CJD Pre-Combine Mock Draft 1.0

[CJD]

I know the Bengals don't usually trade down out of the first round, but the offer was just too juicy to decline. Since Arizona is at the top of the round, their 3rd round pick was almost as good as a 2nd round pick. Arizona traded up, giving me their 2nd and 3rd round picks in exchange for the 28th pick to go select O'Cyrus Torrence.
 
The three players that were there at 28 that I was considering were Anton Harrison, O'Cyrus Torrence and Nolan Smith. I ultimately decided that Smith is a bit too risky, since he is an underdeveloped pass rusher on a defense with historic talent throughout. He is also coming off of an injury and missed the end of Georgia's season (and the playoffs) and...they were fine without him. He's played for 4 years and never had more than 3.5 sacks in a single season, so I just wasn't comfortable drafting him here. Torrence I decided against because, while upgrading our LG position and making Volson the #1 back up is enticing, it's not something I think the Bengals would do willingly (they love giving their draft picks space to grow) and I don't think it's anywhere near our biggest need.
 
I could have just taken Harrison (and, had the trade down not occurred, I likely would have), but there are a lot of RTs in the 2nd round area that I was comfortable with, such as Dawand Jones and Darnell Wright, so I was comfortable risking Harrison to pick up another day 2 pick.
 
And, as luck would have it, Harrison was still there at my new first pick I got from Arizona. 
 
I like Harrison because he is big enough and strong enough to play RT, but he also has the athleticism (or is expected to, we haven’t seen him at the combine yet) to play LT if we choose to move on from Williams in 2024. He isn’t as good of a run blocker as Jones or Wright, but he may have higher upside as a pass blocker. Has good length and seems to have good technique. I think he could come in and start at RT on day one.

With my 2nd pick I chose Cam Smith, CB South Carolina. This was a tough choice because Eli Ricks and Kelee Ringo were both available as well. This will ultimately come down to preference of the coaches because Ricks is productive and physically impressive (6’2”), whereas Smith is more instinctive, which is harder to measure.  I’d be happy with either, but had to pick one, so I went with the more instinctive one that is not coming off of an injury riddled season.

With my first 3rd rounder that I acquired from Arizona, I went with Darnell Washington because we need more TE depth and he is kind of like a  6th offensive lineman in the run game. He’s still really raw as a receiver and route runner, but you can’t teach his size and speed combination and  I think he’ll help both the run and pass.

With my second 3rd rounder, I took Tyjae Spears. I know, it’s the trendy pick right now and he’ll probably end up in the 2nd round when all’s said and done, but he is the perfect complement to Samaje Perine as an elite receiving back with phenomenal speed. He could be our Isiah Pacheco.

Finally, I went with Marvin Mims in the 4th round. I really think we need another speed option in this passing attack. Chase is outstanding, but he is often double covered. If we could get some speed out of the slot, that would really stress the interior defenders of the defense and force them to make a decision about whether to come down to cover a crossing pattern from Mims or stay deep to double Chase of Higgins. I think this is the last year we have Boyd on the roster, so we need a legit replacement for slot anyway. Mims isn’t Jalin Hyatt fast, but he is still a good deep threat who has good hands and can stretch a defense both vertically and horizontally. He's dangerous in space and, as a bonus, has experience as a punt returner!
 


I know I went heavy on offense this draft but I see each and every one of these players as day 1 impact players right now. That may change if our free agency goes a certain way but, as of now, we do not have a 2nd RB behind Mixon, we don’t have a starting RT with Collins likely out for at least a portion of the season, we don’t have any TEs on the roster and we don’t have a second speed threat at WR. These next two seasons are our best chance to win a Super Bowl and our offense is what will win it for us, so I went all in here.
 
We don't need too much help on defense because they were elite this past year and we're only losing a LB (Pratt) who will likely be replaced by ADG and Bailey and a safety that will be replaced by Dax Hill. If we lose both starting safeties, then we may need to address it sooner in the draft but I find it hard to believe we don’t retain Bell. He’s just been too good for this franchise and should be relatively affordable as well.

[coachmcneil71]

(02-19-2023, 01:51 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote:

I know the Bengals don't usually trade down out of the first round, but the offer was just too juicy to decline. Since Arizona is at the top of the round, their 3rd round pick was almost as good as a 2nd round pick. Arizona traded up, giving me their 2nd and 3rd round picks in exchange for the 28th pick to go select O'Cyrus Torrence.
 
The three players that were there at 28 that I was considering were Anton Harrison, O'Cyrus Torrence and Nolan Smith. I ultimately decided that Smith is a bit too risky, since he is an underdeveloped pass rusher on a defense with historic talent throughout. He is also coming off of an injury and missed the end of Georgia's season (and the playoffs) and...they were fine without him. He's played for 4 years and never had more than 3.5 sacks in a single season, so I just wasn't comfortable drafting him here. Torrence I decided against because, while upgrading our LG position and making Volson the #1 back up is enticing, it's not something I think the Bengals would do willingly (they love giving their draft picks space to grow) and I don't think it's anywhere near our biggest need.
 
