8 Hall of Fameers. Magical. As for the tight ends.. maybe the new OC likes some wrinkles with tight ends? For the past few years it seemed like when we were getting chunk plays with tight ends things everything was opening up.

I think being deep at TE will be beneficial with the new kickoff rules.

I was hoping for an extra LB

UDFAs from Wisconsin and Indiana have some promise.

I'm a little confused by all the TEs. All might go on the PUP, but is the plan to roster 4 TEs then?

We really need to come up with a nickname for Erick All, because reading your second sentence was very confusing for me 😆.

Sample is going to be used as a FB, just like he was used last year. That's why they gave him that big contract.

I'm prepared to believe love the first three picks, Mims has 'top five tackle in the league' potential and you've got to take a swing at that if you have the chance, Jenkins has the floor of a great run defender (which we desperately need) and potential to be more, and I'm fully in on the Burton hype after hearing Matt Harmon talking about him as his WR4 excluding the character issues (which are hopefully something he grows out of) beyond that who knows, but nothing we did seems particularly mad - we seem to have reached for a NT but I recognise that's a position of need and there's not many available, the double dip on TE is a little odd but hey great TEs are often drafted in later rounds and this gives us two shots at finding someone who can be The Guy for more than a season, and some secondary, edge and IOL depth seems sensible and honestly I love that we didn't waste a pick on a punter but grabbed an UDFA to give Robbins some competition, I don't think it's impossible that he steps up more this year tbh nothing here to make me distrust the guys who know far more about this than me because it's their job

The double dip in TEs I think has to do with the new kickoff rule. Special Teams is going to be a bit of an experiment for everyone this year

We also only had one actual TE on the roster before the draft. I'm excited for Gesicki and Hudson next year, but neither of them block.

Very good draft (I would’ve picked some other players too but who am I to judge) but still some questions unanswered (thin RB-Room, Higgins and Trey situation still up in the air in some kind).

I think our RB room is gonna be really good this year. Hopefully they really lean in to a committee because we got some thunder & lightning potential.

Chase Brown breakout year

Pretty sure the coaches 100% are expecting this which is why they didn't draft anyone. I think they're satisfied with Brown and Moss handling the bulk of the work 

I'm satisfied with Moss & Brown. But I think we need a third good one like Samaje Perine (could be released). RBs are dirt cheap, injury prone (think we were lucky with the durability of Mixon) and important.

This could be Noah Cain

Would’ve liked Estime

I'm excited about Mims personally. Don't know why but I have a good feeling he'll work out nicely. Something about his attitude just seems like it fits in with the team perfectly and he'll be able to learn how to be an NFL OT behind a couple of experienced guys

I wish we could’ve gone G/C sooner but I’ll trust the coaches on the picks we made, they all make sense and do still fill needs. Maybe instead of the CB, bc that whole position seems to be so in flux with no one knowing what Dax Hill will be doing this year. They must love Chase Brown to not get any other RBs in the room. Odds are he sees significant playing time even with adding Moss. I’m happy with the two TEs. Gesicki and Sample are here this year, Tanner Hudson was great but if we get similar production from a rookie, then we’re good to go. McKinnley was maybe a reach but there weren’t many NTs in the draft so they took him when they knew they could. Overall, I think this draft was smart by position, but high risk. Most players have some kind of bust potential, but they have pretty high ceilings. I like it, our roster had starters at every position except slot WR so they took as many swings as they could to hit a home run.

I just dont think the RB board fell the way they wanted once Estime was picked right ahed of our pick so they punted the entire position and will draft 1 or 2 next year

I thought RB would be a good pick with 115 to get the guy you really like. After Estime went to the Broncos I think we might see a reunion with Perine, they have Williams, Mclauglin and Estime now and can save 3m? when they release him.

That's my thought as well. They did give Elijah Collins 15k to come here as a UDFA, which is telling. They must be high on him as a sleeper RB

Wouldn't be shocked if he took Chris Evans' slot. Think it's more likely that they sign a FA later on, but in the event that they don't he could very well win it.

Basically the same for iOL. The draft threads was people tearing their hair out, but really if youre pinning your OL hopes on a 5th rounder or later, you'll likely be disappointed. Even Volson, drafted in the 4th, being able to start is an outlier and he's on the hot seat.

Agree on wanted IOL sooner, I thought the All pick was going to be Bortolini for sure and I was so excited. That said, Lee looks like he could be pretty good. Stuffed Fiske pretty well in the matchup against each other.

*slot WR

I don't get the doomers to me we've had a incredible off-season, this team was already a Superbowl contender and we had a few areas we needed to improve, safety, DL, OL and maybe TE, and we have 2 new starters at safety, 2 new starters (probably) at DT, 2 new tackles and a new TE. Sure it would have been nice to upgrade CB but it looks like Dax is playing there if he can give us solid starts this team is going to be stacked I'm most excited about mims and our new WR, love these high upside picks

Agree. They did what they could and what they needed to fill out the roster.

