Bengals Booth Podcast: Goin' Back To Indiana

Hi again everybody.

I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading the Bengals Booth Podcast. The I'm going back to Indiana. Addition, as we head to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Coming up, you'll hear from Greg Cosel from NFL Films, Notre Dame Safety, Xavier Watts, a possible Bengals target, and NFL Network draft

Of the Bengals.

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Targeting in this year's draft.

First, a favorite guest on this podcast who is uniquely capable of discussing the state of the Bengals as well as some of the draft prospects who could eventually wind up in Orange and black. One of my favorite things about coming to the Combine every year is the opportunity to visit with a great Greg co cell. Duke Tobin held a news conference on Tuesday where he referred to the Bengals as quote, a championship caliber team, despite the fact that the Bengals have missed the playoffs the last

Well, I think the reason you say that is because they have one of the three or four best quarterbacks in the league, and they've obviously got a wide receiving corps that is high level. They've got Jamar Chase, who's, depending on one's point of view, we are the first or second best receiver in football. So I think that that's kind of where it starts. And Burrow is so

In my view, don't put them in the category.

As we sit here, you know, late in February, as they're a championship team.

I think there's too many questions right now.

They've missed the playoffs because their defense wasn't good enough. They were one of the top scoring teams in the league. You assume that will continue to be the case as long as Joe Burrow is in Cincinnati and healthy. What stood out to you about their deficiencies on defense when you watch the Bengals last year.

I think there's a number of them.

I mean I think that, you know, I love Trey Hendrickson, and I know he's under contract for another year. You know, he's grossly underpaid. We'll see how all that plays out. But he's a really good pass rusher. He lived the league in sacks, did he not. Yeah, he's really good, you know. I think that On the other side, that's an open question. And with what they're probably going to line up with at de tackle right now, younger players who are not true pass rushers, so they need another

Them last year.

In previous years, I thought that Wilson and Pratt were really good duo at linebacker. We know Wilson got hurt, but I don't think he played to the same level before the injury. And I don't think Pratt played to the same level last year at all. And I had always been a Pratt guy based on tape, but it just wasn't there. And then the second part of that equation was the secondary. The secondary was problematic.

We know that, we don't have to guess that because they.

Ben Taylor Bread two or three times, So that told you right there. So they ended up playing the rookie Newton from TCU, who, by the way, I really liked his college tape and I thought he played well down the stretch when he played. But clearly the secondary was a little bit of a revolving door and it was an issue. And unfortunately Hill got hurt. He made the transition to corner, and I loved him as a potential

They have to figure out too.

That's what the OTAs and the mini camps and training camps are for. And again with the draft coming up in free agency, they'll probably some other players in the mix.

We're visiting with Greg Cosell.

You put together awesome draft scouting reports on these guys. I know you've been grinding the tape. From the draft gurus that I've talked to here in Indianapolis, there seems to be a consensus that it's a good year to draft a defensive lineman. The Bengals have a need. Okay, so let's start there. Defensive tackle is an area where the Bengals can find somebody.

And it's funny you say that because look, they drafted Chris Jenkins, they drafted McKinley Jackson, two players who I like on tape, but I wouldn't call either one a pass rusher in a strict sense. Now again, you don't need two dtackles who were great pass rushers. But I think as we saw and again, very often teams look at Super Bowl type teams or teams that get there and think that, hey, you know, maybe this is a month look at what.

The Eagles did.

I mean, we know Jalen Carter is, he's a great player, but Milton Williams opposite Jalen Carter, he got a lot of.

One on ones and he won them.

See it's easy to say, oh, well, you know Jalen Carter's on the other side, but you still got to win the one on ones. And Milton Williams, who, by the way, is a free agent, and you know again he could get twenty one to twenty two million dollars a year. He could be in high demand. I'm not saying the Bengals are going to look to him. Who knows, but he can rush the quarterback. But this is a

From the guys you've studied who fits that description Among the defensive tackles.

Well, depending on where you want to draft. My favorite detail, and I've done a good number of them. I love the Walter Nolan kid from All miss You know the way I think about you and how I do this. Obviously, you have to look at a player's traits and attributes when you evaluate a college player, But then I think about the NFL because that's ultimately.

What we're doing.

