Grade The Bengals Draft Of 2021

[GodFather]

Well the long awaited draft of 2021 is over. What is your initial thoughts and your gut grade of this years draft? Did the Bengals exceed your expectations, do exactly what you thought they would do or were you disappointed with this years choices as a whole?

I want to hear the pro's and con's from my fellow Bengal fans.

[Rubekahn29]

A little disappointed with round 2, however I can see their thinking. Rest of draft was fine in my uneducated estimation.

[*Synric*]

A.

Playmaker, 2 Starter Ready Offensive linemen, 1 developmental OT, and 3 DL.

They attacked the trenches like we all wanted... I think people are mostly upset they didnt take their guys.

[Schmitbuck]

Put a B. It wasn't higher mostly because of the Carmen pick. Liked the DL picks and obviously Chase.

[GodFather]

(05-01-2021, 07:45 PM)Rubekahn29 Wrote: A little disappointed with round 2, however I can see their thinking. Rest of draft was fine in my uneducated estimation.

I feel Carman is a player that needs time to develop. I am disappointed we didn't get a day one lineman ready to protect Burrow with a second round pick. 

I do love the round 5 kicker pick. We need a good kicker and KEEP him. Our current kicker isn't the guy and hoping McPherson lives up to the hype!

[AtomicBlaze]

I gave it a C+. I am disappointed OL wasn't the highest priority of the draft. I feel like round 2 was a reach, but I liked getting 2 extra picks. It really comes down to if Carmen can play this year and be effective, personally I think back injuries are a massive risk but hopefully it was a very minor surgery and it is a non issue. I would be super excited about Chase if I felt like we could protect Burrow, but I don't think we did enough for anyone to feel good about the OL this year. I think we will be the one of the worst teams in the NFL until we improve the OL.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

A- only cause of the injury concerns with Carman and Hill. If these guys are healthy, A+.

Built like a winning team, from the trenches out while adding a great weapon and a great pass blocking, pass catching RB
to replace Gio. We will be much better on both sides after this Draft and it makes us not have to start MJ in case of injury
as we have better players who can get low now. Our pass rush was our biggest weakness last season.

Went all out in improving that, love it.

[Beaker]

(05-01-2021, 07:45 PM)Synric Wrote: A.

Playmaker, 2 Starter Ready Offensive linemen, 1 developmental OT, and 3 DL.

They attacked the trenches like we all wanted... I think people are mostly upset they didnt take their guys.

This. After day 1 all we heard from the Team Sewell people was "you build championship teams from the trenches". Well, after taking 1 guard, 1 Tackle, 1 Center, 2 DEs and a DT, I think we can safely say they built up the trenches. I love that we got the K from Florida also.

I give the draft a B based solely upon the fact that we took a couple of guys with medical issues. If there had been none of those, I would have given it an A.

[GodFather]

(05-01-2021, 08:00 PM)AtomicBlaze Wrote: I gave it a C+.  I am disappointed OL wasn't the highest priority of the draft.  I feel like round 2 was a reach, but I liked getting 2 extra picks.  It really comes down to if Carmen can play this year and be effective, personally I think back injuries are a massive risk but hopefully it was a very minor surgery  and it is a non issue.  I would be super excited about Chase if I felt like we could protect Burrow, but I don't think we did enough for anyone to feel good about the OL this year.  I think we will be the one of the worst teams in the NFL until we improve the OL.

The real kick to the nuts to me is when this season ended, the Bengals coaching staff and front office said the offseason would make fixing the OL a priority. It wasn't addressed other than the Riley Reiff signing during FA and the draft certainly didn't feel like the OL was a "priority"

[TecmoBengals]

A-, potential stud WR, new OL starter, emphasis on the O & D line, & a new starter on special teams w/ the kicker.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(05-01-2021, 08:03 PM)GodFather Wrote: The real kick to the nuts to me is when this season ended, the Bengals coaching staff and front office said the offseason would make fixing the OL a priority. It wasn't addressed other than the Riley Reiff signing during FA and the draft certainly didn't feel like the OL was a "priority"

Spain with an entire Offseason might surprise some, don't forget about him.

