Do you trust FO to draft well?

[Luvnit2]

A lot of fans and a mocks have us taking a TE with 1st round pick. If Mayer, Kincaid and Washington are available, but Bengals draft Laporta for example. Would you accept their decision?

A lot of fans lock in on THEIR PLAYER. How do you navigate the picks when they go against your picks?

[Garrus]

Don't really have a choice. I would question the decision, but we'd just have to hope they saw something they thought was too good to risk losing.

[jj22]

I think we still need to see how they do drafting so late in the rounds. For the most part though, I think when you pick late like that you have more wiggle room for "reaches" as there isn't much difference in the prospects from 25-45 and at that point it's really just preference and fit.

I think Duke made a good point in saying when you pick late like that you have a much wider net of prospects vs when you pick in the top 5 and you really only have a couple options. Even if you may like more, you can't take them at pick 3 because of perception (GM's should be able to if they can withstand the "backlash" from the media and fans for the "reach") and all the other check marks supposedly needed to be a "top 5 pick".

[Gdale_Bengal]

They like to draft positional value. They will have 1, maybe 2 TEs they would take at 28 and if they aren’t there, look at CBS, DTs and RTs and also possible trade back scenarios or pouncing on a player that fell.

[casear2727]

(04-24-2023, 11:34 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: A lot of fans and a mocks have us taking a TE with 1st round pick. If Mayer, Kincaid and Washington are available, but Bengals draft Laporta for example. Would you accept their decision?

A lot of fans lock in on THEIR PLAYER. How do you navigate the picks when they go against your picks?

Hot Take:  I'd think LaPorta is a better fit than Washington. Any TE other than Mayer or Kincaid are not 1st Rd worthy and I wouldn't be thrilled if that happened.

[mrredneck]

(04-24-2023, 11:52 AM)Gdale_Bengal Wrote: They like to draft positional value. They will have 1, maybe 2 TEs they would take at 28 and if they aren’t there, look at CBS, DTs and RTs and also possible trade back scenarios or pouncing on a player that fell.

Taylors first year, they totally sucked at drafting, since that draft they have hit grand slams.This year  I have been all in for a stud sack rusher, figuring they's be gone, so I got enamored with a great blocking tight end, now I am excited about the damage Gibbs could do against defenses.
Playing PFN mock draft when you are waiting 5-10 minutes here or there, shows how difficult it can be to get the best player and fill out needs, would love at least 1 extra top 100 pick. 

[WeezyBengal]

Taking a TE in round 1 would be the worst decision this franchise has made in 5 years.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

Wouldn't LaPorta be a HUGE stretch at 28? Isn't he supposed to be a 2nd-3rd round pick?

Also why take another TE who can't block? They don't need an oversized WR TE, they need a TE who can do the whole job of a TE, blocking and catching.

[Stewy]

Unlike the fans and media, the FO knows what's best for the team. They have been mostly good at drafting.

A lot of people are going to be really surprised if we don't draft a TE, and frankly I don't expect they will.

[Memphis_Bengal]

(04-24-2023, 12:18 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Taking a TE in round 1 would be the worst decision this franchise has made in 5 years.

That seems overly dramatic considering we drafted Billy Proice 4 years ago. Getting a starter quality TE so we don't have to keep shopping the position every year does not seem like a bad idea to me. 

[Clark W Griswold]

I think that they will go BPA at a position they value. The only way I see them going TE or RB is if a guy they have ranked as a top 15 player falls to them.
Every team has years and picks that don’t work out and others that are steals. Just gotta hope/root for whoever they take and trust that a few of these guys become good players.
The roster is still strong so I do trust that they will make a solid choice.

[CJD]

In the last 4 drafts, since Zac Taylor has been here, there has only been 1 day 1 or 2 pick that made me say "WTF?" on draft day and that was Drew Sample.

Jonah Williams, Germaine Pratt, Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, Logan Wilson, Ja'Marr Chase, Joseph Ossai, Daxton Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt have all looked like very good (or potentially good) picks during that same time frame.

Jackson Carman looked like the 2nd WTF pick, but his playoff stint gives me hope that maybe he will be a decent tackle and just isn't suited for guard.

