Name you want to hear and don't want to hear tomorrow

[Nepa]

Unless a true blue-chipper falls (Jalon Walker, Tyler Warren, etc.), I would be most excited to hear a trade down to later in the 1st and picking up a second or a third. The draft is so deep that an extra pick on the second day would be my dream. It's not like previous years when I was hoping for this player or that player; there are a lot that are likely to be available after 17 that I would be delighted for the Bengals to select.

[NATI BENGALS]

Don’t want to hear Josh Simmons, Josh Conerly.

Ideally will hear “the bengals have traded the 17th pick” and then we take Jihad a few picks later

[Bilbo Saggins]

(04-23-2025, 06:12 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Whoa...we gonna need to fight?!

Seriously though, is it because of the player or just not wanting a TE because Gesicki is signed for 3 more years and team has other needs?

Haha I hope not. 

If they could trade down and get Warren or Loveland that'd be a coup. It just seems too rich to me at 17. Same with the RBs aside from maybe Jeanty.

[J24]

Want- Tate Ratledge

Least- Shemar Stewart

[*ochocincos*]

(04-23-2025, 07:26 PM)Bilbo Saggins Wrote: Haha I hope not. 

If they could trade down and get Warren or Loveland that'd be a coup. It just seems too rich to me at 17. Same with the RBs aside from maybe Jeanty.

It's easily argued that Pitts was taken too early at 4th overall (man, where would we be if ATL took Chase instead of Pitts?).
Brock Bowers was easily the best TE prospect to come out since Pitts, and many feel they "course corrected" that selection to 13th overall last year.
I wouldn't put Loveland at the caliber of Pitts or Bowers, and I also personally wouldn't take him at 17.
Warren though is a complete TE and I think he can be in the Sam LaPorta mold as a receiver but also add a ton of value blocking and even running the ball occasionally.
LaPorta has been between 700-900 yards each of the past two seasons, which is very good for TE.
Obviously though, LaPorta went 34th overall.

With all that said, many are projecting Warren to go Top 15, if not Top 10.
I personally would take him at 17 if he's there because he SHOULD be able to provide 700+ yards, 5+ TDs, and also be a very good blocker.
That's very rare for TEs.
Bengals clearly saw a vision for using a complete TE with Erick All, but he's out for this year, and he doesn't match up athletically to Warren anyway.
Bengals running heavy 12 personnel with Higgins and Chase outside with Gesicki and Warren inside just feels awesome.

[*ochocincos*]

(04-23-2025, 07:33 PM)J24 Wrote: Want- Tate Ratledge

Least- Shemar Stewart

You want Tate Ratledge....at 17? Or just in general?

[J24]

(04-24-2025, 10:12 AM)ochocincos Wrote: You want Tate Ratledge....at 17? Or just in general?

I would prefer to trade down and get him in the late 20s but I have no problem drafting him him at 17. All the data suggests that he is worthy of a first rd pick and he would be an instant starter at RG.

[*ochocincos*]

(04-24-2025, 10:52 AM)J24 Wrote: I would prefer to trade down and get him in the late 20s but I have no problem drafting him him at 17. All the data suggests that he is worthy of a first rd pick and he would be an instant starter at RG.

I haven't seen anyone talk about him as a 1st rounder, which is why I was asking.
I think the athleticism we saw measured in offseason workouts didn't match what the tape showed, which is why he hasn't been projected that high.
Ratledge is battle-tested though and would be a fine selection, but I think there would be outrage if he were taken in Rd 1, especially at 17.
I think most would argue for Grey Zabel or Donovan Jackson be taken in Rd 1 over Ratledge (assuming Banks isn't there).
But I definitely see where you're coming from. He was a consistent performer on tape (despite not always showing elite athleticism) and he tested well in offseason workouts. And he comes from a championship pedigree team. Smells a lot like a Bengals type of pick.

[BoomerFan]

(04-23-2025, 06:47 PM)Nepa Wrote: Unless a true blue-chipper falls (Jalon Walker, Tyler Warren, etc.), I would be most excited to hear a trade down to later in the 1st and picking up a second or a third. The draft is so deep that an extra pick on the second day would be my dream. It's not like previous years when I was hoping for this player or that player; there are a lot that are likely to be available after 17 that I would be delighted for the Bengals to select.

Yep. This is the draft where you have the top 10 guys and then 70 picks with a 2nd round grade. 

OTOH it makes it kind of hard to mess up. I would tell the Bengals organization to go ahead and pick more or less for your needs. Get at least one Guard and Dlineman that you like in the first three picks. Be ready to coach them up and put them in situations where they can succeed. When all the players are sort of at the same level, the way to get ahead is how you develop them.

[CottonHill]

First, TH has to be traded for a 2nd rounder.
Then, I want either Nolen, Campbell or Pearce

[TecmoBengals]

Want to hear: James Pearce Jr., Edge Rusher

Don't want to hear:

I left "don't want to hear" blank because I don't want them to trade down. I don't want a team like the Chiefs, Bills, or Texans to jump up and take a quality player we could have had. I don't trust the organization to maximize any extra picks acquired by trading down.

[*ochocincos*]

(04-24-2025, 11:15 AM)BoomerFan Wrote: Yep. This is the draft where you have the top 10 guys and then 70 picks with a 2nd round grade. 

OTOH it makes it kind of hard to mess up. I would tell the Bengals organization to go ahead and pick more or less for your needs. Get at least one Guard and Dlineman that you like in the first three picks. Be ready to coach them up and put them in situations where they can succeed. When all the players are sort of at the same level, the way to get ahead is how you develop them.

