Grade the Bengals 2016 Draft

[J24]

We drafted good players but we failed to address the Defensive Line enough. Truth be told we needed 3 or 4 players on that front not 1. Also we drafted an ok LB when we could have drafted a great one. Jatavis Brown will be a much better player down the line as well as Feeney who went to Pittsburgh.

[leonardfan40]

(05-01-2016, 12:04 AM)J24 Wrote: We drafted good players but we failed to address the Defensive Line enough. Truth be told we needed 3 or 4 players on that front not 1. Also we drafted an ok LB when we could have drafted a great one. Jatavis Brown will be a much better player down the line as well as Feeney who went to Pittsburgh.

You are crazy if you think 3 or 4 rookies were gonna make our d line this year. One or 2 was max, and I doubt the bengals felt that they HAD to get any. I would love to see a stud DE, but there really werent many in this draft to begin with and if we grabbed one with anything other than our first pick he probably wouldnt have improved the team much if at all. DT was deep and we got the best one of them all in the 4th round. No reason to waste a pick on a DE who wouldn't make the team any better. Wait until next year and draft one early who will put our D line over the top. 

Like Peko or not he is the starter and was never going to get cut. Peko, Geno, Billings, and one more spot is all we have for pure DT's (Sims, Thompson, and Williams will battle for that, again no way half of our DT's have 0 experience so another would have probably found his way onto IR or the PS). Then Hardison in the swing role. Dunlap, MJ are both locks, premature to give up on Clarke after just two years, and Hunt is the only one who could have been replaced. The bengals are not going to leave themselves with 3-4 players with 0 experience at a position, just won't happen. It's not how they operate and thats a good thing. The only teams that are gonna draft 3-4 players at a spot are desperate teams, and the bengals aren't one of those. 

[Brownshoe]

1. Will Jackson, CB - A - I think this guy was arguably the 2nd best corner in the draft. He's a blazing fast corner that loves to go after the ball. He plays big in big games (he had 2 INTs in the Chick-fil-a peach bowl). He likes to be in the face of the receiver and doesn't give them too much room to work, because he has such great makeup speed (ran a 4.37 at the combine). This guy has some height on him too for a corner, standing at 6'2''. I absolutely love this pick, because I think he might be able to be a day 1 starter. Contrary to popular belief CB was a need for this team, so that's a plus too.

2. Tyler Boyd, WR - A - Tyler Boyd was one of my favorite receivers in the draft. He has *great* hands, great route running ability, and he's lengthy. I think this guy is going to be the Houshmandzadeh of the Dalton era. He's not really fast, but he's by no means slow. He ran a 4.46 at his pro-day (and a 4.58 at the combine) so he has some decent speed to him. I think he will mostly be in the slot, but he will be able to be on the outside too.

3. Nick Vigil, LB - B+ - I think this guy is a very agile player with great instincts and athleticism, with good versatility, and decent downhill speed for a LB. If he adds some strength I think he can be a special player. This guy will be a good cover LB right off the bat, and if he gets stronger he will be a really good all around LB. I think people will be surprised with this pick in a year or two.

4. Andrew Billings, DT - A++ - Wow... Just wow. I can't believe we got him in the 4th. The biggest knock on him is that he's a 2 down player that isn't great getting to the passer. I think he can get to the passer just fine, and even if he can't it really doesn't matter because we have people like Atkins, Dunlap, and Johnson. I think he will fit our system of rotating defensive linemen perfectly, and the run game has been a problem for us for a while it seems, and he fixes that immediately. I think Billings is going to play with a chip on his shoulder, and with Geno Atkins as his mentor this guy can be a future star in this league. The Bengals defensive line just became the best line in the league bar none with this pick.

5. Christian Westerman, G - A - I thought this guy was going to be in the 3rd round. He will be amazing depth at guard, and he can transition to C to help the depth there too. He has good technique and he's strong with great mobility. I think this guy could be a starter for a lot of teams. The Bengals got another steal in this draft.

6. Cody Core, WR - B+ - I think this guy is bigger more physical receiver with some speed to him. He has OK hands, but I think he will be good depth.

7. Clayton Fejedelem, S - ??? - I haven't seen much on this guy. It's TBD on my grade for him.

Overall draft grade - A - The Bengals had another great draft. This was one of the better drafts in the last few years in my eyes, and that's saying a lot. We filled in some holes, and added great depth players to positions that didn't have a lot of depth. There are at least 3 players that will be impact players this season (Some might not start day one, but I guarantee that 3 of them will have considerable play time in games by the end of the year). I am VERY happy by this draft.

[Joelist]

I like this draft.

Jackson was a steal and Billings was a crazy steal. Boyd brings a skillset something like TJ Houshmanzadeh which is excellent. Westerman could develop into something good too. I don't know enough about Vigil.

As to Core, he has the wrong first name (should be Tyler)......