Then we're trying to project and transition guys to play at the next level, not how they play on Saturday, how they play on Sunday. And I really can't find any higher level D tackles in the NFL that don't have a strong power element to their game. And Mason Graham is a fun, fun watch. Okay, he's a lot of fun, but he doesn't have a big power element to his game. So again, that doesn't mean in three years he won't, you know, you never know that stuff.

So it's a big d tackle draft.

The Bengals have the seventeenth pick. My suspicion is if they had a defensive tackle that they felt was worthy of that selection, that would probably be their inclination. But they need pass rushers too. As you mentioned, how is that in this draft?

It's pretty good and I have a feeling, Look, this is an odd draft because it's not a quarterback draft and it's not a.

Wide receiver draft.

So what I've spoken to people who tell me in a normal year there's fifteen to eighteen players with first round grades.

This year I'm hearing there's ten. But the point is you have to draft.

You know, there's thirty two teams that have to draft in the first round, so you have to draft. So you know, there are players like Nick Gourton from A and M, who actually led the Big Ten in sacks last year at Purdue and then transfer to A and M.

He's an interesting player. He's like six four, two eighty.

I mean, my guess is he's in that range of seventeen and he shows flashes where he could be a quality edge pass rusher. Then there's a lot of guys who are like his teammate at A and M is a kid named Shamir Stewart. You've probably heard of that name. He's a freak, but he doesn't know how to rush the quarterback. But he's six five, two eighty one, and when you put on his tape and watch him run people down, you think you're watching his safety.

And his arms are like thirty.

Five and a half, and you know that means something in the scouting business. So I mean, is he going to be there at seventeen. I certainly don't know that. No one knows that, but there are there are going to be players to take at seventeen, either a d tackle or at d end. It just depends on who you like and what flavor you like.

It's not a wide receiver draft, as you mentioned. Is it a tight end draft?

Yes.

I think there's four that are really to me high, high level intriguing, and then there's fifteen that are going to play in the league for sure. And I think the four are Loveland from Michigan, who's not going to work out here. In fact, I saw him speaking. He's his left arms and his slaying. He's almost like a wide receiver type. There's Tyler Warren, who I did last summer as well, and I love that kid.

I think he's the best all around tight en. He's not going to be there at seventeen, not this draft.

And then you have Mason Taylor from LSU, who's Jason Taylor's son, really intriguing player and the kid who to me is totally ascending, and it would it wouldn't surprise me if in two, three, four years we're talking about him among the best in the league. As the kid from Miami Arroyo, Elijah Royo. That kid is a freakish athlete. And he's not a terrible blocker, but he's a freakish athlete. And I saw him speaking today. He looks the part too. I mean you just see the body type, you know.

Fifteen guys they're going to play in the league.

I don't know if they're quote unquote number one tight ends, but they're gonna play in the league.

The Bengals drafted Eric All last year out of Iowa. He was tremendous. Unfortunately he re injured his knee. It's significant enough that he's going to miss this entire season. But did you see enough of him from his time in Cincinnati to thank boy, if this guy could stay healthy, they've got something.

Yeah, he was the Michigan, Iowa kid who's kind of fell under the radar a bit because you know, he didn't catch a ton in Michigan, didn't catch a ton at Iowa because they have multiple tight ends who are obviously very good, and they don't have a great passing game, as you know at Iowa, you know, you being in Big ten country. So I'm really I thought all it was a really all choose me, not all at all. Was an intriguing guy. And it's a shame. I didn't know until you just told me that he's going to

We're visiting with Greg Cosell. I want to circle back to Trey Hendrickson. As you mentioned, he did lead the NFL in sacks this year with seventeen and a half, second year in a row he's had seventeen and a half. Is he strictly one of the best pass rushers in the NFL? Or do you consider him to be one of the top defensive ends all around?

I mean I would lean toward the latter part there. I mean, is he the best run defender we've seen? No, but I don't think that's a weakness in his game. But he's a really good pass you know. And it's funny I spoke about power with d tackles, it's true with d ns as well. I'm fortunate that I've been able to go to the O Line Masterminds event, which is in Frisco, Texas, every year in July, and Duke Mannywether does a great job and he brings in prison

Knows a little more about playing offensive line than I do. And he said to me, it's all about power.

He said, all these guys that want to dance and try to run around me, I can deal with that all day long, because at some point they got to get through me.

He says, I'm there. If they want to dance, more power to him.

And I think what is so impressive about Hendrickson bringing it back to him is he can win by just going right through the chest to people. And at the end of the day, if you don't have a power element as a pass rusher in this league, it's really hard.