As much as I like a few safeties in this draft class, I'm ok skipping safety this year because it's not a strong overall class.
Bengals can always get another dude in FA next year to replace Stone, or Stone may actually end up doing well in Golden's scheme.
Priorities should be OL and DL.
If they can walk away with 1 OL that can at least pass block and 2 DL that can at least rush the passer, I'll be a happy camper.

[Whatever]

(04-24-2025, 11:15 AM)BoomerFan Wrote: Yep. This is the draft where you have the top 10 guys and then 70 picks with a 2nd round grade. 

OTOH it makes it kind of hard to mess up. I would tell the Bengals organization to go ahead and pick more or less for your needs. Get at least one Guard and Dlineman that you like in the first three picks. Be ready to coach them up and put them in situations where they can succeed. When all the players are sort of at the same level, the way to get ahead is how you develop them.

Keep in mind only 11 2nd round picks from last year started 10+ games.  So your chances of getting a Year One starter out of a player with a 2nd round grade is about 33%.  

That's why it's better to draft BPA, because odds are, the guy you draft at a position of "need" won't be able to walk in and win the starting job, anyways.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(04-23-2025, 10:02 AM)ochocincos Wrote: What is one player you most want to hear announced as the Bengals 1st round pick tomorrow, and who are you most NOT wanting to hear, among positions that are realistic?

For me:
- Most wanting to hear - Kelvin Banks (now that I hear it's actually a possibility) or Walter Nolen.
- Not wanting to hear - Shemar Stewart or Mykel Williams

One player? Most wanting to hear - Walter Nolen because it means the coaches think he is fine character wise and he fits a huge need. Tyler Warren would be the BPA I would want to here the most. 

One player not wanting to hear - Is Shemar Stewart only for me, no production is rough, love his upside and maybe these new coaches can coach him up.

I will be happy with whoever they pick though, maybe Montgomery can get something out of Murphy and Stewart where the other coaches could not.

Any of the character concerns can be explained away if the coaches think they will be fine.

[Clark W Griswold]

I take a cop-out approach to this: there are players like Stewart/Green/Nolen etc who might be great but there are questions about them. So the best thing is if they are already gone and not an option. If they bust then Bengals dodged a bullet and if they are good then oh well - couldn’t have taken them even if they wanted to.

I would like to get one of the top guards (Ratledge/Booker/Jackson etc) in the second or even third round depending on how the draft falls but I also know the guys I listed will be gone by round 3.

Would like to see them add a safety within the first 3 rounds, too.

[*ochocincos*]

(04-24-2025, 11:43 AM)Whatever Wrote: Keep in mind only 11 2nd round picks from last year started 10+ games.  So your chances of getting a Year One starter out of a player with a 2nd round grade is about 33%.  

That's why it's better to draft BPA, because odds are, the guy you draft at a position of "need" won't be able to walk in and win the starting job, anyways.

Any player can start if you just...make them.
Look at Volson. 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(Yesterday, 03:55 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Any player can start if you just...make them.
Look at Volson. 

True ha ha

Actually looking at Shemar Stewart's ability to set the edge against the run game he could certainly start opposite Trey. Murphy was pretty 
terrible at this last season and Ossai has never been a great run stopper. As you can see, after seeing more film of Stewart I have warmed 
up to the guy quite a bit and like I said before the pick happened I would of been happy with who ever and am now happy with Stewart.

Just needs to keep his head up and learn to finish against the QB and he could be a very good End for us.

[*ochocincos*]

(Yesterday, 05:01 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: True ha ha

Actually looking at Shemar Stewart's ability to set the edge against the run game he could certainly start opposite Trey. Murphy was pretty 
terrible at this last season and Ossai has never been a great run stopper. As you can see, after seeing more film of Stewart I have warmed 
up to the guy quite a bit and like I said before the pick happened I would of been happy with who ever and am now happy with Stewart.

Just needs to keep his head up and learn to finish against the QB and he could be a very good End for us.

I think it was Locked On Bengals who were saying Murphy actually performed far better in 2023 than 2024 because he was playing more snaps at RDE rather than LDE in 2023. He played primarily LDE in 2024.

If Murphy really is that much better at RDE (which is where Hendrickson plays), it's possible they are actually planning for Murphy to take Hendrickson's spot after he would depart in FA/retire, and Stewart could be the plan for LDE.
If Murphy flounders again this year, that may be the deciding factor in whether the Bengals want to really extend Hendrickson or letting him walk.

[Stewy]

This thread is funny/sad in retrospect.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(Yesterday, 06:26 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I think it was Locked On Bengals who were saying Murphy actually performed far better in 2023 than 2024 because he was playing more snaps at RDE rather than LDE in 2023. He played primarily LDE in 2024.

If Murphy really is that much better at RDE (which is where Hendrickson plays), it's possible they are actually planning for Murphy to take Hendrickson's spot after he would depart in FA/retire, and Stewart could be the plan for LDE.
If Murphy flounders again this year, that may be the deciding factor in whether the Bengals want to really extend Hendrickson or letting him walk.

That is a great observation. Definitely makes sense, I even notice from the film that Stewart seems to play better at LDE anyways so 
that would leave RDE open if Trey does indeed leave after this season even though I think we extend him at least another year. Honestly
it is better for everyone excluding Trey that Murphy finally makes the jump and becomes a stud opposite of Stewart.