A look at the top players to fill the Bengals’ needs on all three days of the draft."The Bengals have many needs entering the NFL
Draft
http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-josh-malone-jersey , but there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Clearly the Bengals biggest need is
linebacker, where they are in major need of an athletic upgrade. The status of
quarterback Andy Dalton moving forward is a point of contention amongst Bengals
fans, but we can all agree that they at least need a better backup than that
they currently have. Despite re-signing Bobby Hart Because they re-signed Bobby
Hart, the need to upgrade the right tackle position through the draft as well.
They re-signed two of their top three tight ends, but neither Tyler EIfert
remains an injury concern and neither he nor C.J. Uzomah is much of a blocker.
Finally, the Bengals are looking hard at pass rushers, which may tell us how
they feel about the defensive line.So, lots of needs to address with lots of
picks. The Bengals have several options as to how they fill these needs, and
these players represent their best options pending on what they try to address
first. Day 1QB - Dwayne HaskinsOklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray will be long
gone by the time the Bengals pick, but rumors are swirling that Haskins may be
available. Haskins is an accurate passer who distributed the ball well to a
plethora of talented Ohio State wide receivers. He is not a scrambler in the
mold of most modern NFL quarterbacks, but is a talented passer from inside the
pocket.TE - T.J. HockensonHockenson is an excellent all-around tight end. At 6-5
251 pounds, he is a superb blocker in the run game and a matchup nightmare in
the pass game. The Bengals don’t need to find a starting tight end in this
draft, but Hockenson may be the biggest offensive play maker available. The
combination of Hockenson and a healthy Eifert would make the Bengals extremely
hard to defend. OT - Jonah WilliamsWashington’s Andre Dillard and Florida’s
Jawaan Taylor have risen up the charts over the last several weeks, but Williams
started there for a reason. Williams has excellent film and is still just 21
years old. The Alabama tackle already has good feet and a great strike, and he’s
only going to get better. He would be the ideal fit for the Bengals right tackle
spot. EDGE - Brian BurnsBurns is not getting as much attention as some of the
other edges in the class, but he has an incredible talent for pass rush. Burns
has a great initial burst off the line of scrimmage which puts offensive tackles
in a bind almost immediately. He is not just a speed rusher. He has a
well-developed array of pass rush moves. His most impressive quality however is
his flexibility. He stands out amongst his peers for his ability to bend around
the edge as a pass rusher. LB - Devin BushPersonally
Tyler Boyd Jersey , I would much prefer Devin White, but it is looking like he will be the Buccaneers or Raiders’ pick long before the Bengals have a
shot at him. Bush, who is an athletic linebacker with sideline-to-sideline
playmaking ability, is an excellent consolation prize. He is talented as a pass
defender as well, which is something the Bengals sorely need in this position
group. Bush may be a bit of a reach at this juncture to some, but is the likely
pick when it’s all said and done.Day 2QB - Will GrierGrier was a popular name
coming into the season, but many got off of him. Some question his arm, but it
is strong enough. He makes good reads and anticipates throws. His accuracy and
ball placement are very good on short and medium range throws, but less reliable
on deep balls. Having said that, he has been more of a gunslinger than other
quarterbacks in this class and can create with his feet. He seems to have an
X-factor that can make this all work together. TE - Jace SternbergerForget Noah
Fant and Irv Smith Jr., Sternberger is the second best tight end in this class.
He is an excellent pass catcher with the athletic ability to dominate
linebackers and safeties alike. He does however need work as a blocker and at
6-4 250 pounds he may never be dominant in that area. He is, however, a terrific
playmaker and someone is going to get away with robbery by getting this guy in
the second or third round. OT - David EdwardsThe 6-7 315-pound Wisconsin tackle
has everything that teams look for in an offensive tackle. He is big and long,
but still moves incredibly will. He can get a little aggressive and off balance
at times in the run game, but he gets great movement. Edwards shows excellent
athletic ability cutting off backside pursuit. Dalton Risner will be a popular
name at the top of the second round, but the Kansas State tackle likely won’t
make it to the Bengals’ pick. EDGE - Jachai PolitePolite had some early
buzz
Carl Lawson Jersey , but then dropped down most analysts’ boards and personally I don’t understand why. Yes, his week at the NFL combine was bad, but
he does some really nice things on film. He can get after the quarterback
rushing the edge and is a strong run defender. He has a little bit of Carl
Lawson in him, but is probably better against the run. Polite would be an
excellent addition to the Bengals pass rush and gives them another player who
can do Lawson-esque things if Lawson gets injured. LB - Germaine PrattPratt’s
film should make him one of the top linebackers in this class, but for whatever
reason, he is not getting that much attention. At 6’3” 240, he has the size
team’s covet and is an exceptional athlete. He can make plays from sideline to
sideline and totaled 104 tackles as a senior. Pratt has all of the tools to make
an immediate impact in the NFL. Even if the Bengals get one of the Devins in
round one, they should consider doubling down on the position and adding Pratt
later on.Day 3QB - Brett RypienRypien is a four-year starter who had his best
season in 2018. He completed over 67% of his passes and threw for over 3,700
yards and 30 touchdowns. He played in a complex offense at Boise State that
required a lot out of the quarterback mentally. When all is said and done, he
could end up as one of the top quarterbacks in this draft class.TE - Foster
MoreauWhat the Bengals are missing at the tight end position is a blocker and
that is what Moreau is best at. Moreau will help open holes for Joe Mixon and
could be useful in pass protection as well. He is an athletic player who could
very well contribute as a pass catcher as well, but saw limited use in this area
at LSU. OT - Trey Pipkins Pipkins is a big man from a small school. The 6-6 309
pound tackle was a star at Division II University of Sioux Falls. He has the
strength and flexibility to develop into a quality NFL player. His biggest issue
is level of competition, but he proved at the Shrine Game that he was capable of
competing with the best of the best. EDGE - Wyatt RayRay is a bit undersized but
he can get after the quarterback. He has a great initial step and tenaciously
attacks the quarterback. He is lacking in flexibility, but has the burst to
function as a rotational player in the NFL. Ray had a great 2018, posting 11.5
sacks for the season.LB - Ben Burr-KirvenComing off a monster year at Washington
with 176 tackles, Burr-Kirven is poised to make a splash in the NFL. At 6-0 230
pounds, he is a bit undersized
Womens Michael Johnson Jersey , but he is an excellent athlete who ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the combine. The Bengals need to look for athletic and
productive linebackers like this. Last year the group not only had problems in
coverage, they failed to make open-field tackles after the ball was caught,
allowing the opposing offense to pick up even more yardage. Burr-Kirven solves
both of those problems. When Bengals defensive back Shawn Williams flattened
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, many assumed that the foul and ensuing ejection
arose from application of the new rule against lowering the helmet and
initiating contact against an opponent. But that’s not the case.According to the
league, the foul and the ejection both came from a finding of unnecessary
roughness.While it’s ultimately a distinction without a difference in this
specific case, it’s an important to remember what is and isn’t a violation of
the new helmet rule. Williams apparently initiated contacted not with his helmet
but with his shoulder, even though helmet-to-helmet contact definitely happened.
An argument also could be made that the helmet contact was inadvertent, since
Williams didn’t strike Luck with the crown of the helmet.Still, the fact that
Luck was being tackled, the fact that Williams hit him hard enough in the head
to snap it backward, the fact that Luck is a quarterback, and the fact that he
missed all of 2017 may have been factors in the decision both to penalize and to
eject.The fact that a Bengal applied the hit also may have had something to do
with it.