[J24]

(05-01-2016, 12:16 AM)leonardfan40 Wrote: You are crazy if you think 3 or 4 rookies were gonna make our d line this year. One or 2 was max, and I doubt the bengals felt that they HAD to get any. I would love to see a stud DE, but there really werent many in this draft to begin with and if we grabbed one with anything other than our first pick he probably wouldnt have improved the team much if at all. DT was deep and we got the best one of them all in the 4th round. No reason to waste a pick on a DE who wouldn't make the team any better. Wait until next year and draft one early who will put our D line over the top. 

Like Peko or not he is the starter and was never going to get cut. Peko, Geno, Billings, and one more spot is all we have for pure DT's (Sims, Thompson, and Williams will battle for that, again no way half of our DT's have 0 experience so another would have probably found his way onto IR or the PS). Then Hardison in the swing role. Dunlap, MJ are both locks, premature to give up on Clarke after just two years, and Hunt is the only one who could have been replaced. The bengals are not going to leave themselves with 3-4 players with 0 experience at a position, just won't happen. It's not how they operate and thats a good thing. The only teams that are gonna draft 3-4 players at a spot are desperate teams, and the bengals aren't one of those. 

1.) How is that Crazy?
2.) Clarke and Hunt have been waste of spots both need to replaced asap. The fact that they haven't been cut yet is a joke.
3.) the Bengal got zero production from the backup defensive line if one of our starters gets hurt we are screwed.

[Benton]

(05-01-2016, 12:16 AM)leonardfan40 Wrote: You are crazy if you think 3 or 4 rookies were gonna make our d line this year. One or 2 was max, and I doubt the bengals felt that they HAD to get any. I would love to see a stud DE, but there really werent many in this draft to begin with and if we grabbed one with anything other than our first pick he probably wouldnt have improved the team much if at all. DT was deep and we got the best one of them all in the 4th round. No reason to waste a pick on a DE who wouldn't make the team any better. Wait until next year and draft one early who will put our D line over the top. 

Like Peko or not he is the starter and was never going to get cut. Peko, Geno, Billings, and one more spot is all we have for pure DT's (Sims, Thompson, and Williams will battle for that, again no way half of our DT's have 0 experience so another would have probably found his way onto IR or the PS). Then Hardison in the swing role. Dunlap, MJ are both locks, premature to give up on Clarke after just two years, and Hunt is the only one who could have been replaced. The bengals are not going to leave themselves with 3-4 players with 0 experience at a position, just won't happen. It's not how they operate and thats a good thing. The only teams that are gonna draft 3-4 players at a spot are desperate teams, and the bengals aren't one of those. 

I don't think anyone wanted peko cut. But he doesn't need to be taking as many snaps as he does. I don't remember the number, but it's above average for a 4-3 NT. Most people wanted to see someone who could help him out (we got that) plus someone who could help out on the ends (we didn't even try). We're heading into one more season with Margus hunt as a rotational end. If that doesn't scream "needs an upgrade" then nothing does. (hunt isn't very good.)

[Brownshoe]

(05-01-2016, 12:29 AM)J24 Wrote: 1.) How is that Crazy?
2.) Clarke and Hunt have been waste of spots both need to replaced asap. The fact that they haven't been cut yet is a joke.
3.) the Bengal got zero production from the backup defensive line if one of our starters gets hurt we are screwed.

What kind of DL depth do you think teams have?

[leonardfan40]

(05-01-2016, 12:29 AM)J24 Wrote: 1.) How is that Crazy?
2.) Clarke and Hunt have been waste of spots both need to replaced asap. The fact that they haven't been cut yet is a joke.
3.) the Bengal got zero production from the backup defensive line if one of our starters gets hurt we are screwed.

Clarke has been around 2 years. Cutting a guy after two years is crazy unless he pulls a Manziel and he never should have been drafted anyway. No reason to give up on a 3rd rounder so fast without seeing what he can do and giving him a chance to mature. Clarke was raw coming out.

Hunt could certainly be replaced, but with who? Outside of a first rounder no one would be an upgrade and they would probably need a year to learn anyway to get to where Hunt is. I'll give Hunt one more year before counting on anyone who was available for us to pick.

Bengals get 0 production out of a rookie DE if a starter goes down. There simply were not many good DE's in this class, no point wasting a pick when we can roll with what we have (which is as good as anything we'd get in this draft) and get one next year. 

Finally, we had 7 total picks, no way 3-4 get spent on the D line

[leonardfan40]

(05-01-2016, 12:34 AM)Benton Wrote: I don't think anyone wanted peko cut. But he doesn't need to be taking as many snaps as he does. I don't remember the number, but it's  above average for a 4-3 NT. Most people wanted to see someone who could help him out (we got that) plus someone who could help out on the ends (we didn't even try). We're heading into one more season with Margus hunt as a rotational end. If that doesn't scream "needs an upgrade" then nothing does. (hunt isn't very good.)

Who in this draft was an upgrade that we could have gotten? I'm sure if the Bengals saw a DE of value they would have picked him, it just wasn't a good draft for ends

[J24]

(05-01-2016, 12:35 AM)Brownshoe Wrote: What kind of DL depth do you think teams have?

I want what the broncos had last season.

[leonardfan40]

(05-01-2016, 12:49 AM)J24 Wrote: I want what the broncos had last season.

