Boom or Bust

[NATI BENGALS]

Swinging for the fence. Just keep stockpiling talent.

1 Robert Nkemdiche DT Ole Miss - 6'3" 294lbs - Big and athletic with all the potential in the world. Character concerns. Was the #1 player in the nation coming out of high school. High risk high reward. If we can get him to mature and play more consistently. We will have the best DT combo in the league. If he wants to keep smoking weed and jumping out of windows he will be out of the league faster than you can say Jerome Simpson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoNwmtrGACw

2 Braxton Miller WR tOSU - 6'1" 201lbs - Two time Big Ten MVP who put the team before himself and changed positions. Explosive play maker. Dangerous every time he touches the ball. Obviously still learning the position but has the advantage of seeing the game through the eyes of a QB. I think he could be a QBs best friend. The gadget plays we lost with Sanu are right here. Not there yet, but could be the best WR from this draft down the road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOXd9tWYuiI

3 Shawn Oakman DE Baylor - 6'8" 287lbs - One of the biggest boom or bust guys in the draft. He is the prototype of the type of DEs we look for. Let MJ take him under his wing and I think he will be a similar success story. Many thought before this season he was a first round pick. I would gladly roll the dice on him in the 3rd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Ry-ZsWcSU

4 Scooby Wright LB Arizona - 6' 239lbs - Easily one of the best players in the nation in 2014. Injuries ruined his 2015. Not the most athletic, which is why we are able to get him so late. Instincts and hustle. I see him as Maualuga's successor in the middle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmqJA10Ne4o

5 Keanu Neal S Florida - 6' 211lbs - I wanted to put a safety in here because Reggie Nelson still isn't back. And I think the coaches view Shaw as a CB. Illoka, Williams, Derron Smith, and Neal would form our group of 4. I don't know much about the guy. NFL.com gives him their highest grade for a safety. NFLDRAFTSCOUT ranks him as a 6-7th round pick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5nzVdpia6M

6 Laquan McGowan OL Baylor - 6'6" 404lbs - The ultimate project for Paul Alexander. Played TE at Baylor. So we could have a spot for him on the active roster since we like running the extra offensive line sets. We need a new tackle project. If he has the athleticism to run and catch TDs I am willing to give him a chance. Giant athlete. Coach him up. See if we can make it work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po76WYsIQys

7 Jakeem Grant WR Texas Tech - 5'6" 165lbs - Plays with a huge chip on his shoulder. 3rd in the nation in all purpose yards. 4 career kick return TDs. Texas Tech career receiving yards record holder. 90 catches 1268 yards in 2015. Some say he ran a 4.1 40 others 4.3 at his pro day. Stupidly quick and fast. This is Andrew Hawkins with Steve Smith's competitive fire. Speed kills. It would be hard to double AJ if we could trot out either him or Alford every snap, nice and fresh, flying down the field.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3kYFzpxD-A

[JungleRock85]

I don't see us taking the chance on Nkemdiche in the first round but you definitely called the boom or bust draft on this. Braxton Miller has talent but putting all our eggs in that basket for drafting a Wide Receiver early would scare the hell out of me...and I'm an Ohio State fan. I do like the Oakman and Wright picks in the 3rd and 4th. I think the risk is worth the reward once you get to those rounds and in Wright's case I don't even think it is much risk. I think he will be a great Linebacker in the league for years.

[Crowe]

(03-29-2016, 01:13 PM)JungleRock85 Wrote: I don't see us taking the chance on Nkemdiche in the first round but you definitely called the boom or bust draft on this. Braxton Miller has talent but putting all our eggs in that basket for drafting a Wide Receiver early would scare the hell out of me...and I'm an Ohio State fan. I do like the Oakman and Wright picks in the 3rd and 4th. I think the risk is worth the reward once you get to those rounds and in Wright's case I don't even think it is much risk. I think he will be a great Linebacker in the league for years.

