Yes the recap is late, but that is for good reason. Believe
it or not, the 12oz Pro-Spective was nominated for a journalistic Emmy, so the
entire staff went to the beach to celebrate. The sun hid from us, but the beers
did not! And now, lucky for you, we are back!
Overall
Loved it. The Bengals have quietly become one of the best
drafting teams in the NFL – though many Bengals fans are unaware of this. The
Bengals take the best available player, regardless of position and need (see
Eifert). This is the strategy that all successful organizations subscribe to
(Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New England, etc). Teams that draft on hype and need
are called Cowboys, Jets, Browns, Raiders, etc. They are also perpetual bottom
feeders at the end of every NFL season. Did the Bengals need a TE in the 1st
round? No. But name a player they could have taken at 21 that has the ability
to make more of an impact than Eifert? No one. Hence why they took him. Of
their 10 picks, the Bengals managed to find 8-9 players that have a legitimate shot
at making the opening day roster. That is highly unlikely for a team coming off
back to back playoff appearances.
What I Liked
The entire draft. I don’t have a single pick that I do not
like.
What I Didn’t Like
While I wanted a top safety (Vacarro, Elam, Reid, or
Cyprien), I understand why the Bengals did not select one given how the draft
fell. With that said, my only complaint is that I would have liked to see is a
trade up. The Bengals had 10 picks, I would have liked to see them package a
few late picks together to trade up for another pick in the 2nd or 3rd
round and get someone that could make an immediate impact, or traded a pick or
two to pick up another pick in 2014. Examples: Arthur Brown (LB, K St), Barett
Jones (C, Ala), etc.
Best Pick/Move
Eifert. I know it sounds weak to go with the 1st
round pick, but few expected Eifert to be around at 21. This was like finding a
BMW half off! Eifert will provide a dimension to the Bengals offense that they
have never had. Dalton’s weakness is his arm strength and deep ball. What he
can excel at is shorter passes to bigger targets. That is exactly what Eifert,
Gresham, and Green give him. This is a perfect pick for a QB like Dalton.
Most Questionable Pick/Move
I don’t think there were any questionable picks, however, given
the Bengals need for a safety in a safety deep draft, the pick that will
receive the most scrutiny is the selection of Shawn Williams. He lacked the
name recognition of some of the other safeties and was selected 1-2 rounds
later than most thought the Bengals would take a safety. Whether he works out
or not, I agree with the Bengals 3 selections before him.
Best Pick that Few will Talk About
Reid Fragel. He played his first 3 years at TE and asked to
be moved to OT. In his one year at OT, he held his own in the meat and potatoes
Big 10. Rarely do you expect much out of a 7th round pick, so a 7th
round pick can never be a bust. However, Fragel has a decent shot at starting
in the next 2-3 years, andn therefore this is a 7th round pick that
could turn out to be difference maker. If he ends up being a starting OT in the
NFL, this is a steal of a pick.
The Pick with the Biggest Bust Potential
By definition, I don’t believe a pick later than the 2nd
round can ever be a bust. Therefore the only options are Eifert, Bernard, and
Hunt. I don’t see Eifert being a bust. He has the size, the skills, and the
character to be successful. Hunt is a project, so there is a chance he may not
work out. However, I have a tough time labeling a guy picked as a “project” at
the end of the second round as a bust. That leaves Bernard. I think Bernard
will be a very successful back in the NFL, but, if I must select a bust
potential, he would be my selection. Here is why: 1) he has had some injuries,
2) has built his numbers playing in a weaker football conference (ACC), and 3)
he was the first RB selected in a RB deep draft, therefore he will constantly
be compared to Bell, Ball, Lacy, Franklin, etc. He could be successful, but if
those drafted after him are more successful, he will constantly be compared to
them.
Pick-By-Pick Analysis
Round 1
Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
Great pick.
Why I Like It: The Best teams in football (Steelers,
Patriots, Ravens, etc) do not draft based on need, they take the best player
available. The Bengals took the best player available with Eifert. Eifert was
considered a top 10 overall player on most draft experts boards, so to get him
at 21 was a steal. Did they need a TE? No. But is their offense tougher to
defend because of this selection? Absolutely. Getting Eifert is just as good as
a stud 2nd WR. Look at the difficulties teams like NE, Denver, New
Orleans, etc create with a 2 TE set. Think about a defense trying to defend
this lineup (especially on the goal line): Green (6’4”), Gresham (6’5”), Eifert
(6’6”), Hawkins (or Sanu – 6’2”), and Bernard. At least 1 player (likely Bernard
or one of the TEs – possibly both) will be covered by a LB and one of the other
players will get a Safety. Advantage Bengals. This move also protects the
Bengals if they can’t (or elect not to) resign Gresham next year.
Great pick.
Why I Like It: The Bengals got their top RB (any many
experts top RB) with the 37th overall pick. That alone is good. As a
player though, Bernard adds a dimension to this team that they have lacked
since Chris Perry, and that is a RB that can catch out of the backfield. Bernard
had 92 catches in his 2 year college career and 5 receiving TDs in 2012. When
the Bengals offense has been its best (1988 and 2005), they have had a RB that can
catch and run (James Brooks and Chris Perry). Bernard provides that again. Oh,
and by the way, he can also run the ball…Bernard had 1,200+ yards in each of
his 2 college seasons, averaging 5.2 and 6.7 ypc respectively, and scoring 25
rushing TDs in 2 years. While he may be
used this year more as a change of pace guy or a 3rd down back, don’t
be mislead, this is a complete RB.
