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Higain everybody, I'm Dan Horden. Thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast, the Listen.

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As we get great insight into the Bengals twenty twenty five draft class from their new position, coaches and or former college teammates. Then it's my one on one conversation with the team's director of college Scouting, Mike Potts. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber, future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering

Of the Bengals.

Now here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since finishing a great book. I don't read nonsports stuff as often as I should, but I recently finished the book Killers of the Flower Moon, and

First of all, he's a great individual, willing to learn and listen. Never had proud of by itself, never uh, just never been afraid to learn, always been a student of the game. And you know he's he's a specimen. And I honestly like guys like six six to AE send it by to eighty is freaking nature. I mean

Like it's hard to.

Make those plays when guys like that are playing around you, Like it was hard to get those numbers like that when guys like that are playing around you. But like from a collective standpoint, I mean we did. We did some well, and I give all the props to our coaches, Terry Price with the Lajah Robinson, because I mean, look at them, like I said, look at the numbers, like look at the tape, like it's this draft pick at the draft pick each year and we go to those guys.

As the seventeenth pickers approaching. And you're I assume you're following the drafts were you're getting excited about the possibility.

Walter got drafted to the Cardinals. I mean, I haven't played with them. I didn't play with them this past year. Of course I'm in the NFL and he went to all missed, but you know, it's still support and love with my end.

So I was glad then.

And then I figured we was on the clock next saying, I was like, damn, I heard I have seen Mi dres about some more stoud getting dragged to us, and I'm like, damn, I hope, I hope it's him right here.

And I'm watching it and I got and I've seen it like everybody ever seen it.

And I was like, Damn, I'm parut of this kid, because I love the work he put it in. And I'm just more so power because because I was a guy he looked up to and learned from. And I'm glad he's part of his journey and I'm glad I can help him, help him out at his next level.

It's from an experience I got being here for a year.

I might not have much knowledge, but you know I got I got some jewels to drop for him.

As you mentioned, we've all seen the combine numbers and some of the crazy stuff that he did in terms of this athleticism. What was the craziest thing you ever saw that that made you think, Holy cow, this guy's a different cat.

I mean, the first day he walked on campus, like seventeen eighteen years old, looked like a full mon secuity guard. I'm just like, damn, I'm like, how dore you just with a big baby face, a big smile full of golds, And he's just like, I'm madteam, I'm like, damn, So.

You ready to work? He said, of course?

And every since then, even Boughting started off with you know kind of like you know, just like young, young natured, uh, just your football capability, just god giving ability, and you know, just didn't have to take mequ but like as we started getting older and started learning and start learning how to use what God gave us, that's when we're seeing those this production in the sec like we did.

It sounded like you were a little bit annoyed by how much people are focusing on the low stat or low sack number in his college career.

I mean from the blind eye where you don't turn the tape and watch the tape. I could I could get while you say that, you know, it's kind of disturbing for someone that plays.

The sport and actually.

See what's going on and knows what's going on and just beyond their level. I know it's going on the second level, third level, a lot of things to go in to play.

So you know, I'm just I'm.

Looking at the tape rather than looking at the numbers, and the tape is freaking immaculate.

Like this guy's special.

I mean he's like a freaking a foot freaking bullet train, like just running through through the get I mean, I mean, turn the Arkansas game, turn it on from twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four, and you to me, like the one year difference for him, and he still looks exposed from both. Well, I'm just glad. I guess I'm glad to see like the traditioner he had this year and just understanding his place that and the capability he has.

Later on the podcast, I'll talk to scouting director Mike Potts on the Bengals plan for making Stewart a better pass rusher. But now let's turn the second round pick Demetrius Knight, who could be in the mix to start next to Logan Wilson at linebacker. Here's this new position coach and a newcomer to the Bengals coaching staff. Mike Hodges. What impressed you most about Demetrius Knight on tape?

The speed, the running hit, Uh, there's some there's some flash plays with him that are really exciting to watch. And you know this game is a speed game and so he fits right into it.

