CNN's 2024 Mock Draft 3.0!

[BFritz21]

The signing of Trent Brown makes the first round pick a no-brainer, IMCO, and it falls in line with exactly what I've wanted all along!

Now, we can upgrade our weapons, while not relying on a rookie to protect Burrow, and we can let Burrow dominate the league!

1. Brock Bowers

No surprise here and I don't mean to go back into everything, but Bowers makes our offense absolutely unstoppable! Bowers up the seam or over the middle occupies at least one safety because a backer can't single cover him, so who do you have left to cover Chase? The other safety? That leaves a lot of field open for Higgins and whoever our #2 receiver is, and not to mention that you're leaving the defense vulnerable to the ground game with Moss in the mix, and not to mention guys like Chase Brown!

He comes up with big catches in traffic, takes hits, and comes up big in big moments with the spotlight on him. That's who I want paired with Burrow.

Like I said, this is a no-brainer for me and it's a pick not based off of emotion, although it does get me excited.

We might need to trade Higgins to move up a few spots to get him before the Colts at 15. The Jets and Titans could take him but the top ten is too early to draft him, IMCO.

2. T'Vondre Sweat Texas

Everything's bigger in Texas!

We need d-line help with Reader gone and Sweat is the guy we need. He definitely needs to improve his pass rush, but he has shown potential and I'm not too worried about that coming from out nose because he eats up double teams and is a solid run stuffer, so I have faith that he can improve on his areas of weakness and become more complete.

3. Cooper Beebe OG Kansas State

Keep improving Burrow's protection while also helping open holes for Moss and Brown. I love this guy on tape because he's the beast that we need in the middle. Lock down the line.

3b. Grayson Murphy Edge UCLA

We need pass rushers off the edge because you can never have too many. He was impressive in practice at the Senior Bowl, which practice hard, play hard, and it also means that he's trying to improve. He does well one-on-one. We need pass rushers because, since we'll finally be able to protect Burrow, teams will have to throw to play catch-up or keep-up with us.

4. NEHEMIAH PRITCHETT Corner Auburn

Good mover and can cover downfield or in the slot. Shores up an area of weakness.

5. Javon Baker WR

Gaining traction and I think he could be good for us.

I'd love Rice here, but I think he'll be long gone.

I gotta go wave to cars shortly, so I'll finish later, but let me know what you think!

[pulses]

Not gonna draft Bowers when we need an OT and you didnt even draft one SMH.

[BFritz21]

(03-19-2024, 10:09 PM)pulses Wrote: Not gonna draft Bowers when we need an OT and you didnt even draft one SMH.

We just signed Trent Brown. Bowers value is too good to use the pick on a backup tackle.

[pulses]

(03-19-2024, 11:51 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: We just signed Trent Brown. Bowers value is too good to use the pick on a backup tackle.

Brown is signed for ONE YEAR and he's been known to not stay healthy give me a break....

[BFritz21]

(03-20-2024, 12:28 AM)pulses Wrote: Brown is signed for ONE YEAR  and he's been known to not stay healthy give me a break....

Ever heard of a stop-gap?

You should stop posting on emotion.

[Hammerstripes]

For starters, I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell that Bowers is around when we pick - and we definitely won't be moving up for him. The team just doesn't value the position enough to take one high.

Brown's signing doesn't really move the needle as far as draft needs go. The Bengals have a habit of drafting with the future in mind. Signing a guy to a 1 year deal isn't going to change their plans.

They'll go best player available. If one of the higher rated OTs is on the board I could see them going there, but if 5 or 6 have already come off, I could easily see DT as the pick as long as Murphy or Newton is still around.

I think they would go WR before they go TE.

[XenoMorph]

(03-20-2024, 08:05 AM)Hammerstripes Wrote: For starters, I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell that Bowers is around when we pick - and we definitely won't be moving up for him.  The team just doesn't value the position enough to take one high.

Brown's signing doesn't really move the needle as far as draft needs go.  The Bengals have a habit of drafting with the future in mind.  Signing a guy to a 1 year deal isn't going to change their plans.

They'll go best player available.  If one of the higher rated OTs is on the board I could see them going there, but if 5 or 6 have already come off, I could easily see DT as the pick as long as Murphy or Newton is still around.

I think they would go WR before they go TE.

WE have picked up TEs in the first round before.     if he falls to us and is BPA i can see us picking him up hes a pretty good receiver  in his own right..     with out big ol we might go more 2 TE sets as well if higgins and boyd leave

OT is still a big need.. and believe we draft on the first 2 days. if not @ 18

[SunsetBengal]

Two of the first 5 picks likely should be OL. The others should be NT, WR, CB.