To be concident.

I mean, you're dealing with the guy that's, you know, had seventeen plus sacks two years in a row. Even before that, he put up good sack numbers. I mean, he's got a strong power element to his game.

And one thing he does not do is dance.

No, he does not do that. He does not do that.

The Bengals new defensive coordinator, he's been at Notre Dame for the last three years, has plenty of NFL experience, including being the Bengals linebackers coach when they went to the Super Bowl in the twenty twenty one season. As you have studied college tape, Notre Dame players, teams that have played against Notre Dame, anything stand out to you about those great defenses he had at Notre Dame.

You know, it's funny you just mentioned Al Golden because something just popped into my head about a de tackle who's going to be coming off an injury who played at Notre Dame. But I loved his tape, and that's Riley Mills, and obviously Al Golden knows him really well. I really like that kid's tape. He's probably six six,

I forget what his injury is, so I don't know if he's going.

To be ready to play, you know, early, but it's probably going to impact his draft status.

My guess is you could get.

Him in the fourth or fifth round, sixth round maybe, whereas he probably in my mind, would have been a top ninety.

Player for sure.

So just when you mentioned Golden, he knows him really really well, you know.

And the other.

Question is, you know, who's gonna line who's gonna line up a safety.

For So Jordan Battle is a lock. This will be his third NFL.

Season him as a starting safety.

Yes, really came on last year toward the end of the year after a good rookie.

Year safety though, Yeah, I mean, because the other thing is, you got the Xavier Watts kid, who you know, Golden knows really well, who is a true multi dimensional player, and he's worthy of a top sixty pick in the draft. And you know, so obviously I'm not saying they're going to do that, you know, but Al Golden knows him well, and that's the kind of you know, look, I don't know what.

Else gonna do. You know.

Obviously, college and the NFL are totally different animals, and Al's been in the NFL, so he kind of knows that. But I mean, you're seeing a lot more split safety looks. You're seeing safeties that have to be far more multi dimensional. It's hard to live in this world now where a safety can only let's say, play in the box, which is the strength of Jordan Battle.

So you know, I don't know, I don't know what they're going to do at the position.

I don't know how Al's going to see it, but you know, Xavier Watts is a really intriguing player as well.

Gino Stone is the other safety at least right.

Now post safety. See see right now. This is just my sense from tape study. You know, again, this coaching staff will do their work and they're with those guys every day, but my sense of their safety position now is they've got a post safety in a box safety.

And they're not really that interchangeable.

And I think in today's NFL, I don't know if you can live in that world.

Every week, I peppered Xavier Watts with a bunch of questions about possibly being reunited with Al Golden in Cincinnati. He would be a natural the Bengals second round pick forty nine. I don't know if he'll be there, but Xavier Watts is well aware of the fact that a lot of people have made that connection that it would be a natural.

Yeah.

And like I said, I mean I had a conversation you know, at the combine here this year with a dB coach. He actually focuses on safeties and that's one of the things you know that he talked about, is it's hard.

To live in a world now where.

Safeties are just in a sense one dimensional, and how they can play well. And again I'm not you know, I obviously did Jordan Battle coming out. I've seen him with Cincinnati. He's he's the kind of kid you want to play. I mean, he's smart, he's aware, he's savvy, but he just has a certain set of traits, you know.

So we'll see how they view that.

And you know, if they view it seriously enough, they certainly could decide to take a safety in the second round. It's a pretty there's gonna be some interesting safeties in this draft.

You know.

Again, the kid who's probably the most fascinating is the South Carolina kid nick Him and Wari because he's six three, two twenty And I had a coach tell me that in his mind, he's exactly like Javon Holland, who's a really good player. So you know, again, it all depends, you know, We just don't know what Al's going to do at this point. You know, he's he's a value. You know what guys do. They start by evaluating their talent before they go to free agency in the draft.

I'm pinballing around with Greg Cosel. I want to get your thoughts on Chase Brown. He shared the running back position for about the first half of the season until Zach Moss got hurt, and then over the final eight games that he played more than ninety combined rushing and receiving yards in every game he had double digit touchdowns. What do you think of Chase Brown and the element that he has added to Cincinnati's offense.