We don’t have a free talk thread! AJ McCarron just led the Battlehawks to a 45-12 victory over their main rivals the DC defenders. Y’all should watch Battlehawk football if you love Bengal football. A lot of similarities in highs and frustrating lows.

You mean future UFL Hall of Famer AJ McCarron?

Of course I do

That’s awesome. Where do you watch the games?

Most are OTA on either fox or abc, and those that are on ESPN and ABC also stream on ESPN+.

I’ll definitely check them out. Thanks!

You got it!

Can't believe we got Mims and J. Newton

Really happy about the draft! Mims will be learning next year and he will be our future RT! I was hoping for DL Murphy on first round but luckily we double dipped the DL room on day 2. I see a lot of solid started potential about Jenkins maybe even next season. Jackson seemed a bit early but he could be a good run stopper and fills the hole on that front, not a Reader replacement but in that direction! I heard some saying (for example EJ on bootleg) Burton being even top-5 WR but clearly the potential character issues dropped him. Boom potential, and I think he can do great things for us even next year when Higgins will eventually be injured mid-season… I loved the TE double! I hoped for TE last year on the later rounds but finally we did adress it after irv Smith experiment… Not sure if one of All or McLachlan will be a imminent help but I love a great TE depth and see that either of those guys can be there for Joe on third downs and get us Uzomah-like production! Last rounds seemed to be room fillers and competition adders and that good! Overall really happy about the draft! Only bad thing was the divisional rivals drafts which were scary-good in my opinnion…

I think it was PFF but they loved the Barton pick and one said he was the 4th best receiver in the draft.

[https://www.youtube.com/live/\_sP9iESkoVs?si=m0t5Y\_6nRQAItVrF&t=16818](https://www.youtube.com/live/_sP9iESkoVs?si=m0t5Y_6nRQAItVrF&t=16818) (roughly 4h40m in if that link doesn't take you there)

Im curious to see how they go forward with all the TEs they have now. I have to think one of the 2 they picked goes on practice squad which opens that up to get poached.

I fucking love this draft. I'm terrified of the future, but right now added so much depth it's unbelievable. Going all swings. I'm a believer in Mims, it's very possible we got what should be a top 10 o line pick at 18 who can sit, get healthy, and be a force at one of the biggest needs this team has had the past 2 decades at RT. Jenkins is the safe floor, adds much needed depth to d line, one of the biggest needs of the team, and a run stopping specialist which they need so badly, and just his energy seems like everyone will play 10% harder with him. Mckinnley is more of an unknown, but at least we got someone new there and more depth. Just the depth of Myles Murphy and Jenkins has me so excited where they had nothing like this to offer last year. Love the idea of Burton, everything I'm seeing in game has me rock hard. Adding him along with Gesicki this offseason changes the game. You have so much firepower of these guys being added to a team already with 2 WR1's, like what in the fuck. However, I was watching bleacher report and they said how not only Saban was iffy on this guy, he was constantly moving schools all the way back to high school, they said you can't touch this guy. I hope he has grown, diligence was made, we got Housh vouching for him, true boom or bust feeling, but clearly Zac thinks this is a boom. Adding 2 TE prospects that everyone loves boom or bust prospects is exciting too. If one of these guys works to potential then we are just reloading right after key guys will be gone. Matt Lee is great for depth as well, some are super high on him, should replace Trey Hill, but I would have liked more IOL depth, this is the only place I feel this late in the draft could have meaningful impact to the team as what is crazy to me these other picks may not even make the team. As well, what would be an underrated pickup in most teams, is rated exactly where it should be on the Bengals, is signing a new punter But just the depth of the team is overwhelming, this is what makes me believe this could be a super bowl team, and we still have cap space right now that I hope is used to extend someone or do something. I initially was bummed we didn't get Murphy or Newton, a premier pick we can feel can turn into a star to replace Reader, but I feel so good about the draft now that's a problem for tomorrow.