The Critics: Wanted a Safety or Eddie Lacy. At 37 the safety
pool was thinner than it was at 21. At this point the top 4 were gone (Vacarro,
Reid, Elam, and Cyprien) and it was a drop off from there. Also, going back to
the impact, no remaining safety would have the ability to impact this team like
Bernard. Others wanted Lacy. I would ask why? Lacy has injury problems and got
the benefit of running behind an NFL line that would have made any RB look
good. North Carolina does not exactly have 5 NFL quality lineman, yet Bernard
still got 1,200+ in both of his seasons at UNC. Obviously the Bengals were not
the only ones concerned with Lacy either. If he were so good, he would not have
been the 4th RB taken and would not have slipped to the back of the
2nd round.
I loved it.
Why I Loved It: This was a luxury pick. A luxury the Bengals
were in the position to afford. Hunt is a raw talent that many had going in the
first round and becomes a project for Zimmer. At nearly 6’9”, Hunt runs a 4.6
40 yd dash and had 17 blocked kicks…..you read that correctly, 6’9”, 4.6 and 17
F$%#ing blocked kicks! Hunt is raw, but he can be developed behind Dunlap, MJ,
and Gilberry and serves as insurance if the Bengals loose one or all next year
in free agency. Hunt will make the team, if for no other reason than to play on
the FG and XPT block team. If you think highly of what Zimmer can do, imagine
what he might be able to do with this guy.
The Critics: I’m sure some wanted a safety here as well, but
see my explanations above. The way the draft fell, the Bengals just did not
have a good opportunity for the safeties we (fans) all coveted.
Shawn Williams, Strong Safety, Georgia
Ok pick.
While I can’t say I knew much about him prior to the draft
or have ever seen him play, what I do know is that he is a hard hitting sure
tackler. Reggie Nelson is a good FS, so what the Bengals needed was a good SS.
From all accounts, Williams fits that mold. He is a question mark in coverage
(like Taylor and Crocker), but he won’t be asked to cover too much. Nelson or a
nickel corner will be doing that.
The Critics: At this point the critics (fans) can’t complain
because 99.5% of fans have never seen these guys – or the guys they are
screaming for – play. Therefore, from rounds 3-7 the critics will be ignored.
From rounds 4-7, even yours truly doesn’t know much, so we
simply touch on the reasons behind the picks.
Round 4
Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M
Picked to provide depth at LB, a position the Bengals really
need depth. Will likely be battling with Dontay Moch to backup Harrison and be
asked to contribute on special teams.
Round 5
Tanner Hawkinson, OT, Kansas
Solid pick. Whitworth is getting older and hasn’t been as
solid the past 2 years. The Bengals need to start developing tackles to
possibly replace him. The selection of Hawkinson was likely the beginning of
that process.
Round 6
Rex Burkhead, RB, Nebraska
Solid pick as a roster filler. Burkhead is limited
athletically, but had a very productive college career at Nebraska and is an
exceptional character guy. If not for an injury his senior year, Burkhead
likely would have been drafted before the 6th round. He has a chance
to stick as the 4th RB, if not, would be a good candidate for the
practice squad.
Cobi Hamilton, WR, Arkansas
Good pick. At first glance I was a bit surprised to see the
Bengals take a WR in round 6. However, Hamilton has a chance to stick. He has decent
size and speed (6’2” 212 lbs and 4.57 40yd dash) but had an excellent season
his senior year in the SEC with a subpar Arkansas squad (90 catches, 1,300+
yards and 5 TDs). Likely in a battle with guys like Ryan Whalen for the 5th
and 6th WR spot. Will need to show the ability to contribute on
special teams.
Round 7
Reid Fragel, OT, Ohio State
Great pick. This could end up being the steal of the 2013
draft. As I said before, the Bengals need to start thinking about the future of
their LT position. They don’t need a
replacement now, but may in a few years, which is exactly the timeline of when
one could expect Fragel to start contributing. The guy is a raw athletic (nearly
6’8” 308 lbs) freak that spent 3 years at TE for OSU before moving to OT his
senior year. Still has a lot of work to do, but is another project the Bengals
can afford because of guys like Roland and Collins. Likely to make the team as
one of the last OL and will be developed behind Whitworth or Smith with the
thought to have him start 2-3 years down the road. Roland may be worried as
Fragel could cut into his niche role as the “tackle eligible” man! Few 7th
round picks come with the potential of a guy like Fragel.
TJ Johnson, C, South Carolina
Indifferent. He is a 7th round center that will
be a long shot to make the team, but may be a possibility for the practice
squad. Was a 4 year starter in the SEC for a solid South Carolina team, so you
would think he has the potential to develop. However, with Cooke and Robinson
fighting for the starting center position, a 3rd center would have
to be able to play OG and/or OT. 
No comments:
Post a Comment