After meeting him in person, it's impossible not to root for the guy. His personality lights up the room. How important are intangibles at linebacker?

I think if anybody goes through an evaluation process without weighing that part of the process or using that data point, they're they're felling the system because it is critical because at the end of the day, like it or don't like it, they're gonna end up being the captains of the defense and or at least the most vocal person. So the way they carry themselves, the way they do those things, really it can really heighten the defense as

He spent six years in college football, but really only played linebacker full time the last couple of years. How much upside is left for a guy who will be twenty five in July.

Yeah, I think that there is some growth there. There's always areas for growth, myself included, and so we're always going to identify those. And so there's clear I see, I don't see his best football yet. I see I hope that that's with us, and so we're going to work to maximize him from day one.

Night spent last year at South Carolina and the year before at Charlotte Prior to that, he was mostly a special team stand out at Georgia Tech, where his teammate for one season was Bengals offensive lineman Devin Cochrane. You were with Demetrius kind of before his career took off. What do you think of what he's become over the last couple of years.

Oh, man, If I had to put in a one word, I'd just say resilience. You know, I've seen him when I was at Tech. I saw the work ethic he had. I saw just the type of guy was. You know, I think he's married with kids now too, just family guy.

You know. Honestly, it didn't surprise me.

You know, I knew that a guy like him would would excel wherever he went, and that's exactly what he did.

He seems like a really easy guy to root for. I would imagine as a former teammate, you had to be thrilled.

Absolutely, it was awesome to see that he got picked up here. And then now I have to think about blocking him. So that's another thing, you know, because I remember just how hard he went, you know, in practice and every day just his day to day grind.

You know, he's a guy who he's gonna bring it, so you gotta be ready for.

Is he a culture center?

Absolutely yeah, talked about her hit on it earlier. Just him being a family guy, not really something you see. And then you know on the defensive side of the ball too. You know, for him to be as a stink in stincschool as he is as a linebacker, but then to be rooted in something that's bigger than you know himself, is pretty is gonna be.

I think he's going to be a guy to look for.

He was a high school quarterback.

Did you at the stage that you played with him, was he still developing the skills to be a linebacker?

Absolutely?

I mean I would imagine so I had no idea that, But I mean I think seeing him, you know, body type framework, you know what he the way he lifted when we would work with coach Lewis Carroll.

Again, I'm not surprising at all.

Later, Mike Potts discusses the reasons for choosing Night number forty nine overall. In the third round, Cincinnati chose six five, three hundred and twenty five pound Dylan Fairchild. Offensive line coach Scott Peters traveled to Georgia for a hands on workout with the Bulldogs starting left guard for the past two seasons. Coach, what sold you on Dylan Fairchild?

Oh, it's a number of factors, you know, Dylan.

We did obviously did a lot of work in the draft looking at, you know, every guard that was conceivably available for the draft, and one thing that really stood out with Dylan is is his just his size, athletic ability, in his play, strength, He's he's one of the strong people I've ever tied up with. Very strong. He's a great kid. He's humble, you know, he works very hard.

You know.

I think he can set a firm anchor in there. He's got the tools to play long, which is something we emphasize as in protection.

He's got good feet to move.

And I think, you know, he's got all the tools you're looking for in a player, especially a guard.

You know.

So I think for for us, it was a no brainer at that point in time just to take Dylan because I think, you know, like I said, he has all the traits so that you're looking for in an elite guard.

You referenced tying up with him. One of the most famous draft stories in Bengals history involves Anthony Munyo's and you may know this Forest Greg goes out to California to work them out. Forrest gives him a little pass rush move. Anthony jams him and knocks him on his butt, and Forrest was convinced, all right, I've got my guy. When you tied up with Dylan, how instrumental was that in making you think, Okay, I've got my guy.

It was actually very big. It's so it's funny that that happened.

I I have heard that story from Jim McNally, and you know, I like to put hands on guys because you get a sense for how strong they are. The biggest thing for me is understanding, like how quickly can they learn not just the things that they learn on the playbook, you know, that's very important too, to understand the offense and what we're trying to do.