[CJD]

I love Sweat in the 2nd. It's the pick I make every time I do a mock draft when he's available. He fills the biggest glaring weakness on this team; a good run stopping NT.

Bowers, however, I doubt occurs for a variety of reasons.
1. He likely isn't there. Most evaluations consider there to be 5 to 6 "blue chip" talents in this draft class and Bowers is one of them. Him making it to 18 would be quite shocking, even with the depressed value of the position.

2. I just don't think the Bengals particularly value the TE position. We've been getting by with 1 year deals at TE for the last 3 years + Drew Sample. Joe targets the open player rather than over targetting a certain player, so the idea of a TE being a safety valve doesn't really apply to him too much. They had many opportunities to upgrade the TE position in last year's draft and simply chose not to. I'd be surprised if they changed course and did so here.

3. We simply have much bigger needs than TE. Bowers would be a luxury pick when we literally don't have a NT, nor do we have a starting RT past 2024. The Bengals' recent history has been to draft an heir in the first round that can sit and learn for a year behind a player on an expiring deal. Dax Hill was drafted with the intention of replacing Jessie Bates. Myles Murphy was drafted with the intention of eventually replacing either Hubbard or Hendrickson. I think it's likely they do the same with a RT behind Trent Brown. Especially considering Brown, in his 8 years of starting (not counting his rookie year), he only played a full season 3 times, with his average games played per season sitting at 11.9 games per season. Hopefully, he stays healthy, but we can't rely on it, especially with the only player behind him being Jackson Carman, who is a truly failed experiment at RT. 5 games is a lot of time that we could potentially have a terrible RT. In both 2021 and 2022, we were undone by our lack of depth on the Oline. In the 2023 AFC championship game, our starting Oline was Jackson Carman, Cordell Volson, Ted Karras, Max Scharping, Hakeem Adeniji. It's honestly amazing that we stayed within 3 points with that line. Having a capable back up for RT that can step in and be a quality starter if and when Brown gets injured could mean the difference between being the #1 seed and being a wild card team in 2024, and it could mean the difference between getting to the Super Bowl and failing in Kansas City again.

I love the idea of having a dynamic weapon like Bowers in this offense. I just think there are too many barriers in its way to becoming a reality.

[*ochocincos*]

(03-20-2024, 12:28 AM)pulses Wrote: Brown is signed for ONE YEAR  and he's been known to not stay healthy give me a break....

(03-20-2024, 12:38 AM)BFritz21 Wrote:

Ever heard of a stop-gap?

You should stop posting on emotion.

While Brown covers the immediate need for this year, his backups are Cody Ford, Jackson Carman, and D'Ante Smith.
I don't believe anyone wants to see any of those guys actually have to play any snaps at RT if Brown were to go down.
Also, all 4 of the OTs are in final year under contract.
I think it makes sense to get an OT who can be ready to take over the reins this year or at latest start of next year.

If Bengals could guarantee RT is set through 2025 and beyond though, I'm all for Bowers and Sweat, as I like them both.

[JoeyB2023]

(03-19-2024, 10:09 PM)pulses Wrote: Not gonna draft Bowers when we need an OT and you didnt even draft one SMH.

Agree with this whole heartedly. I don’t even think we take bowers if he’s there I bet we trade back with offers coming in for him. We have 3 signed under contract tight ends in a much improved tight end room with the addition of Gesicki and the two vets coming back to another year with the system. We’re not going bowers. We don’t highlight the tight end in our offense why would we spend a first round selection in him it’s stupid imo. Trent brown is only good when healthy. We almost must go offensive tackle at 18. Take a tight end with ur last pick if I hVe to but all this bowers talks. Makes me chuckle. We need olineman and defensive lineman and corners and wide receivers. Not tight end lol we have two solid ones and 1 potential real good one. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy lmao
No to this imco

[JoeyB2023]

(03-20-2024, 08:37 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: WE have picked up TEs in the first round before.     if he falls to us and is BPA i can see us picking him up hes a pretty good receiver  in his own right..     with out big ol we might go more 2 TE sets as well if higgins and boyd leave

OT is still a big need.. and believe we draft on the first 2 days. if not @ 18

Yes when it was the dalton era and we only were gonna win if we gave him massive weapons at every position. U don’t need to do that with burrow u have to simply protect him. Everyone caught up in this dalton era immaturely just wanting weapon and weapons and weapons like we still have nobody at qb lol. Burrow don’t need nothing but chase a running back and a offensive line.

[BFritz21]

To everyone saying we don't use the tight end enough to validate taking one in the first, we've never had a tight end of Bowers' caliber.

Also my points about occupying a safety and backers and not having to look all the way to the other side of the field to throw to Higgins.