I like Chase Brown, and I think, you know, it's funny. Every team is different and every situation is different. The way the Bengals run offense, given that they have one of the best quarterbacks in the game is and he did have many games where he had twenty plus carries, But they don't need a foundation back in the way that let's say Derek Henry's a foundation back or sae Quon Barkley is a foundation back.

Yes.

Are there games where it plays out where he's going to get twenty four carries? Yes, But the goal I imagine for their offenses not oh, we better get Chase Brown twenty four carries. But he's capable of that. I think he fits really well within their offense. I like him a lot in the context of that offense. He's a better receiver than people might have thought. So Yeah, I think he's works fine. I don't think there's an issue with running back at all.

As you study quarterbacks going into the draft, has Joe Burrow become your measuring stick for processing?

Joe Burrow is in many ways my measuring stick for what you have to be as a pocket quarterback. We know he can move, and obviously he moves better than anybody thought when he came out, and we know, you know, very often he's had to move because the old line

You are somewhat of a computer chip. And Burrow is.

And I've had this conversation obviously for the last two days here at the combine regarding shudor Sanders. Obviously who the Bengals, I'm not, they don't care about that, but but you know, Burrow is the measuring stick for that kind of court. I mean, he's just and he makes it he makes it look easy. I mean, that's the thing that is amazing. And guys will tell you that

Look like it's easy.

He said, That's the best compliment you could ever given me, because it's so.

Hard, you know.

I mean, and Burrow sometimes when he just drops back and throw that, it looks like he's just out in the park, like playing with kids, you know, but he's you know, there's not going to.

Be twenty Joe Burrows that you know that.

And and that's why I always am loathed to compare guys to you know, great great players. Sometimes you can make a stylistic comparison, you know, but a true comparison, like I've heard people say Shadorth Sanders, well he's like Joe Burrow, but he's not.

I mean, I know what they mean, but he's not.

They're both right handed, right exactly.

Yeah, yeah, they both play quarterback.

Yeah, yeah, you know.

So yeah, Burrow is is is a really fun watch for me. I mean, I've evolved tremendously in my the way I evaluate quarterbacks because the game forces you to evolve, and you like, I like to think I can do that. But when I watch Burrow play, you know, and he had some games this year, I mean it just was they were ridiculous.

Obviously he had to put up you know, what do you.

Have four or five games this year, or they scored more than thirty three and they lost. You know, I mean, you know, but he just it's he's a joy for me to watch.

You're so right about how hard it is.

I have a little more leeway when I attend University of Cincinnati practices for where I can stand as opposed to a Bengals practice, So sometimes I'll stand right behind the offensive line.

And honestly, other than a screen.

Pass, I don't know how they do it with all of the traffic, the rush.

It's incredible what quarterbacks are able to do.

I'm blown away by it. And I'm even blown away by the guys who are shorter. We've kind of accepted in the league now that you can play if you're six feet six y one, although it's harder. And you know, the thing about Burrow, you and I were talking about this yesterday. Burrow, he doesn't necessarily look like a big guy on tape, Like you don't look at barn and Goo man, he's a big guy.

Some you know, Josh Allen, Hey, there's a big guy, you know. But Burrow is a big guy. You know, he's not short. He's a big guy.

And but you're right, I don't know how they how they do this, and particularly how fast they do it, you know. And one of the things, and I've had this conversation as well, but this is something I've thought about on my own, just watching college and going to some you know, certain kind of events over the years. A lot of quarterbacks now, most quarterbacks, the way they're brought up, beginning when they're ten, eleven, twelve years old,

Final thing for Greg Cosell, and I really appreciate your time. This is always a highlight in Indianapolis for me. The Bengals won their last five games last year to finish a game over five hundred. They needed some help on the final day of the season to make the playoffs. They didn't get it, as Denver beat Kansas City had they snuck in. Were you of the mind that they were going to be a real threat in the postseason?

Well, they're going to score, so yes, The question is is you know where they're going to have to win?

Thirty eight thirty five? That was going to be the question.

And those kinds of games are hard, as you know, they're hard to play every week.

I mean we just said that, you know, you know better than I.

But I think it was four or five games where they lost by scoring over thirty three. So that becomes the question is that you know, can you win in the playoffs meaningfully? Thirty eight thirty five? History says normally no. But their offense is certainly fun to watch. And I'm not sure any defensive coordinator you know will tell you that they love to play against Burrow, you know, but because he's just he's so good. So I don't know,

They're fun to broadcast, I can tell you that. And this is always so much fun for me. Or really appreciate your time. Look forward to a singing again sometime soon.