And they're they're kind of.

Their collective football IQ, But how quickly can they put that mind body connection together when they learn a new skill? And uh, when I got with Dylan. I was, I was very imps I left very impressed. I thought, you know, this is a guy that can learn. He can physically apply things from you know, the classroom right to the grass. He can make those micro adjustments with his body, you know, when he's told to do that.

I think it was I.

Was, I was thoroughly impressed, and I thought, you know, in fact, I kind of pushed to pull on him in a drill and I wasn't budgeing this guy. And I can't say that that's the first time I've actually had a player that strong, honestly and in the many years.

I've been doing this. So to me, uh yeah, it was kind of a it was.

It was.

It was exciting because I thought I'd love to get this guy, and so it just happened to work out that way that we picked him.

So so I'm really real pumped about it.

I think he gave up one sack in more than eight hundred pass blocking snaps at Georgia. Obviously most of those games are in the SEC. Is that his strength right now? His past protection ability.

I'd say that Dylan is a raw player still, so you know, his strength is his are the attributes he has and and his strengths are really the character, the person, the football character. That's that's really how you project a guy, because you say, well, he has the physical tools to.

Do all this stuff that we wanted to do.

And of course, like you know, everybody's different in college, I mean, players are trained differently. So I would say that the strength that he has is his ability to learn techniques and you know, the raw canvas that he brings, it's it's a really solid foundation.

He's strong, he's long, Like I said, he can anchor.

He's powerful, he's got, you know, a good head on his shoulders, and he really wants to be great at football. So those are the things I look at right now. I think from everything else is kind of a process. We're gonna train him, we're gonna develop him, get him doing the things that we do here. So I'm reluctant to say his strength is passed pro I'm gonna say his strength is all the traits that we like about

Later.

I'll ask Mike Potts if there were so many good guards in this draft that the Bengals figured they would be able to get a starter in the first three rounds.

In the fourth.

Round, the Bengals doubled down on the linebacker position with a selection of Barrett Carter, a team captain last year, who one NFL scout describes as follows a total slam dunk. Not the biggest or longest guy, just a super tough, competitive, physical leader. Once again, here's linebackers coach Mike Hodges.

Well, he's a really smart player. He's been a cat and for a long time. He's he's probably as more of one of the more instinctual players in this draft class, and so that pays dividends for him in a lot of ways like it would anybody. But again, another high character guy like you mentioned. I think he's gonna come in here and he's gonna compete, and he's gonna be able to be a swing guy if we need him to because of his intelligence. So he's gonna give us

He never came off the field at Clemson, whether it was on defense for every snap or special teams. The overall value that he brings to a team strikes me as being extremely high.

That's right.

I think everybody that we bring in has to have some sort of value outside of just playing linebacker. And so if they don't fit into Darren's room or they're not the number one guy, they're not really the right fit. So they got to be one of those two things. They either need to be a guy that could play all four downs or at least early downs in fourth down or early downs and third down. You know that that formula has to add up, and he has proven

So excited to get him in the room.

Ales Murphy was Barrett Carter's teammate for two years at Clemson. You obviously know Barrett Carter describe him on the field.

Easy one is gonna give it his all, honestly, go one hundred and ten miles an hour, every single play, regardless of where he's at, one.

Of the linebacker, the special teams.

Rushing the pass, and dropping in coverage.

He's gonna let it, put it.

He's gonna put his body on the line.

That's for sure.

Coachable, respectable dude, most a lockable persons up. I feel like he's a just a great all around player in my opinion.

I saw some comments from coaches and other guys that played with him last year. It sounds like a really high character guy, captain qualities, a good person for culture.

Oh yeah, I say that's spot.

On, right on, right on, a hit right on the head.

Honestly.

Uh, play with him for two two seasons when I was at Click Clemson and about I can attest to all of those comments, and but that's that's just who he is.

Played a lot of special team snaps in college. Obviously, when you're drafted kind of middle of the draft, you're expected to contribute in that area right off the bat. Is that something he'll embrace in your opinion.