I also disagree with drafting a player in the first that will sit for a year when we have a roster built to win now and Bowers would boost our offense by so much.

Most likely, we can find a player in a later round or (my preference) someone will get cut that can serve as a quality backup.

[XenoMorph]

(03-20-2024, 12:08 PM)JoeyB2023 Wrote: Yes when it was the dalton era and we only were gonna win if we gave him massive weapons at every position.  U don’t need to do that with burrow u have to simply protect him.  Everyone caught up in this dalton era immaturely just wanting weapon and weapons and weapons like we still have nobody at qb lol. Burrow don’t need nothing but chase a running back and a offensive line.

TEs also can stay in to help block...  So they fit into the protect burrow lane

[kalibengal]

(03-20-2024, 08:05 AM)Hammerstripes Wrote: For starters, I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell that Bowers is around when we pick - and we definitely won't be moving up for him.  The team just doesn't value the position enough to take one high.

Brown's signing doesn't really move the needle as far as draft needs go.  The Bengals have a habit of drafting with the future in mind.  Signing a guy to a 1 year deal isn't going to change their plans.

They'll go best player available.  If one of the higher rated OTs is on the board I could see them going there, but if 5 or 6 have already come off, I could easily see DT as the pick as long as Murphy or Newton is still around.

I think they would go WR before they go TE.

Write this down. Bowers will be catching passes from Justin Herbert come Sept. 

[Hammerstripes]

(03-20-2024, 12:28 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: To everyone saying we don't use the tight end enough to validate taking one in the first, we've never had a tight end of Bowers' caliber.

Also my points about occupying a safety and backers and not having to look all the way to the other side of the field to throw to Higgins.

I also disagree with drafting a player in the first that will sit for a year when we have a roster built to win now and Bowers would boost our offense by so much.

Most likely, we can find a player in a later round or (my preference) someone will get cut that can serve as a quality backup.

It's not because of talent, Taylor just doesn't use one enough in his scheme.  I would love to have him, but I don't think they really even consider it if Newton, Murphy and one of the top tackles is around.  They could also even go WR before TE if the right one falls.

I said to myself when the comp pick got fixed - that pick is going to be a TE.

[Cosmokramer]

We aren’t gonna trade up to get Bowers, as stated before the bengals just don’t value a TE, and honestly I don’t blame them. We need a TE as an extra blocker and the occasional weapon. Especially after the Flop of Kyle pitts regardless of the QB situation in Atlanta.

[BFritz21]

(03-20-2024, 06:49 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: It's not because of talent, Taylor just doesn't use one enough in his scheme.  I would love to have him, but I don't think they really even consider it if Newton, Murphy and one of the top tackles is around.  They could also even go WR before TE if the right one falls.

I said to myself when the comp pick got fixed - that pick is going to be a TE.

But we've never had a tight end of Bowers' quality. Taylor's not going to let his talent's go to waste just because he hasn't used a tight end much before, especially if/when Bowers and Burrow develop a connection and chemistry in practice. 

When Taylor sees Bowers catching everything on backers and safeties in one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills, he's going to know that we have a great weapon.

I also have to think that other coaches would be influencing him to use Bowers more.

[Hammerstripes]

(03-20-2024, 08:33 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: But we've never had a tight end of Bowers' quality. Taylor's not going to let his talent's go to waste just because he hasn't used a tight end much before, especially if/when Bowers and Burrow develop a connection and chemistry in practice. 

When Taylor sees Bowers catching everything on backers and safeties in one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills, he's going to know that we have a great weapon.

I also have to think that other coaches would be influencing him to use Bowers more.

We have - Tyler Eifert..

But that was with the old coaches.  We'll see, but I'll still stand by the 3rd rounder.  Most of the time the top tight end drafted isn't the best tight end in the NFL

It's kinda the chicken and the egg. Do we not use a tight end because we don't have one or do we not have one because we don't place a high level of importance on it? We had a major hole last year at TE and we still didn't draft one. I don't think this year is going to be the year when we have so many other needs and not so much at TE.

[BFritz21]

(03-20-2024, 09:42 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: We have - Tyler Eifert..

But that was with the old coaches.  We'll see, but I'll still stand by the 3rd rounder.  Most of the time the top tight end drafted isn't the best tight end in the NFL

It's kinda the chicken and the egg.  Do we not use a tight end because we don't have one or do we not have one because we don't place a high level of importance on it?  We had a major hole last year at TE and we still didn't draft one.  I don't think this year is going to be the year when we have so many other needs and not so much at TE.

I respect your opinion but I just think that Eifert was more of a receiver whereas Bowers is a more of a physical tight end (I mean that in the way of a receiving tight end). 

Eifert also had all those injuries, which I think derailed his career and never let him reach his potential.