I could have just taken Harrison (and, had the trade down not occurred, I likely would have), but there are a lot of RTs in the 2nd round area that I was comfortable with, such as Dawand Jones and Darnell Wright, so I was comfortable risking Harrison to pick up another day 2 pick.
 
And, as luck would have it, Harrison was still there at my new first pick I got from Arizona. 
 
I like Harrison because he is big enough and strong enough to play RT, but he also has the athleticism (or is expected to, we haven’t seen him at the combine yet) to play LT if we choose to move on from Williams in 2024. He isn’t as good of a run blocker as Jones or Wright, but he may have higher upside as a pass blocker. Has good length and seems to have good technique. I think he could come in and start at RT on day one.

With my 2nd pick I chose Cam Smith, CB South Carolina. This was a tough choice because Eli Ricks and Kelee Ringo were both available as well. This will ultimately come down to preference of the coaches because Ricks is productive and physically impressive (6’2”), whereas Smith is more instinctive, which is harder to measure.  I’d be happy with either, but had to pick one, so I went with the more instinctive one that is not coming off of an injury riddled season.

With my first 3rd rounder that I acquired from Arizona, I went with Darnell Washington because we need more TE depth and he is kind of like a  6th offensive lineman in the run game. He’s still really raw as a receiver and route runner, but you can’t teach his size and speed combination and  I think he’ll help both the run and pass.

With my second 3rd rounder, I took Tyjae Spears. I know, it’s the trendy pick right now and he’ll probably end up in the 2nd round when all’s said and done, but he is the perfect complement to Samaje Perine as an elite receiving back with phenomenal speed. He could be our Isiah Pacheco.

Finally, I went with Marvin Mims in the 4th round. I really think we need another speed option in this passing attack. Chase is outstanding, but he is often double covered. If we could get some speed out of the slot, that would really stress the interior defenders of the defense and force them to make a decision about whether to come down to cover a crossing pattern from Mims or stay deep to double Chase of Higgins. I think this is the last year we have Boyd on the roster, so we need a legit replacement for slot anyway. Mims isn’t Jalin Hyatt fast, but he is still a good deep threat who has good hands and can stretch a defense both vertically and horizontally. He's dangerous in space and, as a bonus, has experience as a punt returner!
 


I know I went heavy on offense this draft but I see each and every one of these players as day 1 impact players right now. That may change if our free agency goes a certain way but, as of now, we do not have a 2nd RB behind Mixon, we don’t have a starting RT with Collins likely out for at least a portion of the season, we don’t have any TEs on the roster and we don’t have a second speed threat at WR. These next two seasons are our best chance to win a Super Bowl and our offense is what will win it for us, so I went all in here.
 
We don't need too much help on defense because they were elite this past year and we're only losing a LB (Pratt) who will likely be replaced by ADG and Bailey and a safety that will be replaced by Dax Hill. If we lose both starting safeties, then we may need to address it sooner in the draft but I find it hard to believe we don’t retain Bell. He’s just been too good for this franchise and should be relatively affordable as well.

The three players that were there at 28 that I was considering were Anton Harrison, O'Cyrus Torrence and Nolan Smith. I ultimately decided that Smith is a bit too risky, since he is an underdeveloped pass rusher on a defense with historic talent throughout. He is also coming off of an injury and missed the end of Georgia's season (and the playoffs) and...they were fine without him. He's played for 4 years and never had more than 3.5 sacks in a single season, so I just wasn't comfortable drafting him here. Torrence I decided against because, while upgrading our LG position and making Volson the #1 back up is enticing, it's not something I think the Bengals would do willingly (they love giving their draft picks space to grow) and I don't think it's anywhere near our biggest need.

I could have just taken Harrison (and, had the trade down not occurred, I likely would have), but there are a lot of RTs in the 2nd round area that I was comfortable with, such as Dawand Jones and Darnell Wright, so I was comfortable risking Harrison to pick up another day 2 pick.

And, as luck would have it, Harrison was still there at my new first pick I got from Arizona. 

Great mock! Good analysis. The only thing that about the post that I would disagree with is your assessment of Pacheco.  Pacheco is not some scat back, that's McKinnon. Pacheco is a power back with some wiggle. He's rated as a PB on Madden 23 for a reason. That said, best mock I've read on the board thus far.

[CJD]

(02-19-2023, 02:27 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Great mock! Good analysis. The only thing that about the post that I would disagree with is your assessment of Pacheco.  Pacheco is not some scat back, that's McKinnon. Pacheco is a power back with some wiggle. He's rated as a PB on Madden 23 for a reason. That said, best mock I've read on the board thus far.