I mean, I think so.

Like I said, like, regardless of where you put him on the field, as long as he's on the field, he's gonna put his body on the line and go all out ever reason could play.

So I do feel like he's a I feel like he's a player that's.

Gonna make just make his Martin, just put his put his name on the map, honestly.

Later, Mike Potts tells us why the Bengals doubled down at linebacker at that stage of the draft. Cincinnati doubled down again in the fifth round, this time on offensive line by picking six to six, three hundred and twenty pound Jalen Rivers. Once again, I discussed him with offensive line coach Scott Peters. I'm not sure that I've ever read about an offensive lineman at the college level that played so many snaps at tackle and guard in.

The same game.

It's one thing to see a guy okay, in this game he's needed to tackle, the next game, he's needed at guard. He was playing twenty plus snaps at both positions in just about every game he played in last year. How unusual is that it is.

Highly unusual, and it's but it's also highly attractive to us because you know, you get a player that can just make that transition and seamlessly, you know, jump from one position to the.

Next in the middle of a game. That takes a lot.

And I think it really speaks to what Jalen brings here too. I think he's got a you know, another kid with a great head on his shoulders, an upstanding person, good football IQ really wants to be great, works at it, and you know nothing's too big for him. You just he'll jump in and jump out and and again. Like when you're you're looking at players in the draft, you know, one of the biggest things that you're looking for is

What are his best football traits.

Jalen's got, I'd say this, we talk about strengths. I think pass protection is clearly the best thing he does. He's got great length, He's got a great build for pass pro. He moves well. You know, he has good hand placement, really good strikes. I think he can anchor, he can do all the things you're looking for in both a guard and a tackle, So you know, I think for him, you know, those are the things we're

He shared the story about how his father, his stepfather, and his mother all spent more than thirty years in the Navy. So it sounds like that discipline that you're looking for as a coach has been something that's been part of his life since he was an infant.

That really does help, you know. I mean we're obviously we run a regimented program here and being a professional, those are things that come naturally to him.

He you know, he's a.

He's a great worker, a great kid, very smart, very diligent, detailed and and respectful and I think he's just a good person all around. I think he'll do well here, you know. So definitely, I think the military influences that definitely had a positive effect. A lot of times you get players that come from backgrounds like that, and you know,

To, you know, to be a pro.

And that's where, you know, one of the things again, when you get rookies in the building, sometimes it's a it's a it's a process to get them just to learn how to be a professional. Uh, that's all separate from the things that they got to do on the field. So but Jalen, great kid, great character, Super excited to get the chance to work with them.

Matt Lee was drafted in the seventh round by the Bengals last year. The previous season, he started on the University of Miami's offensive line with Rivers. What are the Bengals getting in your former Miami teammate Jalen Rivers.

Jalen's a a lot of stuff, man. He's a first off, high character guy in and out of the building football and his own personal life. Super high character, really good friend, really good teammate. He's versatile. He can even could take some snaps if you wanted to at center. Obviously played guard and tackle. He's played both of those a bunch in college. Strong, physical, smart.

Is gonna know the offense. He's a I think he'd be good. It'd be good.

Yeah, sounds like you could have been a Bengals scout.

With that rave review.

Yeah, dude, No, And he's a.

Jalen is out of everyone I've played with, one of the highest character dudes and one of the dudes that just prepares himself for success. You know, his body and knowing what he's got to do for the most part on the skimatite and how he comes in and works, and how he treats his teammates and coaches. And I know he's in Miami for five years. I was only there with him for a year, but it was that

He mentioned versatility.

I was really surprised by how many times he played a lot of snaps at tackle and guard in the same game last year. I know you weren't with him last year, but is his versatility unusual in the sense that he seems like he's good at both, not like really good at one and could do the other in a pinch.

Yeah, I think.

I mean he originally I think went to college really to play guard, and then because of personnel and stuff like that, I ended up playing a lot of tackle, and last year playing guard and tackle.

Two. I know when I was with him he played exclusively left tackle.