Thanks, Dan, appreciate it.

I don't think.

There's anybody I enjoy talking football with more than Greg Cosell. One of this year's draft prospects that came up in our conversation was Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts. The twenty three year old who spent five years with a fighting Irish won the Nagirsky Award as the best defensive player in the country two years ago and was a consensus All American this season. So how important was he to l Golden's great defenses at Notre Dame?

Very very important. He was an integral part of it. And obviously there's there's a comfort level when you're a play caller and you know that someone has the same heartbeat, someone understands exactly what you're looking for. So I'm excited for him and the opportunity that he has, you know, here moving forward.

Watts spoke to reporters on Thursday and was asked about his relationship with the bengals new defensive coordinator.

He's a very, very caring coach. So I mean, when guys get that type of care from a coach and when they put it in that much effort, you want to go out there and play for them.

Watt certainly made plays for the Fighting Irish, intercepting thirteen passes over the last two years.

To win the football game, you got to get the ball. I feel like coach Golden has done a great job of instilling that as me and as a team another name. So obviously when I'm out there, I'm always trying to get the ball.

But interceptions is not at the top of the list of what Coach Golden is looking for in his safeties.

Be Able to command your team, I think that's really important. You've got to be audible and demonstrative. You got to defend the deep ball really well, whether that's third half, quarter, whatever that case may be. And you've got to be a great tackle, especially in the alley. So there's more than that, but that's a good start, you know, if you could start there with those three. But anytime you want to have a great defense, you have to be

Most of the mock drafts I've looked at have Watts going in the second round, and Pro Football Focus calls him the ideal fit for Cincinnati. I asked Xavier if he's heard the scuttle but about a possible reunion with his college coach in Cincinnati.

Yeah, I mean, I've definitely seen some of the stuff. I try to stay away from it, but it's hard. While I'm always on my phone for the most part, and I'm getting taggs and mentioned in certain stuff. So I mean, I don't know how that stuff works or what's gonna happen. By the end the day, I'm just do what I need to do and then we'll see what happens in the future.

What said He did not have a formal interview scheduled with the Bengals at the Combine. But when you think about it, considering how well Al Golden already knows him, there really wasn't a need to use one of their

Couldn't be better? Awesome, very deep.

You'll be able to find starters day one, day two, and into day three, especially if you're looking for a defensive tackle. So this is one of the better I mean, the strength of this draft is edge rusher and defensive tackle.

If you guys locked down Trey.

Hendrickson, which I think is going to happen, I don't. You can't let a rusher leave. So if that happens, then you want to get better inside. This is a good draft to go get it inside as well. You got a couple talents of players. You have like three or four players in the first round defensive tackle wise that you could take a look at that would be high impact players, but it really doesn't stop there. It gets deep beyond that. So this is a really good draft.

The Bengals do not need quarterback help, as you know. So let's talk about some of those defensive linemen. I assume Mason Graham will be long gone, but some of the other defensive tackles that we're hearing about and reading about include Walter Nolan from all Miss Tyleek Williams from Ohio State, Kenneth Grant from Michigan, Dereck Harmon from Oregon. Of those guys, who do you think is most likely to still be there at seventeen and who do you like?

Well?

I think what's gonna happen with Kenneth Grant is he's gonna have a big he's gonna test well, and you're gonna have a guy who's three hundred and forty pounds run about a four to eight five four nine two forty and he's gonna look good in drills, going to do all the testing well. So he's going to shoot up, and I think he probably isn't going to be there.

Derek Harmon. Did you mention Derek Carmon. Yeah, I think Derek Carmon will be there now.

He's more of just you know, he's more of a run stuffing guy who can help your rush as a swarm unit.

He's not going to do a lot individually, but he should be there.

Walter Nolan, if he's there, I mean, you got to vet why he's there, to find out.

If there's a reason.

You know, you will have done your work by then, so you're either comfortable with him or you're not. But if he's still there, I mean, to me, he's the most explosive defensive tackle on this draft. I don't think he'll be the first one. I think it will be Mason Graham.

As you mentioned.

If Walter Nolan's there, i'd run it up. Tyler Williams. I don't know that I draft him at first, but I like him a lot, so that would be one. If you were able to trade out of the first round or move up from your second round pick, which like forty nine I believe, and move up into the earlier stages of the second round, then you can take a look at Tyler Williams.