Oh, my mistake. I didn't know much about Pacheco other than what I saw from him in the games we played and he seemed like an outside runner / receiving threat (he had 6 receptions for 75 yards in the two games against us), but now that I look at his stats, that was like a third of his receiving production all year, so maybe we just didn't know what to do with him haha. 

But, either way I love what Spears could bring to this offense, whether we keep Mixon and let Perine go, re-sign Perine and let Mixon go or just let both of them go (but, if we did that, we probably need to do something else, whether it be in the draft or in free agency). He'd be a great addition to the team and would add a layer of explosion that we currently lack in the offense (a check down target that could make a defender miss and grab 10 to 20 yards).

Thanks for the comments and kind words!

[coachmcneil71]

(02-19-2023, 02:40 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Oh, my mistake. I didn't know much about Pacheco other than what I saw from him in the games we played and he seemed like an outside runner / receiving threat (he had 6 receptions for 75 yards in the two games against us), but now that I look at his stats, that was like a third of his receiving production all year, so maybe we just didn't know what to do with him haha. 

But, either way I love what Spears could bring to this offense, whether we keep Mixon and let Perine go, re-sign Perine and let Mixon go or just let both of them go (but, if we did that, we probably need to do something else, whether it be in the draft or in free agency). He'd be a great addition to the team and would add a layer of explosion that we currently lack in the offense (a check down target that could make a defender miss and grab 10 to 20 yards).

Thanks for the comments and kind words!

I watched some of the Senior Bowl practice sessions and Spears clearly stood out ahead of the other RBs. He was the best back at the SB. Getting him and Washinton where you did was great! I'm glad that you didn't go with Ringo at CB. Great talent, but too much of a gambler imo. 

[CJD]

(02-19-2023, 02:56 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: I watched some of the Senior Bowl practice sessions and Spears clearly stood out ahead of the other RBs. He was the best back at the SB. Getting him and Washinton where you did was great! I'm glad that you didn't go with Ringo at CB. Great talent, but too much of a gambler imo. 

Yea, Ringo was my least favorite of the options because of that. We don't need more CBs jumping sluggo routes when they have no safety help haha.

[OSUfan]

Excellent first round selection. Harrison has great feet, power, and athleticism. His pass protection could be the best of all the OTs in this draft class. While he is not a devastating run blocker he gets the job done and at the end of the day that is what counts. He transitions well when it comes to picking up stunts and he seems to always be looking for work when his assignment has been taken care of. There are going to be those what will tell you in a certain situation he should have blocked this way rather than that way but at the end of the day his man does not touch the QB.

There are CBs that I like better than Cam Smith but it is still a good selection that fits what this franchise needs and is a value selection at this point.

[WhoDeyK]

Sometimes these PFF grades make me laugh. Smith a B in round 2 and Washington a C in round 3??? I need to have a talk with my employer. Lol This draft would be a haul! Huge Washington fan and Harrison at the beginning of Round 2 would be solid. Definitely hit several areas of need. My only “knock” on this is I think the simulator gave you three first rounders. I don’t see Smith or Washington making it to either of those spots but I’d be very happy if they did.

[*Synric*]

(02-19-2023, 01:51 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: With my 2nd pick I chose Cam Smith, CB South Carolina. This was a tough choice because Eli Ricks and Kelee Ringo were both available as well. This will ultimately come down to preference of the coaches because Ricks is productive and physically impressive (6’2”), whereas Smith is more instinctive, which is harder to measure.  I’d be happy with either, but had to pick one, so I went with the more instinctive one that is not coming off of an injury riddled season.

Considering Ricks and Ringo are both bump and run corners Cam Smith fits Cincy's 70% zone defense better. Alot of the "top corners" this year are going to have a big learning curve because the NFL is a zone dominated league right now.

[CJD]

(02-19-2023, 08:30 PM)WhoDeyK Wrote: Sometimes these PFF grades make me laugh. Smith a B in round 2 and Washington a C in round 3??? I need to have a talk with my employer. Lol This draft would be a haul! Huge Washington fan and Harrison at the beginning of Round 2 would be solid. Definitely hit several areas of need. My only “knock” on this is I think the simulator gave you three first rounders. I don’t see Smith or Washington making it to either of those spots but I’d be very happy if they did.

Yea, this early in the draft process every mock draft simulator has different grades on different players. I was surprised both Smith and Washington were there. That's why I did mention Ricks and Ringo, who were available in the 2nd round, just to give an idea of who else I would be considering if Smith weren't there.

Washington in the third does seem silly considering he is getting first round hype right now, but raw receiving tight ends can fall in the draft sometimes. A good example of this would be Jelani Woods from last year. He was also a mountain of a man (6'7" 255 lbs), whose biggest knock was lack of production as a receiver, like Washington.