They've also had some fairly good day 3 picks in their time as well, with Traveon Williams, ADG, Adeniji, Bailey, Sample, Smith, McPherson, Evans, Carter, Volson, Anderson and Gunter ranging from "good picks" like ADG, McPherson and Volson to "good enough to fill out the back end of the roster" like Smith, Gunter, Bailey and Evans.

So yea, I generally trust them to draft well. I appreciate their emphasis on team leaders and production while still paying attention to athletic numbers and measurables (while not letting them completely define their draft board).

They could stand to improve, as all teams could, but drafts are 20/20 in hindsight and it's not fair to judge teams based on good players that went after their picks. It's mostly a crap shoot, after all.

If they draft someone out of left field in the first round, I may be concerned but I'd ultimately reserve judgement until they start playing games.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

Yes. I am not fanatical about positional value. I'd rather have a stud RB, TE, LB, S than a mediocre CB, OT, DE. Plus, we pick 28th. All this "You can't use a first on a TE)RB" chatter ignores the fact that this pick is more of an early 2nd anyway.

Plus, let's look at our roster at the "prime" positions:
QB: Burrow. QB2 Open/Browning
OT: Brown, Williams, Carman, Collins (Inj), Ford, Adeniji, Smith
WR: Chase, Higgins, Boyd; Irwin, Morgan Taylor
CB: Awuzie (Inj), Taylor-Britt, Hilton; Jones, George, Davis
DE: Hendrickson, Hubbard; Ossai, C. Sample, Basham, Gunter

If Chido is ready to go, and Williams isn't traded, I think the starters are locked. I am all for advanced planning and everything, with RT, WR3, and CB1 all due up next year, but a prime position guy is likely a backup this year. But TE1 & RB2 are holes right now, and they play a lot. Generally speaking, advanced planning mode/BPA kicks in once I'm cool with my starters. TE is not there yet for me. And, FWIW, NT and LB have a oot of FAs coming up as well.

It is a deep TE class, we can get a decent one Rd 2. But if we have a chance to draft a stud, we should do so. For me, guys in that category:

QB: no way we spend a 1st on a QB
RB: Robinson
WR: Smith-Njigba, Flowers
TE: Mayer, Kincaid
OT: Skoronski, Johnson, B. Jones, Wright
OG: no one worthy
C: no one worthy
DE: Wilson, Van Ness, Murphy
DT: Carter, Kancey
OLB: Anderson, N. Smith
ILB: no one worthy
CB: Witherspoon, Gonzalez, Porter, Banks, Forbes
Edit: S: no one worthy

That's 25 when you figure in 4 QBs. I'd be happy with any of those guys. Even an OLB like Smith, though the fit is iffy. Lou would figure it out. Beyond those 25, you are either reaching or trading down or taking a guy with injury/production/size/speed issues. Or going for a less desireable position.

For me, if we make the pick, beyond those 25:
RB: Gibbs
TE: Washington, LaPorta
OT: D. Jones
OG: Torrence, Avila
OC: Schmitz
DE: White
DT: Bresee
CB: Brents, Turner
Edit: S: Branch

The last 3 years have been excellent drafts, 2019 was poor.

[Soonerpeace]

(04-24-2023, 11:52 AM)Gdale_Bengal Wrote: They like to draft positional value. They will have 1, maybe 2 TEs they would take at 28 and if they aren’t there, look at CBS, DTs and RTs and also possible trade back scenarios or pouncing on a player that fell.

This. Their analytics make what’s available to us look like the old dialer phone. They know where Kincaid or Mayer will go. They can predict the picks on a nose. You are spot on sir

[Sled21]

(04-24-2023, 12:14 PM)casear2727 Wrote: Hot Take:  I'd think LaPorta is a better fit than Washington. Any TE other than Mayer or Kincaid are not 1st Rd worthy and I wouldn't be thrilled if that happened.

Everybody is overlooking Luke Musgrave. Yeah, he had the knee injury last year, but prior to that he was balling, and is the best athlete out of the whole bunch. He's probably the rawest of the top 5 Tight Ends, but he reminds me of Eifert.  Comes from a football playing and coaching family. It won't hurt my feelings at all to take him. 

