Bengals Analysis: Miller's 7 round Mock at ESPN

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

Is mostly a train wreck for us in my view after a good start.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/insider/story/_/id/44392562/mock-2025-nfl-draft-seven-rounds-257-picks-matt-miller

1. #17. Nick Emmanawori, S, South Carolina.

Great pick. Tgere are no tumbling blue-chplers that fall. Walker, Warren, Membou, W. Campbell, Jeanty, and Will Johnson are all off the board. Carter, Hunter, & Graham too, of course. J. Campbell, Green, Loveland, and Barron are also gone. The choice here comes down to one of the safeties (Emmanwori or Starks), one of the DTs (Nolen, Harmon, Granr), or a DE/Edge (Stewart, M. Williams, Pearce).

Miller gets it right here. I'd be OK with Starks oe a DT. I want to avoid that edge trio like the plague.

2. #49. James Pearce, Edge/OLB, Tennessee.

Barf. After the Jermaine Burton experience, I don't want any part of a Day 2 pick with head issues. Yes, talent wise, he might be the best in the board. Again, no other obvious Rd1 types fell: Nolen, Grant, & Harmon are gone. Watts as well. Jackson, Zabel, & Booker at guard. Conerly as a tackle to guard conversion. Both OSU RBs. Schwesinger at LB, and most of the late Rd1 corner types, TE Mason Taylor, and Egbuka all gone.

Who is left that I'd prefer?

1) Any of the DE's: Scourton  L.Jackson, JTT, Sawyer.
2) DT Alexander from Toledo, DT Robinson, Nebraska.
3) OG Tate Ratledge, Georgia.
4) CB: Revel, Morrison, Porter

My pick: (assuming a G is FA): Revel, CB, East Carolina. I trust in the DL depth.

3) #81. Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville.

Miller thinks Riley is Hilton's replacement. Not getting that is Dax Hill. So using a Day 2 pick on a backup slot corner does not seem wise to me.

I took Revel, so don't need a corner. Options:

DE: Sawyer, JTT, Stewart, Gillotte, Burch
DT: Sanders, Turner, Phillips
OG: Frazier, LSU
OT/G: Savanaiiaea, Arizona

Some decent S and LB still there. TE Ferguson gone.

My pick: Savaiinaea. I move him to LG starter and OT backup.

4. #119. Harold Fanin, TE/HB, Bowling Green.

Seems moronic to draft a pass carching TE when we just locked up Gesicki (and Hudson).

Cam Skattebo and TE Mitchell Evans are tempting here. As is LB Chris Paul and OT Brown from Kansas. But I still spy a top 10 DE Zour there. Ditto OG Gray if I still need a tacllkle, but I do not.

My pick: DE Ashton Gillotte, Louisville.

5) #153. Bru McCoy, WR, Tennessee.

I don't hate WR here, and I fear the DT train has left the building. LB and S are still in play. As is RB and an in-line TE.

DT CJ West fronlm Indiana is available. As are safeties Castro from Iowa and Sanker from Virginia. OT's Pierce (Rutgers) and Coenelius (Oregon) are there, but I think my Savaiinaea pick covers OT, too. With my other G in FA assumed, I have OBJ, Savaiinaaea, Karras, FA G, Mims; Patrick, Ford, and Lee as my top 8. With Savaiinaea as OT3 and Ford as OT4. I pass in OT for now. Decent RBs around, but

My pick: WR Tez Johnson, Oregon.

That level of speed/explosiveness is something our receiving corps lacks outside of Chase. With Chase, Tee, Yoshi, and Gesicki, Johnson does not have to be an every down guy. So my durability concerns are minimal.

6) #193. Jonah Monheim, C, USC.

This is a good pick within Miller's draft context. But for me, with Karras in the fold, Monheim seems redundant with Patrick AND Lee as backup IOL who can play C & more spots. So I look elsewhere.

I have whiffed at DT so far. Ditto LB & TE & RB. Lachey is there. Kiser & Simon at LB. Slater at G. But so is Nick Martin at LB. Looks like a 3rd down backer to me. And we have shown repeated interest.

My pick: LB Nick Martin, Oklahoma State.