And you thought you would get that from this draft? From 3-4 rookies?

[Brownshoe]

(05-01-2016, 12:49 AM)J24 Wrote: I want what the broncos had last season.

What kind of depth do you think that they had last season? I don't see anyone that was spectacular outside of the starting lineup. The Bengals starting lineup will be just as good as they were last year. Plus we still have solid depth players especially in the interior line.

[Leather Face]

(04-30-2016, 08:17 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Boyd will be a very good Slot receiver for us BB i am sure. First down machine with Green and Eifert taking all the attention.

I still think that Billings next to Geno will be the most special thing the NFL has ever known.

Two DT's right next to eachother and they just throw interior OL around like rag dolls. This will be very exciting.

...agreed. They've potentially replaced Mo' and Marv, and have added depth to the O-line. 

They have also potentially made a good defense into ... One Reallllly SICK D! ...one that other teams SHOULD be extremely concerned about in various ways. (although, ....what if....just WHAT IF a dream would replace Vigil with Myles Jack?? Yeah, wow....) ...not unthinkable. just like getting Billings, WJ3, and Boyd aren't unthinkable...anymore.

Here's a pledged toast to potentially having TWO Geno Atkins' on the same squad and on the field at the same Gosh Jungle Time! 

Level one of attitude....Billings

Level two of attitude...Burfict

Level three of attitude...Jones

Level four....Williams

I'm thinking about baseball right now. Batting averages are being banged up and over the wall. Hits!! ...i tell ya, knocking opponents out of the park!!!

...and thanks for welcoming me back;although, I never leave. I just don't post. ....unless it is necessary.

[The Caped Crusader]

William Jackson 3, Tyler Boyd and Andrew Billings are my favorite picks here. I think Vigil was a definite reach, one that might pan out. That being said, I really believe William Jackson 3 might be the best corner in the draft (his game tape is insane).

Billings? This guy SHOULD have been drafted in the first round. Period. Size being an issue? That's garbage. I think teams were unimpressed by his speed, and stature. Which is complete garbage. This guy DEMOLISHED lines on a regular basis. Not to mention, he is HIGH motor like Geno. I LOVE THIS PICK.

[Cornelius]

Would have liked to Get more than two big uglies but if I had to pick two for us to grab, I'm happy with the two we got - Westerman and BILLINGS.

Love the first two picks. And that kid from Ole Miss...didn't see that coming but I love the potential.

Should have picked Miles Killabrew rather than Vigil. Then, in the 7th traded up a few spots to grab Keith Marshall.

[*psychdoctor*]

WJ3 was a necessary pick.  And I am not so sure the 3 WR picked before Bengals' 24th pick will be all that great.  Bengals have good success with DT in 4th so Billings will be a flesh eating bacteria by mid season.  For those who do not know Vigil or FEJ, they were under valued players.  FEJ looks like MMA fighter.  The Team has a bona fide boxer in 5th round with the Guard.  If this team ever gets into a fight during a game, i feel sorry for the other team.

A- (only because i do not know how all will make the team, especially the 6th round WR).  

Also, this team is a playoff team and many of the picks will not play for a year or so.  The Bengals are that good, at least for the regular season LOL.  This is a very talented team.  I think Billings, WJ3 and Boyd play this year.  The rest will play teams.  Oh, FEJ is a beast on teams.  so is Vigil.  

[magikod]

This draft on paper has to be one of our best so far. Now lets see how the players perform.

[jeremydc]

4-5 of these guys may make the final 53. A few on game day.

[reuben.ahmed]

(04-30-2016, 11:26 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Ignorance.

There are a certain group of fans that just enjoy hating on their team.  All teams have them.  Not just the Bengals.

That's bullshit Fred. You are an optimist, the smarter people are realists. Vigil was one of the worst picks of our draft. Picked way too high.

masonbengals fan Wrote:Why would anybody use the word worthless to describe a pick at this point?

Just as easily as you can get hyped for the rest of our picks, you can be as easily the opposite for another. Otherwise - how can you even grade it?

B draft overall.

[reuben.ahmed]

(04-30-2016, 11:18 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: I agree, and although this is likely to bring me lots of ridicule...the Browns are my second favorite team.  It is light years behind the Bengals, but if they aren't playing Cincy, I root for them.  It started one night at a bar when I was blowing off steam (looking to antagonize any steeler fan in to wanting to fight me) and the Browns actually beat the steelers on a Thursday Night game.  The bar was PACKED with steelers losers, er, fans, and I kept hooting on them all night during the game.  That was a BradyQuinn-led team.  They sacked Vagiburger something like 7 times.  I had the time of my life.

Back to my point.  I am rooting for the Browns and I have liked everything they have done thus far.  I hope in a few years putzburg goes 0-4 against the state of Ohio.  However, with the current state of the Bengals (so close to winning it all IMHO) they managed to keep key pieces, load up on talent in the draft, and have a stable of compensatory picks for next year.  They are in perfect position to make a run.  That draft was borderline perfect.  

The ironic part is Browns fans are the definition of losers.