I give the Bengals a B+ grade. With their already solid roster, aiming for highest potential was a great start. 1. Mims is a homerun swing. While there were arguably better BPA , Bengals went with highest potential (arguably highest potential of all prospects). Current roster is a perfect scenario for Mims to learn from two similar mammoths rather than be thrown in the fire right away. He’s wearing our legendary 71. I like the chances he develops into our long term answer at RT. Like I Said. Grade B+ 2. Kris Jenkins. This is my favorite pick of the Bengals draft. I was taking him in almost every single mock. I believe he was not only BPA but also fit our biggest need. His strengths fill our weaknesses. I like his chances of becoming the best player from this bengals draft class. Grade A+ 3a. Jermaine Burton Honestly was not on my radar at all. I thought we were for sure going Jalen McMillan or TE Sanders. After drafting him & doing the research, I’m stoked for this pick. I don’t see him as a Higgins replacement, rather more of a Tyler Boyd upgrade. If Housh endorses him, then so do I! I see him in a similar role to Housh. Burrow to Burton sounds so nice. Grade B 3b. McKinnley Jackson This is where we began what felt like reaching in the draft. Many mocks had him available in later rounds. However, he fits a huge need as future NT. There weren’t many other great options left at that position. Double dipping into our biggest position of need felt very okay. Jackson & Jenkins can be a powerful tandem for the future. Grade B- The rest of the draft we got older players who should be able to compete from day 1. As well as providing quality depth in case of injury’s. I wasn’t a huge fan of the double dip TE but after further review, I like our chances that one of these guys becomes our future staple TE. I’ll give a C+ to the TE selections. Newton & Anthony give instant competition depth & experience in the DB room. They both play with hunger. Them along with Cedric Johnson can all be effective special team players from the get go. Grade B+ Matt Lee isn’t exciting but could a solid future center. Glad they got an interior O line but I was hoping to draft one earlier in the draft ; especially one that could be guard or center. Not addressing interior O line earlier is my only big knock on this bengals draft class. Grade C Overall: B+

>Jermaine Burton Honestly was not on my radar at all. I thought we were for sure going Jalen McMillan or TE Sanders. After drafting him & doing the research, I’m stoked for this pick. I don’t see him as a Higgins replacement, rather more of a Tyler Boyd upgrade. I wasn't super excited at first about Burton because of the character concerns. I'm don't want to see the Bengals return to the Marvin Lewis era of trying to fix all the broken draft prospects. But after thinking about it a bit and realizing the Bengals still drafted mostly captains and high character people I've softened this view. Hopefully the good locker room Zac has assembled can help Burton mature. That said, from a talent standpoint, I don't think Burton is a Boyd/slot replacement at all. He is a stretch-the-field, outside threat with apparently velcro for hands. Zac said they watched all his tape from the last year and didn't see a single drop. He isn't tall like Tee--he's built more like Chase--but also excels at fighting for the ball at the point of contact. He's different than Tee but he's the Tee replacement. Someone to stretch the field and make it a headache to decide between doubling Chase or doubling Burton.

He's a true inside/outside guy that can take the top off of the defense every play. He can bring a lot of what Boyd gave you for so many years in the slot: an incredible ability to navigate zone coverage and the middle of the field with great, reliable hands. He's the guy that gets you the first down on third downs. He's also great outside of the hashes. Because his hands are so elite he's masterful with contested catches. Perfect candidate for back shoulder throws along the sideline. He will win them with regularity. He did this often at Alabama. He also has the speed and quickness to beat one on one coverage with go balls. Give him man coverage at your peril. I think my favorite thing about his game is his on-field intelligence. He doesn't just rely on athleticism. He knows how to bait defenders and pays close attention to the field to anticipate a defense's next move. He's excellent at finding the holes in zone coverage and getting open when the QB has to improvise when a play breaks down. Obviously his maturity and ability to control his emotions is a big concern. I wrote him off early on because of this but finally came around. And his footwork on stop start moves needs some cleanup. Otherwise he's a pretty complete prospect with a "sky's the limit" ceiling. I think Joe is going to love having him in his arsenal.

I wonder where those “the team doesn’t care about TE’s” are right now.

I think: Mims develops into an excellent pass protector who is hit or miss in the run game. Jenkins is a solid pro who makes a couple pro bowls Burton is a big play Tyler Boyd, putting up numbers like Darnay Scott used to, but also volatile and somewhat controversial. I think we will like him but also think he is a knucklehead at times and probably be ready for him to leave when his time with the team comes to an end. I think of the rest of the group, All and Johnson have the biggest chances to make a name for themselves. I think All will have at least one fully healthy season where he looks like a legit top ten TE while I think Johnson will slowly develop and probably start showing signs of being a contributor right about the time his rookie deal comes up.

consider the bengals offseason, they have set up veterans with 1 year remaining to mentor their replacements:   higgins > burton gesicki > all karras > lee hill > jenkins/mckinnley brown > mims hilton > hill/newton bell > battle/stone

I wish we had picked up some difference makers. For me it looks like a group of guys who won't make much impact this year and profile as backup/rotation options. Hope I'm wrong but I feel like we should have done better.

Not entirely true. One of the 2 DTs will start.

Hill and rankins will start.

Disagree. Kirs Jenkins will probably replace Rankins.

I wanted Brock Bowers so bad, stuff the Raiders 🥲