1. #17. Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
2. #49. Revel, CB, East Carolina
3. #81. Savaiinaea, OG/T, Arizona. 
4. #119. Gillotte, DE, Louisville
5. #153. Johnson, WR, Oregon 
6. #193. Martin, LB, Oklahoma State


I have whiffed on DT, TE, and RB. My draft/FA allows me to release Volson & Moss, whereupon I use that $$ to try and land Calais Campbell.

TE1 search goes on. Pratt & Stone stay. Search for RB3 as an UDFA or post draft release. Despite my beating the drum on trenches, I go DBs 1&2. 

QB: Burrow; Browning 
RB: C. Brown; Perine, FA RB3 
WR: Chase, Higgins, Iosivas; Johnson, C. Jones, I. Williams
TE: D. Sample; Gesicki, Grandy, Hudson 
OT: OBJ, Mims; Ford (OT/G) 
OG: Savaiinaea (G/OT), FA RG; Patrick (G/C), Kirkland (G/T)
C: Karras (C/G); Lee ©T/G)
---------------
DE: Hendrickson, Ossai; Murphy, Gillotte, C. Johnson, C. Sample (DE/DT): 
DT: BJ Hill, Slaton; Campbell, Jenkins, Jackson 
LB: L. Wilson, Pratt; Burks, Heyward, Martin 
CB: CTB, Turner, D. Hill; Revel, Newton, Ivey
-----------
PK: McPherson 
P: Rehkow 
LS: Adomitis 
------
IR: All (maybe Revel). 

M. Wilson, McLachlan, and Njongmeta to the PS if I can slip them through. Cochran & Stueber as well. J. Davis. 

[puddycat]

1) OMG, can we trade down in Rd. 1? If not I lean Starks as the "safest pick in the draft" and who I trust playing deep. I know starks can play SS, but can Emmanwori play free?
2) Bengals should skip Pearce pick to the podium; I don't have the same worries you do about a 3rd down specialist. I also really like the Revel pick with Hill and CTB in the last years of their respective contracts.
3) Already have a safety or Winston would be the pick here. Next choice would be Stewart, but took Pearce in Round 2. Norman-Lott avail? If not, Savaiinaea is good; I might be tempted by Trapillo as a swing tackle since OBrown and Mims seem likely to miss games.
4) I also have no use for a TE who isn't going to see the field. CJ West is the pick unless Normal-Lott was in Rd.3 Trapillo or Belton at OT possible, as is the Kansas CB if Revel not picked.
5) With 2 picks left there's still a major need at OG and needs at RB, LB.

[sandwedge]

Using the players you have listed in each round, here is mine.

#17 Emmanwori S
#49 Ratledge RG
# 81 Savanaiinaea LG
# 119 Ashton Gillotte DE
#153 CJ West DT
#193 Cody Simon LB

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(03-27-2025, 12:23 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Is mostly a train wreck for us in my view after a good start.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/insider/story/_/id/44392562/mock-2025-nfl-draft-seven-rounds-257-picks-matt-miller

1. #17. Nick Emmanawori, S, South Carolina.

Great pick. Tgere are no tumbling blue-chplers that fall. Walker, Warren, Membou, W. Campbell, Jeanty, and Will Johnson are all off the board. Carter, Hunter, & Graham too, of course. J. Campbell, Green, Loveland, and Barron are also gone. The choice here comes down to one of the safeties (Emmanwori or Starks), one of the DTs (Nolen, Harmon, Granr), or a DE/Edge (Stewart, M. Williams, Pearce).

Miller gets it right here. I'd be OK with Starks oe a DT. I want to avoid that edge trio like the plague.

2. #49. James Pearce, Edge/OLB, Tennessee.

Barf. After the Jermaine Burton experience, I don't want any part of a Day 2 pick with head issues. Yes, talent wise, he might be the best in the board. Again, no other obvious Rd1 types fell: Nolen, Grant, & Harmon are gone. Watts as well. Jackson, Zabel, & Booker at guard. Conerly as a tackle to guard conversion. Both OSU RBs. Schwesinger at LB, and most of the late Rd1 corner types, TE Mason Taylor, and Egbuka all gone.

Who is left that I'd prefer?

1) Any of the DE's: Scourton  L.Jackson, JTT, Sawyer.
2) DT Alexander from Toledo, DT Robinson, Nebraska.
3) OG Tate Ratledge, Georgia.
4) CB: Revel, Morrison, Porter

My pick: (assuming a G is FA): Revel, CB, East Carolina. I trust in the DL depth.

