PFF's All-Era Prospect Team - Which 2021 prospect makes it?

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-15-2021, 01:51 PM)ochocincos Wrote: While I appreciate the joke, it was reported back then that the Bengals really wanted Ragnow, but he was taken the pick before. They decided to take who they felt was the next-best C.

It's worth noting that Elgton Jenkins (2019) was their honorable mention for C. The Bengals could have taken Jenkins at 42 in 2019, but chose to trade back after Jawaan Taylor, Cody Ford, and Dalton Risner went within just a handful of picks earlier in the 2nd round. As we know, they took Sample in the 2nd round after the trade back. Jenkins went to GB at 44, and he's been playing G there since they have Linsley at C.

Should the Bengals have taken Jenkins in 2019 in hindsight? Probably. But Price had just come off his rookie year and the team likely felt he would continue to improve.

Bengals always seem to shoot themselves in the foot with their draft trades.

Trade back and get Price over Ragnow.
Trade back and get Sample over Jenkins.
Track up and get Finley instead of 3 picks.
Trade back and get Zeitler over DeCastro.
Trade back and get Perry over S Jackson.
Trade back and get Mixon over D Cook.

They did trade down and still got Jesse Bates, but their add-on pick was Malik Jefferson. So it was more a no damage done than an actual positive move.

I legitimately can't think of a 21st century trade up/down where the Bengals actually came out ahead.