How Would You Feel About This?

[OSUfan]

It seems from everything that I am seeing and reading that most fans consider there to be three positions that must be a priority for the Bengals in the upcoming draft. The following are those positions in no particular order:


* Guard
* Defensive End
* Safety


I would absolutely agree on these three positions being the most pressing for the Bengals. Outside of these I feel that the Bengals need to look at depth at corner and linebacker as well. 
This was the criteria that I was using when I ran this simulation.


When the Bengals went on the clock with the 17th selection the best available consisted of the following players:
Kenneth Grant - DT
Tyler Booker - G
Tetairoa McMillan - WR
Walter Nolen - DT
James Pearce Jr. - DE
Malaki Starks - S 
Nick Emmanwori - S
Donovan Ezeiraku - DE/LB


To be very honest the player I was putting the most value on at this point relative to need and fit for the Bengals was Malaki Starks who I feel is the best safety in the draft. Houston offered a trade package and the Bengals offered a counter proposal which was accepted . 


Houston received the 17th overall selection and the Bengals received the 25th overall selection as well as the second round selection of Houston at 58th overall. 


Houston used the 17th selection to draft Kenneth Grant - DT - Michigan.


The Bengals went on the clock with the 25th selection and below is how the draft went:


   

   

[*ochocincos*]

(04-09-2025, 02:33 PM)OSUfan Wrote: It seems from everything that I am seeing and reading that most fans consider there to be three positions that must be a priority for the Bengals in the upcoming draft. The following are those positions in no particular order:


* Guard
* Defensive End
* Safety


I would absolutely agree on these three positions being the most pressing for the Bengals. Outside of these I feel that the Bengals need to look at depth at corner and linebacker as well. 
This was the criteria that I was using when I ran this simulation.


When the Bengals went on the clock with the 17th selection the best available consisted of the following players:
Kenneth Grant - DT
Tyler Booker - G
Tetairoa McMillan - WR
Walter Nolen - DT
James Pearce Jr. - DE
Malaki Starks - S 
Nick Emmanwori - S
Donovan Ezeiraku - DE/LB


To be very honest the player I was putting the most value on at this point relative to need and fit for the Bengals was Malaki Starks who I feel is the best safety in the draft. Houston offered a trade package and the Bengals offered a counter proposal which was accepted . 


Houston received the 17th overall selection and the Bengals received the 25th overall selection as well as the second round selection of Houston at 58th overall. 


Houston used the 17th selection to draft Kenneth Grant - DT - Michigan.


The Bengals went on the clock with the 25th selection and below is how the draft went:

I'd take this on just the picks through 119 alone.
The only thing I feel is missing is IDL pass rush.

[sandwedge]

This would be a great haul!!
I would like to add Ty Hamilton DL later in the draft. I think this guy has some untapped potential

[puddycat]

Agree with S and OG as in need of upgrade.
The other need is pass rusher. Tuimoloau is great against the run. I'd make an exception for a big DE who can move inside(Ivey, Burch, Roberts)
No problem with Starks (safest pick the the draft), but why did you list the players at 17, then trade down and not say who's available at 25?
Double dipping at OG by the third round seems excessive given the strengths of this draft. I'd rather see a specialist CJ West against the run or Normal-Lott as a pass rusher. I'm not sold yet on Jenkins and Jackson.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

My latest at NFL Mock Draft Database:

https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/user-mock-drafts/2025/user-mock-8672133

No trades:

1/17: CB Will Johnson, Michigan. What I consider a blue chipper CB1 prospect fell. Too good to pass up. I like Turner & Hill. CTB gets competition and matbe a move to S. Fig is CB5 where he belongs. Emmanawori, Starks, Nolen, J. Campbell, Loveland, Harmon, & Simmons on the board.

2/49. OG/OT Donovan Jackson. Since I went off script (script is trenches: DE/DT/OG) in Rd1,,I needed trenches in Rd 2 and was surprised to see a late 1st round talent there at #49. No hesitation despite Watts, Alexander, and JTT on the board.

3/81. DT TJ Sanders, South Carolina. Trickier here. Savaiinaea AND Ratledge were still on the board, making me wish I had waited on G in Rd2. But I do like Jackson better. Lot of the good DEs gone, Burch still there. Winston on the board at S. Norman-Lott at DT.

4/119. TE Terrance Ferguson, Oregon. Again off trenches, but a legit athletic 2 way TE here. Some good RB prospects were there (Sampson). Some decent DEs (Ivey). More OL guys (Frazier at G, Brown at OT, Grant at G/T). Ransom at S. But I went with a guy who I think can start right away. All's health can now be a luxury.

5/153. DE Savion Jones, LSU. A bit late for pass rush, but that was the way the cookie crumbled. Good traits. Power conference 

6/193. LB Jack Kiser, ND. We get a coverage LB. Nick Martin also on the board here. TeSlaa at WR. Pegues at DT.

No S help here. And maybe coukd have used another OL. And late on DE. No RB help either.

In FA I circle back to:
1) OG: Hernandez, Scherff, Risner
2) S: Blackmon, Simmons, Bell
3) RB: Dobbins
4) DE: Smith