I wouldn't be so sure about that on Nkemdiche. Bengals DL coach just ran him through drills at Ole Miss pro day. If he's there in the second, depending on what we do in the first I could see that being the pick and I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen in the first. If he gets his act together he could be dominant especially next to Atkins and Dunlap

[NATI BENGALS]

(03-29-2016, 01:13 PM)JungleRock85 Wrote: I don't see us taking the chance on Nkemdiche in the first round but you definitely called the boom or bust draft on this. Braxton Miller has talent but putting all our eggs in that basket for drafting a Wide Receiver early would scare the hell out of me...and I'm an Ohio State fan. I do like the Oakman and Wright picks in the 3rd and 4th. I think the risk is worth the reward once you get to those rounds and in Wright's case I don't even think it is much risk. I think he will be a great Linebacker in the league for years.

Ever since he went flying out of a 3rd story window I have been trying to talk myself out of Nkempoop.

But I can't help but think what he could be if he puts it all together.

Look at these numbers
6'3.7"
307lbs
5.09 40
32 reps
35.5 " vert
8'9" broad

6'3.4"
294lbs
4.87 40
28 reps
35" vert
9'8" broad

The first is Suh at the combine the second Nkempoop. He easily has one of the highest ceilings out of anybody in the draft.

As for Braxton. That is why I think getting Lafell locked up would be nice. Lets us break a rookie in slow. Give Braxton 5-6 touches a game get creative with him while he refines his WR skills. While LaFell handles most of the WR reps for the first half of the year. Hopefully by midseason he is ready to take on more.

[JungleRock85]

(03-29-2016, 03:07 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: Ever since he went flying out of a 3rd story window I have been trying to talk myself out of Nkempoop.

But I can't help but think what he could be if he puts it all together.

Look at these numbers
6'3.7"
307lbs
5.09 40
32 reps
35.5 " vert
8'9" broad

6'3.4"
294lbs
4.87 40
28 reps
35" vert
9'8" broad

The first is Suh at the combine the second Nkempoop. He easily has one of the highest ceilings out of anybody in the draft.

As for Braxton. That is why I think getting Lafell locked up would be nice. Lets us break a rookie in slow. Give Braxton 5-6 touches a game get creative with him while he refines his WR skills. While LaFell handles most of the WR reps for the first half of the year. Hopefully by midseason he is ready to take on more.

I know Nkemdiche has a ton of talent and have been following him since he was the top recruit coming out of high school. I just think if you are going to take a character risk you have to at least wait until the 2nd round at the earliest to do it. I wouldn't hate the pick because the team could certainly use another talented Defensive Tackle to keep Peko from being trotted out on the field for 2 or 3 more years but it would be a high risk situation for sure. I am a huge Braxton fan just always worried about him staying healthy with his injury history all the way back to when he was at Wayne. Now that is a Wide Receiver instead of a running Quarterback he might not get hurt as often but the injury history is still there. I just think if we end up with a choice between someone like Tyler Boyd or Michael Thomas and Braxton Miller that we should choice the better Wide Receiver for next season at that would be Boyd or Thomas while we are so close to a Super Bowl caliber team. I will admit that this draft would still have me excited but I would be nervous at the same time...lol

[*SHRacerX*]

Really like this except for the very first selection. I would take a risk on Noah Spence, but not that guy. Love the rest of it and I agree about Scooby, especially. He is a smart, instinctive player.

[BURROWorBUST]

Wow!! That Grant kid looks better than Alford. I hope we snag him.

[NATI BENGALS]

(03-30-2016, 12:36 PM)Shady Wrote: Wow!! That Grant kid looks better than Alford. I hope we snag him.

He is like Tavon Austin without the first round price tag.

[Yojimbo]

With the signing of Dansby and hopefully LaFell, I think the Bengals can easily take BPA and even a risky one at that. This is a draft I could get behind since we don't have any immediate needs anymore. If LaFell doesn't sign, I think we have to go WR in the first. It migh just be Nkemdiche's teammate who had a private visit/workout scheduled with the Bengals.

[BengalChris]

I've really soured on the Bengals choices for project players the last few years. I really want to see them draft guys who have already lived up to their talent. Such players will be there all along in this draft. No need to draft on hopes, promises or maybe might be's.

[Okeana]

This draft makes me wanna vomit.