I will say that Washington is a better prospect because he's already an elite run blocker, whereas Woods merely projected as a good run blocker but Woods went in the third round (73rd overall), so I thought it wasn't insane that Washington was still there at 66. If he wasn't, I don't think I'd take Tucker Kraft, the next Tight End available, but I also had my eye on Jalin Hyatt as that speedy slot receiver, another player PFF has available down there for whatever reason (I think he could go in the first. He'd be a lock for the first round if Al Davis were still alive  ). I also could have gone pass rusher like Derick Hall or IOL with Joe Tippman and left TE for day 3 with someone like Josh Whyle or Luke Schoonmaker. Lots of options to choose from early in the 3rd. This is such a deep draft class (tight end is especially deep this year with like 5 day 1 or day 2 options.

The grades they give in the simulator are also pretty stupid haha. This was an A+ draft at every single pick for me :). There wasn't a single time I thought "ugh, I don't like any of these options." It felt like a slam dunk at every pick, so I had a good laugh at the simulator giving me just a B+.

[CJD]

(02-19-2023, 06:28 PM)OSUfan Wrote: Excellent first round selection. Harrison has great feet, power, and athleticism. His pass protection could be the best of all the OTs in this draft class. While he is not a devastating run blocker he gets the job done and at the end of the day that is what counts. He transitions well when it comes to picking up stunts and he seems to always be looking for work when his assignment has been taken care of. There are going to be those what will tell you in a certain situation he should have blocked this way rather than that way but at the end of the day his man does not touch the QB.

There are CBs that I like better than Cam Smith but it is still a good selection that fits what this franchise needs and is a value selection at this point.

Harrison is probably my ideal first round pick at this point. He's got the LT/RT flexibility, his specialty is pass blocking (which is my top priority for OTs) and he has played well in a big conference so there isn't as much projection required for him. We'll have to see how the draft process shakes out because I would also like Dawand Jones, but would prefer him in the 2nd. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable taking an "Only RT" prospect in the first round, but if he's dominant there, it may be worth it anyway. I feel the same way about Darnell Wright. Great prospect, would prefer to wait until the 2nd because I don't think he an play on the left side. We'll have to see how these guys test though. Maybe one of these guys will surprise us and shoot up the draft board.

Which cornerbacks do you like better than Smith? I really like Forbes too, but he would probably require our first round pick. It's still early in the process though so who knows where these guys will ultimately end up going.

(02-19-2023, 09:11 PM)Synric Wrote: Considering Ricks and Ringo are both bump and run corners Cam Smith fits Cincy's 70% zone defense better. Alot of the "top corners" this year are going to have a big learning curve because the NFL is a zone dominated league right now.

Cornerback is one of those positions where it's hard to know how well a guy who played mostly man in college will transition to a zone defense and vice versa. I was glad to have Smith available who I think probably has more experience in our style of defense, but I think Ricks has the capability to play in a zone scheme as well. He's showed he has the instincts. He just didn't have to show it as much in college.

[OSUfan]

(02-20-2023, 01:00 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Harrison is probably my ideal first round pick at this point. He's got the LT/RT flexibility, his specialty is pass blocking (which is my top priority for OTs) and he has played well in a big conference so there isn't as much projection required for him. We'll have to see how the draft process shakes out because I would also like Dawand Jones, but would prefer him in the 2nd. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable taking an "Only RT" prospect in the first round, but if he's dominant there, it may be worth it anyway. I feel the same way about Darnell Wright. Great prospect, would prefer to wait until the 2nd because I don't think he an play on the left side. We'll have to see how these guys test though. Maybe one of these guys will surprise us and shoot up the draft board.

Which cornerbacks do you like better than Smith? I really like Forbes too, but he would probably require our first round pick. It's still early in the process though so who knows where these guys will ultimately end up going.


Cornerback is one of those positions where it's hard to know how well a guy who played mostly man in college will transition to a zone defense and vice versa. I was glad to have Smith available who I think probably has more experience in our style of defense, but I think Ricks has the capability to play in a zone scheme as well. He's showed he has the instincts. He just didn't have to show it as much in college.

This is a CB heavy draft I do believe and I think there are going to be some really good corners come out of this class. I would not say for sure that I like most of them better than Cam rather equally. A guy I find intriguing is Ricks but I am gun shy about him after Fitzpatrick. I guess I temper that with the fact that he played at LSU as well. It seems that the corners in this draft overall have really good size and length to them. One of my favorites that could be around for us is Deonte Banks from Maryland and another we should have a shot at late is Jaylon Jones from A&M.

I would be thrilled with Harrison at #28 and I would consider it best case scenario. I personally like him better than both Skoronski and Broderick Jones due to his pass blocking abilities.