[Gdale_Bengal]

I put B, but because I really felt like they needed a 2nd receiver and I feel like they could have gotten a contributor in the 7th. I’m also not 100% sure I like Smith. He has good upside but it’s going to take 2 years I bet before he contributes. But I get it.

Good draft though. It’s exciting to see this kind of draft finally happen.

[Shake n Blake]

I give it a solid B-.

Like:
- Jamar Chase will likely be a star
- Nabbing a couple extra 4th rounders was nice
- We addressed both lines
- Loved getting the best K in the draft

Dislike:
- Passing on Sewell, who was clearly the best line prospect in this draft
- Trading back did burn us a bit, IMO
- The o-line depth of this draft seems like it was overrated, and we wound up with pretty mediocre prospects with some serious concerns

If you're going to pass on Sewell, we needed to nail that 2nd round lineman, and I don't think we did.

Could've had Sewell + Marshall, which would've been amazing.

[TecmoBengals]

(05-01-2021, 08:03 PM)GodFather Wrote: The real kick to the nuts to me is when this season ended, the Bengals coaching staff and front office said the offseason would make fixing the OL a priority. It wasn't addressed other than the Riley Reiff signing during FA and the draft certainly didn't feel like the OL was a "priority"

You saw the second round pick was an OL who very well might be a starting Guard this upcoming season?

[Rubekahn29]

(05-01-2021, 08:12 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: You saw the second round pick was an OL who very well might be a starting Guard this upcoming season?

There is a very good chance our line has 3 new starters this season with only Williams and Hop returning from 2020 to start the season. I’d say it was a priority.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(05-01-2021, 08:11 PM)Gdale_Bengal Wrote: I put B, but because I really felt like they needed a 2nd receiver and I feel like they could have gotten a contributor in the 7th.  I’m also not 100% sure I like Smith. He has good upside but it’s going to take 2 years I bet before he contributes. But I get it.

Good draft though. It’s exciting to see this kind of draft finally happen.

I liked Spencer Brown the best to learn behind Reiff and Jonah but D'Ante to me is even more pro ready.

He was my fall back. Might be my favorite pick of the Draft, him and Hill that late.

(05-01-2021, 08:11 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I give it a solid B-.

Like:
- Jamar Chase will likely be a star
- Nabbing a couple extra 4th rounders was nice
- We addressed both lines
- Loved getting the best K in the draft

Dislike:
- Passing on Sewell, who was clearly the best line prospect in this draft
- Trading back did burn us a bit, IMO
- The o-line depth of this draft seems like it was overrated, and we wound up with pretty mediocre prospects with some serious concerns

If you're going to pass on Sewell, we needed to nail that 2nd round lineman, and I don't think we did.

Could've had Sewell + Marshall, which would've been amazing.

If you could of told me we could of got both D'Ante Smith and Trey Hill that late I wouldn't of believed you.

If anything the depth of this draft was underrated for OL. Trey Smith going to the Chiefs in the 6th round?

Alaric Jackson lasting into the 7th? Crazy to me, these are quality OL to say the least.

(05-01-2021, 08:12 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: You saw the second round pick was an OL who very well might be a starting Guard this upcoming season?

Bet Carman starts at RG and opens up major holes for Mixon as a rookie. Also a great pass protector as he had to play OT 
against top talent in college like Chase Young and more than held his own. Don't understand the Carman hate AT ALL.

[Goalpost]

I gave it a A. Defense needed help as much as the offense. What'd we give up....400 yards rushing to Baltimore one game. We had 17 sacks last year. Yea Joe needs protected. But we can't have him chucking it up 50 times a game either trying to catch up. That's asking for injuries also.

[GodFather]

(05-01-2021, 08:09 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Spain with an entire Offseason might surprise some, don't forget about him.

I hope so, but would you bank on that this offseason? I see him as a great backup or rotating other than counting on him next season as a starter.

[GodFather]

(05-01-2021, 08:12 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: You saw the second round pick was an OL who very well might be a starting Guard this upcoming season?

No I saw a second round pick who needs developing and not a starting guard this upcoming season.

[TecmoBengals]

(05-01-2021, 08:21 PM)GodFather Wrote: No I saw a second round pick who needs developing and not a starting guard this upcoming season.

That's great, but the coaches making the decisions have already said he's competing for a starting job.