But all I like all.

Those guys for the Bengals, I think those are I think you're on it in terms of the players who they should be looking at in those two spots, William or in that spot at one, although like I said, I think William's the guy who's probably more of a second round player, even though I like.

Him a lot.

Lanzerline from NFL Network is our guest. Let's move to some of the edge guys. I assume that Jalen Walker won't be there. Here are some of the guys that have been projected to possibly be available at number seventeen. Mike Green from Marshall, Chamar Stewart from Texas A and m James Pierce from Tennessee, the Boston College kid whose last name I'm not going to try to pronounce. Of those guys, do you think that there's a good chance that they'll be there at seventeen?

And what do you think?

I think it's seventeen.

Izeraku from Boston College will be there. It might be a little early for him, but once again, you always have to remember, you know, there's always a distinct possibility of trading back, adding a third round pick, adding a fourth round.

Pick, to move back two spots, three spots, or move back.

To me, the strength of this draft is really going to be more, you know, like twenty to forty five forty six, So moving back aggressively seven or eight spots, that allows you to still.

Target an edge that you like, if that's what you want to do.

At the same time, you know, well, what you want to do is you want to be in play for multiple positions. So if you move back into the twenty three through twenty six range, you got maybe one of those defensive tackles, maybe two of them still on the board, You've got three edge rushers. So to me, for the where the Bengals are, that might be a great position to move back pick up an extra third round pick.

So I think that who are the other who are the edge rushers.

That you mentioned, James Pierce, Yeah, Schamar, Stuart, Mike Green.

So Stuart should be right around there. He's going to test great.

Look great, Production's not great, but I think Mike Green has gone by then Stuart could be on the board. He's probably the best looking player in this draft. And from a you know, I remember when Carlos Dunlap was a was a Bengal. That's the kind of body type, you know, an impressive, long body type, but maybe even more muscular and imposing with more and more explosive as an athlete. But Dunlap is he's in that same kind of category. Pierce is one who I think will fall

But then again, you know, there are some teams who say, if I'm wanting to take a guy at thirty, I got to be willing to take a guy at nineteen. There's no difference.

Lanzerline is our guest.

In your first mock draft, you had the Bengals taking a wide receiver Tetoroal McMillan from Arizona, the number one wide receiver on many people's board. I assume with that pick, you're thinking they're not to be able to get a deal done with t Higgins.

Well, you know, I think they'll franchise make I think they could franchise him again. But he's off of one franchise tag, right, so you can go to here's the thing.

It's not a great wide receiver draft.

So if I'm the Bengals, I'm getting a deal done with Hendrickson. It's just me the new general manager. Sorry, Toby, I'm gonna do your job for you a little bit here. I don't have to take the bullets you have to take, so it's easier. But I'm probably I'm keeping a rusher. And then what I'm doing is I'm gonna say, look, we're gonna do it one more time. T We're gonna franchise you again. It's gonna be good money. Franchise tag

So you know, if you need a wide receiver. I like Luther Burden. I think that uh McMillan will.

I think he's gonna test pretty well, so he'll probably be gone by the time the pick is made. Now, Matthew Golden is somebody who's gonna run well here and Tess Well. I could see Matthew Golden as a potential Bengal, but I looked at wide receivers for you guys in the second round.

And Jack Besh.

Who's about two hundred and twenty pounds, hands like flypaper like flypaper like really sticky hands, good route runner, tough, tough kid, had a great Senior Bowl. You know, he's one of those possession receivers you got the number one on the other side. What you're looking for as a complimentary too. And I think somebody who can win possession catches, can make tough catches, contested catches, has great hands. You know, that's something you could look for in the second round.

Let me give you another one for your for your listening audience.

Here, Oh Trey Harris, Well, Tray's going to be more along. I don't think he'd be the great fit. That's more Jamar's role. So I would say the next guy might be well, Emeka Igbuka would be a good one. And Jaden Higgins there he is from Iowa State. Ayden Higgins to me, fits the t Higgins role really well. He's longer, if that's what you cover it as a longer receiver with good ball skills. Jayden Higgins from Iowa State would be a player at forty nine who should be in

No relation to t Higgins, but he looks a lot like I'm a tall, big target, big reach, big wingspan kind of guy.

Yeah. And you know, sometimes in my eleven years of doing this.

