengals traded down they passed on Z. Flowers, B. Bresee, K. White, and E. Forbes that were possible draft candidates. I did not feel that any of these players provided enough value to pass on the trade that was offered by Indy.
Washington gives the Bengals a player with an extremely high ceiling at a position where they are thin. Washington gives the Bengals real option in their offense from running their spread offense to lining up with a heavy package and still having him on the field. His blocking abilities are the best in this class and his freakish athleticism make for a difficult matchup in coverage. Yes there are areas that Washington needs to continue to develop such as the route tree that he runs and yes he may never create separation with cuts in and out of breaks but his strengths in other areas such as speed, leaping ability, and contested catches make up for some deficiencies.
This selection at this point provides great value and enhances this offense even more and he should be a great pairing with Irv Smith.
RD 2 - 60th Overall
Tuli Tuipulotu - DE - USC - 6'3" 266
Notables Available: M. Bergeron, T. Stevenson, D. Hall, G. Dexter, T. Bigsby
There are eerie similarities to Tuli and Trey Hendrickson when it comes to size, physicality, and the way the play the game and I do not believe that it was just by accident that Lou was at the USC Pro Day. Tuli is a great fit for the multiple fronts that Lou likes to run and is an NFL ready prospect. He plays with a very high motor and is going to have two really great players to mentor him at the next level in Hendrickson and Hubbard. Tuli needs to continue to grow in areas such as setting the edge in the run game but with his displayed abilities this does not appear that it should be an issue.
RD 3 - 79th Overall
D.J. Turner II - CB - Michigan - 5'11" 178
Notables Available: J. Schmitz, D. Henley, KJ Henry, G. Williams, E. Ricks
Turner does not possess elite size or length for the position but what he does have is elite speed and elite technique. Couple this with a very high football IQ and what you have is a playmaker in the secondary. Turner is a true technician in the secondary and if he gets his hands on the ball good luck catching him. He is a very sticky corner and while bigger receivers may try to out physical him his technique keeps him in position to make a play on the ball. Turner is going to be a great addition to an already really good room with Chido, Taylor-Britt, Hilton, Jones, and Davis.
RD 3 - 92nd Overall
Tyjae Spears - RB - Tulane - 5'10" 201
Notables Available: J. Battle, S. Brown, T. Scott, J. Robinson, M. Mims, J. Duncan
Spears gives the Bengals offense the true playmaker it has lacked since Joe Burrow has been here. Spears runs between the tackles and routinely runs through arm tackles while having the burst and athleticism to beat the defense to the edge. He is a really good receiver out of the backfield and when Spears gets in the open field he has another gear to run away from defenders. A concern with backs his size is the ability to pass protect but he answered these questions to skeptics at the Senior Bowl where he was considered a standout.
RD 4 - 123rd Overall
Wanya Morris - OT - Oklahoma - 6'5" 307
Notables Available: D. Overshown, Z. Evans, J. Martin, C. Latu, S. Tucker, R. Johnson
Morris is experienced at both right and left tackle. Morris was a 5 star recruit at Tennessee and showed real promise as a freshman. Sophomore struggles and the arrival of Darnell Wright led to Morris falling out of favor. Morris made his way to Oklahoma where he started to regain his old form and proved a formidable duo with Anton Harrison as bookend tackles for the Sooners. Morris likely would compete for the RT spot now or when the 1 year lease for Williams is over but as well should provide the Bengals with a high quality swing tackle at both sides. The Bengals have been hurt by a lack of quality depth on the offensive line in the past.
RD 4 - 131st Overall
Chandler Zavala - OG - NC State - 6'5" 325
Notables Available: K. Coburn, J. Kuntz, S. Tucker, N. Herbig, K. McIntosh, I. McGuire
Considering the struggles the Bengals have had with quality depth on the O line they address this area in back to back selections. Zavala is rising up draft boards and for good reason. A naturally powerful blocker with good athleticism for his size. He anchors really well and and gets to the second level fluidly and displays good football IQ in picking up blocks and awareness of pressures. I like Volson but Zavala could relegate him to a depth piece which is not a bad thing as continuous improvement and competition is what builds teams and wins championships.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0RbNGYrmyo
RD 5 - 163rd Overall
Hunter Luepke - RB/FB - N. Dakota St. - 6'1" 235
Notables Available: B. Young, O. Oluwatimi, M. Morris, D. Vaugh, I. Abanikanda, M. Ojomo
Some may wish to pigeonhole Luepke as a fullback but that would be a real mistake. His film speaks for itself and he is a weapon in all facets of the offense and that means as a runner as well. Hunter showed out at the N. Dakota St. Pro Day posting a 36.5" vertical, 9'9" long jump and an impressive 4.56 - 40. Hunter completes the transformation of the RB room and could signal the release of Mixon saving cap space for extensions and distancing the team from the off the field situations that seem to becoming far too frequent for a team that has transformed their locker room culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy5hTiEnZCU
RD 6 - 206th Overall
Terell Smith - CB - Minnesota - 6'0" 204
Smith is a solidly built corner that brings good length and speed to the position and has displayed good hip flip and transition from backpedal. Smith brings a lot of very good quality traits to the position but one area he needs to continue to develop is his hands. He makes a lot of plays on the ball but has missed several should be INTs however, the positive is keeping the receiver from making the catch. Smith is an ascending talent and could develop into a starter or high quality depth piece.
RD 7 - 246th Overall
Dante Stills - DT - West Virginia - 6'3.5" - 286
Stills offers so much potential as an inside pass rusher. To get him here in the draft is a steal. Hobby has a lot to work with here and there is plenty of raw talent to develop and if he can match his potential to his production than the Bengals could have the inside disruptor they have missed since Geno. A NFL training regimen should help Stills to increase his overall play strength to pair with his explosiveness. May need a stint on the PS but could be real future contributor for this team.
Darnell Washington - TE - Georgia - 6'7" 264
Notables Available: M. Smith, J. Gibbs, B. Branch, F. Anudike-Uzomah, T. Simpson
When the Bengals traded down they passed on Z. Flowers, B. Bresee, K. White, and E. Forbes that were possible draft candidates. I did not feel that any of these players provided enough value to pass on the trade that was offered by Indy.
Washington gives the Bengals a player with an extremely high ceiling at a position where they are thin. Washington gives the Bengals real option in their offense from running their spread offense to lining up with a heavy package and still having him on the field. His blocking abilities are the best in this class and his freakish athleticism make for a difficult matchup in coverage. Yes there are areas that Washington needs to continue to develop such as the route tree that he runs and yes he may never create separation with cuts in and out of breaks but his strengths in other areas such as speed, leaping ability, and contested catches make up for some deficiencies.
This selection at this point provides great value and enhances this offense even more and he should be a great pairing with Irv Smith.
RD 2 - 60th Overall
Tuli Tuipulotu - DE - USC - 6'3" 266
Notables Available: M. Bergeron, T. Stevenson, D. Hall, G. Dexter, T. Bigsby
There are eerie similarities to Tuli and Trey Hendrickson when it comes to size, physicality, and the way the play the game and I do not believe that it was just by accident that Lou was at the USC Pro Day. Tuli is a great fit for the multiple fronts that Lou likes to run and is an NFL ready prospect. He plays with a very high motor and is going to have two really great players to mentor him at the next level in Hendrickson and Hubbard. Tuli needs to continue to grow in areas such as setting the edge in the run game but with his displayed abilities this does not appear that it should be an issue.
RD 3 - 79th Overall
D.J. Turner II - CB - Michigan - 5'11" 178
Notables Available: J. Schmitz, D. Henley, KJ Henry, G. Williams, E. Ricks
Turner does not possess elite size or length for the position but what he does have is elite speed and elite technique. Couple this with a very high football IQ and what you have is a playmaker in the secondary. Turner is a true technician in the secondary and if he gets his hands on the ball good luck catching him. He is a very sticky corner and while bigger receivers may try to out physical him his technique keeps him in position to make a play on the ball. Turner is going to be a great addition to an already really good room with Chido, Taylor-Britt, Hilton, Jones, and Davis.
RD 3 - 92nd Overall
Tyjae Spears - RB - Tulane - 5'10" 201
Notables Available: J. Battle, S. Brown, T. Scott, J. Robinson, M. Mims, J. Duncan
Spears gives the Bengals offense the true playmaker it has lacked since Joe Burrow has been here. Spears runs between the tackles and routinely runs through arm tackles while having the burst and athleticism to beat the defense to the edge. He is a really good receiver out of the backfield and when Spears gets in the open field he has another gear to run away from defenders. A concern with backs his size is the ability to pass protect but he answered these questions to skeptics at the Senior Bowl where he was considered a standout.
RD 4 - 123rd Overall
Wanya Morris - OT - Oklahoma - 6'5" 307
Notables Available: D. Overshown, Z. Evans, J. Martin, C. Latu, S. Tucker, R. Johnson
Morris is experienced at both right and left tackle. Morris was a 5 star recruit at Tennessee and showed real promise as a freshman. Sophomore struggles and the arrival of Darnell Wright led to Morris falling out of favor. Morris made his way to Oklahoma where he started to regain his old form and proved a formidable duo with Anton Harrison as bookend tackles for the Sooners. Morris likely would compete for the RT spot now or when the 1 year lease for Williams is over but as well should provide the Bengals with a high quality swing tackle at both sides. The Bengals have been hurt by a lack of quality depth on the offensive line in the past.
RD 4 - 131st Overall
Chandler Zavala - OG - NC State - 6'5" 325
Notables Available: K. Coburn, J. Kuntz, S. Tucker, N. Herbig, K. McIntosh, I. McGuire
Considering the struggles the Bengals have had with quality depth on the O line they address this area in back to back selections. Zavala is rising up draft boards and for good reason. A naturally powerful blocker with good athleticism for his size. He anchors really well and and gets to the second level fluidly and displays good football IQ in picking up blocks and awareness of pressures. I like Volson but Zavala could relegate him to a depth piece which is not a bad thing as continuous improvement and competition is what builds teams and wins championships.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0RbNGYrmyo
RD 5 - 163rd Overall
Hunter Luepke - RB/FB - N. Dakota St. - 6'1" 235
Notables Available: B. Young, O. Oluwatimi, M. Morris, D. Vaugh, I. Abanikanda, M. Ojomo
Some may wish to pigeonhole Luepke as a fullback but that would be a real mistake. His film speaks for itself and he is a weapon in all facets of the offense and that means as a runner as well. Hunter showed out at the N. Dakota St. Pro Day posting a 36.5" vertical, 9'9" long jump and an impressive 4.56 - 40. Hunter completes the transformation of the RB room and could signal the release of Mixon saving cap space for extensions and distancing the team from the off the field situations that seem to becoming far too frequent for a team that has transformed their locker room culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy5hTiEnZCU
RD 6 - 206th Overall
Terell Smith - CB - Minnesota - 6'0" 204
Smith is a solidly built corner that brings good length and speed to the position and has displayed good hip flip and transition from backpedal. Smith brings a lot of very good quality traits to the position but one area he needs to continue to develop is his hands. He makes a lot of plays on the ball but has missed several should be INTs however, the positive is keeping the receiver from making the catch. Smith is an ascending talent and could develop into a starter or high quality depth piece.
RD 7 - 246th Overall
Dante Stills - DT - West Virginia - 6'3.5" - 286
Stills offers so much potential as an inside pass rusher. To get him here in the draft is a steal. Hobby has a lot to work with here and there is plenty of raw talent to develop and if he can match his potential to his production than the Bengals could have the inside disruptor they have missed since Geno. A NFL training regimen should help Stills to increase his overall play strength to pair with his explosiveness. May need a stint on the PS but could be real future contributor for this team.