3) #81. Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville.

Miller thinks Riley is Hilton's replacement. Not getting that is Dax Hill. So using a Day 2 pick on a backup slot corner does not seem wise to me.

I took Revel, so don't need a corner. Options:

DE: Sawyer, JTT, Stewart, Gillotte, Burch
DT: Sanders, Turner, Phillips
OG: Frazier, LSU
OT/G: Savanaiiaea, Arizona

Some decent S and LB still there. TE Ferguson gone.

My pick: Savaiinaea. I move him to LG starter and OT backup.

4. #119. Harold Fanin, TE/HB, Bowling Green.

Seems moronic to draft a pass carching TE when we just locked up Gesicki (and Hudson).

Cam Skattebo and TE Mitchell Evans are tempting here. As is LB Chris Paul and OT Brown from Kansas. But I still spy a top 10 DE Zour there. Ditto OG Gray if I still need a tacllkle, but I do not.

My pick: DE Ashton Gillotte, Louisville.

5) #153. Bru McCoy, WR, Tennessee.

I don't hate WR here, and I fear the DT train has left the building. LB and S are still in play. As is RB and an in-line TE.

DT CJ West fronlm Indiana is available. As are safeties Castro from Iowa and Sanker from Virginia. OT's Pierce (Rutgers) and Coenelius (Oregon) are there, but I think my Savaiinaea pick covers OT, too. With my other G in FA assumed, I have OBJ, Savaiinaaea, Karras, FA G, Mims; Patrick, Ford, and Lee as my top 8. With Savaiinaea as OT3 and Ford as OT4. I pass in OT for now. Decent RBs around, but

My pick: WR Tez Johnson, Oregon.

That level of speed/explosiveness is something our receiving corps lacks outside of Chase. With Chase, Tee, Yoshi, and Gesicki, Johnson does not have to be an every down guy. So my durability concerns are minimal.

6) #193. Jonah Monheim, C, USC.

This is a good pick within Miller's draft context. But for me, with Karras in the fold, Monheim seems redundant with Patrick AND Lee as backup IOL who can play C & more spots. So I look elsewhere.

I have whiffed at DT so far. Ditto LB & TE & RB. Lachey is there. Kiser & Simon at LB. Slater at G. But so is Nick Martin at LB. Looks like a 3rd down backer to me. And we have shown repeated interest.

My pick: LB Nick Martin, Oklahoma State.

1. #17. Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
2. #49. Revel, CB, East Carolina
3. #81. Savaiinaea, OG/T, Arizona. 
4. #119. Gillotte, DE, Louisville
5. #153. Johnson, WR, Oregon 
6. #193. Martin, LB, Oklahoma State


I have whiffed on DT, TE, and RB. My draft/FA allows me to release Volson & Moss, whereupon I use that $$ to try and land Calais Campbell.

TE1 search goes on. Pratt & Stone stay. Search for RB3 as an UDFA or post draft release. Despite my beating the drum on trenches, I go DBs 1&2. 

QB: Burrow; Browning 
RB: C. Brown; Perine, FA RB3 
WR: Chase, Higgins, Iosivas; Johnson, C. Jones, I. Williams
TE: D. Sample; Gesicki, Grandy, Hudson 
OT: OBJ, Mims; Ford (OT/G) 
OG: Savaiinaea (G/OT), FA RG; Patrick (G/C), Kirkland (G/T)
C: Karras (C/G); Lee ©T/G)
---------------
DE: Hendrickson, Ossai; Murphy, Gillotte, C. Johnson, C. Sample (DE/DT): 
DT: BJ Hill, Slaton; Campbell, Jenkins, Jackson 
LB: L. Wilson, Pratt; Burks, Heyward, Martin 
CB: CTB, Turner, D. Hill; Revel, Newton, Ivey
-----------
PK: McPherson 
P: Rehkow 
LS: Adomitis 
------
IR: All (maybe Revel). 

M. Wilson, McLachlan, and Njongmeta to the PS if I can slip them through. Cochran & Stueber as well. J. Davis. 

I'd be perfectly fine with Fannin at 4.

Not sure we draft a TE at this point though.