There's a lot of exciting talent queued up for round 2!
The Cincinnati Bengals select Jonah Williams!
Alright I'll admit, my first reaction to the pick was a little bit of a disappointed shoulder shrug. Not because of the @#($& narrative that analysts always have to bring up about fans never getting excited when their team drafts an offensive lineman.. That drives me crazy. I am smart enough to realize that in order for my team to be successful, they need a good offensive line. Get out of here with that lazy crappy analysis. My reaction was more about:
1. Disappointment they missed out on Hockenson
This TE class is loaded. You could argue Detroit taking him at 8 was a blessing as Cincy will have opportunities to acquire slightly lesser prospects with a similar skill set later in the draft. I was more let down that I had this vision of a direction they could go with the team and I wanted to see what they would do if that option was on the table.
2. I had Taylor and Ford higher than Williams.
Originally, I put Dillard above him too, but I bumped Dillard down a slot a couple days ago. I thought Williams had more versatility , but Taylor and Ford had better potential as high caliber starting OT's. Williams reminds me of the Billy Price pick. He's going to be pretty good. Can he be great? I'm not so sure. That said, there are a wide variety of opinions on Williams from high quality analysts. Some think he's the best offensive lineman in the class. Some think he's not great and he should move to center. I fall closer to the former. I'm not doing cartwheels, but I think he'll be a quality starter for a long time. In a system that punishes you for missing on draft picks sometimes it's not a bad thing to pay for a floor on a prospect. You have to be careful that you don't get carried away with that approach and box yourself into mediocrity, but with offensive line I think it's a good approach. Seeing how the first round played out, I feel better about the pick. Ford and Taylor both fell out of the first round which means either they have some kind of medical or off the field red flag(s) or I'm smarter than the whole league. Again, lean heavily on the former. Also, watching Houston take a wild swing on a boom or bust developmental OT prospect also made me appreciate Williams more.
Bengals Big Board - Round 2:
1. Irv Smith, TE Alabama
Whatever disappointment I had yesterday of not getting Hockenson or uncertainty if Jonah Williams was the right OT to take would evaporate if they got Smith in round 2. Sneaky not that much of a downgrade from Hockenson receiving or blocking. I didn't think he'd fall this far.
2. Juwaan Taylor, OT Alabama
I can't see why he fell unless he has some dehabilitating medical issue. If that's the case ignore this ranking. OT, OT, might be a little aggressive and I'd have to wrestle with it more to decide if I really would actually do that, but don't rule it out. Both Bengals starting OT's have question marks, whether it's injury (Glenn) or skill level (Hart).
3. Cody Ford, OT Oklahoma
He's really good. I could see them potentially doubling up on OT for him too.
4. D.K Metcalf, WR Mississippi
I'm also not 100% sure about taking a WR here, but the upside might be too great to pass up.
5. Hakeem Butler, WR Iowa State
Another guy that could develop into an all-pro talent.. Kind of reminds me of a bigger version of Chad Johnson. Fluid. Fluid. Fluid.
6. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S Florida
I had this guy as the best safety I watched. He's not a thumper, but he can read, react, and tackle in a flash and his coverage skills are good enough to double as a slot corner.
7. Byron Murphy, CB Washington
Top CB in the class. Undersized and not overly athletic, but he can cover.
8. Chase Winovich, DE Michigan
Not sure where he would stack vs. Sam Hubbard and Jordan Willis, but I'd say don't get cute and just take him. His motor is relentless and he has on-field production and good athletic testing to go with it.
9. Parris Campbell, WR Ohio State
Really solid underrated weapon. I think when teams ask him to do more with his routs, he will be up to the task. Sorry John Ross, you've had plenty of time to make your mark.
10. Nasir Adderley, S Delaware
Great combination of run/pass defensive skills with athleticism to make game-breaking plays.
11. Drew Lock?, QB Missouri
Drew Lock should legally change his name to put a question mark at the end. Okay, I'm not sold on this move either. I think they should ride out the Dalton era, but I think taking a QB in the second round might give them the best of both worlds: Decent prospect to have as a backup plan that doesn't threaten team chemistry enough to prematurely sabotage the Dalton era.
DT's or LB's?
The draft board at this point is part of the reason this might be the time to snag Lock if he falls. Their biggest needs are DT, TE, LB, and maybe DE. With Tillery and my top five DT's gone, I couldn't tell you who to target next (Trysten Hill, Central Florida maybe? I didn't get to his tape. I'm not sure. I've heard a mixed bag on him). They are better off waiting for the board to sort itself out. LB's? I'll list some names to watch out for, but they could try to wait a round and see who's left. TE? Past Irv Smith, I think you wait. DE? Winovich is about the only name I'd see as an upgrade to the roster. There are others I've heard good things about, but who knows. I think adding depth at OT, CB, S, WR, or yes even QB might be the best option here.
LB's to watch out for:
1. Mack Wilson, Alabama
2. Germaine Pratt, North Carolina State
3. Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii
4. Ben Burr-Kirven, Washington
Other names to watch out for
A.J. Brown, WR Mississippi
Not sure how he'd fit. Maybe he'd just be Boyd insurance?
Deebo Samuel, WR South Carolina
Tough gritty receiver. Golden Tate-like?
Kelvin Harmon, WR North Carolina State
Good WR2 potential, but do they need it?
Dalton Risner, OT Kansas State
good OT/G prosepct. Nasty, but he looks like he should have more power than he shows while he blocks. I don't like him as much as most people.
Greedy Williams, CB LSU
Great cover guy, crappy attitude.
Rock Ya-Sin, CB Temple
Nice upgrade in the CB2 slot if Dennard never pans out there.
Erik McCoy, C Texas A&M
Can he play guard?
Zach Allen, DE Boston College
Might be just another guy like the ones they already have.
Other corners I've read good things about:
Julian Love, Notre Dame
Justin Layne, Michigan State
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