Quote:Luke is the nephew of former Oregon and NFL quarterback Bill Musgrave, who has been a long-time coach at the college and NFL levels. His father, Doug, also played quarterback for two years at Oregon. Luke's journey took him to Corvallis, where he made his own path after starring at Bend Senior High School. He started once in 12 games played as a true freshman (2-18-9.0) and then three times in seven games in 2020 (12-142-11.8). Musgrave took a step forward in 2021, catching 22 passes for 304 yards (13.8 per) and a score in 13 games (nine starts). He also blocked a punt and returned it 27 yards against Utah. Musgrave started hot in 2022, catching 11 passes for 169 yards (15.4 per) and a score in two games. However, he missed the rest of the season with a knee injury. -- by Chad Reuter

[Luvnit2]

(04-24-2023, 12:25 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Wouldn't LaPorta be a HUGE stretch at 28? Isn't he supposed to be a 2nd-3rd round pick?

Also why take another TE who can't block? They don't need an oversized WR TE, they need a TE who can do the whole job of a TE, blocking and catching.

That is the point of my question. Yes according to so called draft experts and then the fans that think these experts are flawless he would be a stretch.

But if they Bengals made that type of pick (could be a lot of other stretch choices), do you trust their critiques versus your own and experts?

[depthchart]

(04-24-2023, 12:33 PM)Stewy Wrote: Unlike the fans and media, the FO knows what's best for the team.  They have been mostly good at drafting.  

A lot of people are going to be really surprised if we don't draft a TE, and frankly I don't expect they will.

.

They likely have 2nd, 3rd, 4th round guys that they really believe in at positions that help reduce the need to use the 1st round pick at those specific positions.

Last year they drafted Corner Cam Taylor Britt in round 2 after trading up for him. They had to be high on him with strong beliefs that he would be a viable round 2 option, therefore, allowing them to be less excited about the first round Corners likely to be available late in round 1.

Say they really like Sam Laporta as a round 2 option at Tight End over other round 2 options at some of the other positions. Then say they have players they have really studied for rounds 3 and 4 that they really want on their Roster at other certain positions (as they did with DT Zach Carter and Guard Cordell Volson in last year's draft)

Everything works together to help Guide the player and position they end up Targeting in round 1 based on how much they believe in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th round targets.

Fans and Mocks scream that the Bengals need a Tight End (which they do) but the FO & Staff may have a guy they really like at Tight End that is not a round 1 guy which Frees up the first round pick to be used at another position.

Best player available late in round 1 can be hard to easily determine but knowing who they want in rounds 2, 3, 4 etc can help tip the scale on the first round position/player they end up taking. 

I will trust their 1st round decision until the total picture comes in with later picks. Then give what they do a few years to see how it pans out.

[*Synric*]

I wouldn't be happy with Sam LaPorta at 28 because I don't grade him as a first round pick myself. He does fit the Bengals offense and how they like to use their TE but he is very close to Hayden Hurst as a ceiling.


Now I do see pathways for players that aren't expected to go high in the draft like Mazi Smith. I can see Smith going top 20 with how NFL teams are building their defenses. A nose tackle that can let teams play more light boxes on first and second down is becoming a big thing in the NFL passing league.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(04-24-2023, 01:26 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: That is the point of my question. Yes according to so called draft experts and then the fans that think these experts are flawless he would be a stretch.

But if they Bengals made that type of pick (could be a lot of other stretch choices), do you trust their critiques versus your own and experts?

In that case my answer is no I don't trust them if they're taking guys 1-2 rounds earlier than they are expected to go.

The Bengals don't have enough of a scouting department for them to act like they're significantly smarter than the rest of the NFL. Their drafting is generally at it's worst when they do that. Reaching for guys expected to go in later rounds because they think they know better is how they get Billy Prices, Drew Samples, and Jackson Carmans. When they follow the consensus picks is when it seems they do better.

[*ochocincos*]

(04-24-2023, 11:34 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: A lot of fans and a mocks have us taking a TE with 1st round pick. If Mayer, Kincaid and Washington are available, but Bengals draft Laporta for example. Would you accept their decision?

A lot of fans lock in on THEIR PLAYER. How do you navigate the picks when they go against your picks?

I tend to side with the draft experts if there seems to be a general consensus for a player.
But I know that you can't guarantee doing a trade-back or even that the player you are trading back hoping to get will actually still be available when you pick next, so sometimes the team does have to "reach" to get their player, even if fans/experts think they should have just waited.