With NFL, and I did it before this, what you find is that head coaches and general managers, whether it's on the collegiate level, Nick Saban used to have the same type of players come in year after year.

So my player comps a lot of times.

Would be former Alabama, you know, Crimson Tide players because they were so similar body type wise and play play wise. Well, when you have Zach and Tobin and offensive staff that I could see them saying, look, our second wide receiver, we.

Really liked what t did for we want to find a guy like him. So then you start developing types.

If you didn't already have a type that you wanted from a trade standpoint, if you had somebody you're just coming off of that was really good, it makes sense that subconsciously you want to find that kind of guy again.

Yes, it has Lancer Line from NFL Network is our guest. The Bengals need a guard. I would be surprised that they went for one in the first round. Do you have a Day two or even Day three guard that would make sense for Cincinnati.

I always have Day two and Day three picks.

I just I got my little cheat sheet here, so I can I can find you a Bengal. Let's see for what the Bengals like to do. I would say, well, there's a player that I like a lot in the fourth round named Josh Gray Oregon State. I think he's about a fourth round pick. He was at the Shrine Game. He's a former tackle turn guard from Oregon State. He's got some outside zone experience at Oregon State when they

I mean, that's obviously got to be the thing now.

So if I can find a tackle, a guy who played tackle who now plays guard and he's got experience with his hands and his pass sets, you know, that's what I'm covering.

So I'm looking for that.

Charles Grant from William and Mary is going to be a red hot name out here. Another tackle who can play guard. I think he's more of a third round player. He's going to test really, really well. He might might even go before the Bengals draft.

In the third round. But that's another name you want to see.

And then i'd say White milem very tough guy, physical, aggressive once again, former tackle. He's got shorter arms, so he's going to have to move inside, but he has the experience of playing out there at tackle.

He is going to have the core strength that you want.

And he's nasty, and I think getting nastiness on the front for the Bengals, but not sacrificing pass pro is going to have to become a big priority.

Mike Kasicki is a free agent.

Eric All, the tight end they drafted last year out of Iowa, has a significant enough knee injury that he's not expected to come back this year.

So same question.

I don't think the Bengals would take one in the first round. What about day two or day three for tight ends.

It's a great year for tight ends. It's a very deep year.

For tight ends, and I think you know day two I would rather personally wait. Well, so Elijah Arroyo would fit from a pass catching standpoint, if you value the pass catching over the blocking, if you want kind.

Of a combination guy.

I think Gunner Helm from University of Texas, he's going to be more of a third early fourth type tight end. Harold Fannin is a pure He led the league, he led the nation, and like catches and receiving yards.

He was just he was a monster. They targeted him left and right.

Great pass catching tight end once again, he's more of a slot though he's not going to do a whole lot of blocking, so if you want both of those things. A guy that I like a lot is Thomas Faedone from I don't know if it's Fidona for Dona and to check, but from Nebraska.

I really was impressed with him. He's a longer tight end, but he is where.

GATSICKI is just going to try to win above the rim. Use that indoor volleyball experience to help you as a pass catcher. This is a player who's got some nastiness and toughness to him.

As a blocker.

He is I think an underappreciated route runner and pass catcher. So to me, he's a great value pick in the fourth round for this tight end class.

Duke Tobyn spoke to reporters on Tuesday.

He called the Bengals a championship caliber team.

Do you agree, Well, it doesn't take much to switch you from good to championship and the first thing he got to do is get back, you know, is get in the playoffs and go deep into playoffs. But you're not that far removed from a Super Bowl. I think if the pass protection is better, I think, you know, it would have helped if Jamar had been in camp and you got off to a little faster start, obviously, but I think having a pass rusher, you can't You're not a championship caliber team.

If you lose Trey Henderson, You're just not. You have to rush the pass.

You've got a great pass covering linebacker, which is a big difference maker in today's NFL. I think if you tighten up the secondary just a little bit, you keep the pass rusher you've got, and then you bolster the offensive line and you fill in some of the spots that you and I have talked about. Yeah, I don't see why not. I mean, the Bengals were plus plus minus. You know, they had three games that went against them that could have gone in their favor. We'll do the

Lance.

Always appreciate your time. Your expertise is outstanding. Thank you so much.

I appreciate it. Thanks.

Lance's dad, Larry, was the offensive line coach at the University of Cincinnati for four years under Rick Mentor, during a stretch where the coaching staff included Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh,