Nate's most likely to happen Mock...

[CJD]

(04-23-2023, 06:38 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Alright, doing this one on how I think the Bengals will go come Thursday Night and the following...

1st Round - Emmanuel Forbes CB Mississippi State: Playmaking Corner to really put our Secondary in the tops, he is light
and needs to put on some weight but this guy could be a stud for us in the future and be an All Pro type Corner, great tackler, great
in coverage and is a ballhawk.

2nd Round - Keeanu Benton DT Wisconsin: Big DT that can stop the run and rush the passer, helps soften the blow if DJ leaves
after this season.

3rd Round - Roschon Johnson RB Texas: A RB that can pass block and catch the ball out of the backfield and is a thumper. More
talented than people think, Roschon Johnson has good vision and burst.

4th Round - Josh Whyle TE Cincinnati: Talented TE that is 6'6" and can go up for the ball and is getting better as a blocker, he
was on a bad Offense which is why his production stalled, but that isn't his fault. Very high upside.

5th Round - Kenny Mcintosh RB Georgia: Surprised this guy is falling through the cracks, he has nice quicks and can break big
runs, explosive. With Roschon and Kenny we have thunder and lightning and both can pass protect.

6th Round - Brenton Strange TE Penn State: This guy is underrated, just solid all the way around and should be a solid pro TE.

7th Round - Robert Beal EDGE Georgia: Must of missed why this guy is falling in all the mocks, must be injury or something.
This guy is a very good pass rusher, a good one to compete with Basham and Gunter at End in our rotation.

Thoughts?

Forbes is my expectation for our first round pick as well. I just think the need fits the value too perfectly. Brett Kollman isn't a huge fan of his, which is a mild concern (even says if you want what Forbes could be in the NFL, DJ Turner is a similar profile and a lesser chance of bust due to size), but Joe Goodberry loves him. He's a very polarizing prospect, for sure, but I think the Bengals would make good use of him and his frame could afford to hold another 10 to 15 lbs.

If you want a guy like Forbes but who is probably going to be a better pro just draft DJ Turner idk

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) April 19, 2023

 


Regardless, I would still love the Forbes pick.


Benton I also love (I made a thread about him), but I'd be surprised if he were there at 60. I'd absolutely love if he was, as it would be a steal. I guess in a DT class this deep someone has to fall. I think Mazi Smith is more likely to drop than Benton though simply because nose tackles always seem to fall in the draft. DTs with pass rush upside typically go higher in the draft and that's what Benton is. With that said, if we took Smith at 60 I'd love that too because he'd be essentially a direct DJ replacement.


Johnson is one of my favorite mid round RBs in this draft. He doesn't have a lot of wear and tear, he has good reps as a pass blocker and, if I recall correctly, he lead college football in elusive rate per PFF (or at least was close). I don't have a subscription to PFF, so I can't double check that. It was just something I heard on one of their podcasts. He isn't a burner and is strictly a complimentary back (he's the closest I could find to Samaje Perine in this draft). I think the 3rd round may be a round or two early for him simply because this RB class is so deep though. I think we could nab him in the 4th, but I can't complain about getting one of my favorite backs even if it is a round earlier than I'd prefer.


Whyle is good as well, but again, a rounder earlier than I'd prefer. He and Strange may end up being swapped, tbh, which wouldn't bother me. I like them both as prospects and would be happy if we got both of them in the same draft.


Double dipping at RB is an interesting strategy, as we already have Mixon and Williams on the roster. This would essentially kick Evans off the roster, which may or may not happen anyway haha. They have not been a fan of using him in the last few years for whatever reason, even though he always seems to make a play when he's on the field. I don't know a lot about McIntosh since he's a very late round prospect, but from what I've seen it sounds like he offers some value as a receiver out of the backfield. Can't complain about that.


Depth at edge rusher is always appreciated too.


Overall, I'd be fairly happy with this draft. A few guys are a little too early for my tastes (with Johnson, Whyle and Mcintosh going 3, 4 and 5, when they could potentially go 4, 5 and 6 would essentially be converting our 3rd rounder into a 6th rounder) but you get good value in the 6th with Strange, so that mostly evens out, I think. I think this draft fills several holes and improves a roster that was already on the brink of its second straight Super Bowl appearance!