Based on what he looks like and what I know about him, I think he'd probably be better suited to play on the inside, but he's tall enough, big enough, long enough, strong enough, quick enough to play outside as well well. I think his physical attributes and his strength and stuff is probably playing guard, but I don't see why he couldn't do it outside too.

In my upcoming conversation with Mike Potts, I'll ask him if Scott Peters has a type whenen't choosing offensive lineman. The Bengals final pick was running back Taj Brooks out of Texas Tech, the fourth leading rusher in Big Twelfth history, behind three guys that played at least eight years in the NFL, Cedric Benson, Ricky Williams, and Darren Sprolls. Here's

Yeah, yeah, going all the way back to my days at Tulsa as they recruited him. I think we were his first offer, and he committed to us pretty early and started our strong, but couldn't finish it. Obviously obviously went to Texas Tech. He had a great career. He's a guy that I'll followed just because I spent so much time with him and his family, his mom and dad, him his little sister. They come up to campus, had toldso quite a bit, so got to know them pretty well.

I followed his career and.

It's pretty cool, cool weekend, pretty cool, just everything, watch everything come back full circle.

Get a chance to actually work with him.

This was a really deep running back class, and of all of these great running backs, Taj had some of the greatest production of them all. Fifteen hundred plus yards last year, fifteen hundred plus yards the year before, top one hundred yards in every game last season in a different year. Does he go much higher in the draft?

I mean yeah, you could say he could. I mean you can make arguments for a lot of these guys. I think it all comes down to fit, and we're just fortunate that he fell to us when he did. But love the fit, Love the guy high character. He checks a lot of boxes. So yeah, you could absolutely make that argument that in a different class maybe he does go higher. But I'm just excited that we got a chance to get them, get a chance to work with them.

Describe his running style, his skill set, and what he adds to your room.

Yeah, he's extremely versatile. I'm excited about him because you know, as you turn on the tape and you watch guys, you watched all these all these guys in this draft class. You're looking for fit and you're looking at what are their skill sets, what are their strengths, what are their weaknesses? And Tiz has got he checks a lot of boxes. As a back in this league, it's not just about how would you run the ball on first and second down?

Uh.

Do they have the want to techniques not gonna be great always, but but is he willing?

Does he step up?

Does he have some traits that you can work with? And like I said, Tis he checked a ton of boxes for us, So I think he's a guy that can can step in and fill a ton of different roles for us. Uh, And they just kind of see how his career progresses, but I think he's gonna have a really good career here.

When it comes to protection for running back, what is more important will or skill?

I think it's the one two personally.

I mean, you can you can talk about scheme and talk about technique.

All you want to, but when it's.

Third down and we're playing these divisional games and you get some tough looks, it's all about want two as well. And it's not even third down. That's about first and second down. To a simple plug pressure, you gotta be willing to step up and take on a bull rush or an athletic guy that might try to cross your face. So there's a ton of different things that go into it, but the one thing I look at is how unselfish are you? And how well do you play without the

Do you take pride in that?

And some guys you can tell right away what type of guy they are in TAJ when you turn on the tape, and a lot of these guys in this class, and I think the guys that we have on this roster right now, talking about Chase, talking about Samaje uh, and then adding times to the mix as well. Those guys know the value and pass protection, especially in our offense. We're gonna be a dropback team. That's that's what we do. We're gonna throw the ball around. We've got the greatest

Uh.

And I think we've got we've got a room full of guys that take pride in that as well. And then where that is a badge of honor.

My conversation with Mike Potts is next. But first, here's a quick reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by Paid Corps, proud to be the Bengals official software provider by Alta fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a new level and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now Here's director of college scouting Mike Potts. Mike,

Yeah, it was outstanding.

There's not too many people that have those type of measurables that he has, and it was really impressive to see. But the good thing is you see those measurables show up on tape in terms of his size, explosiveness, speed, and then also what stands out about him is just how hard he plays and how violent he plays. So the measurables certainly show up, and then when you go to the combine and see him put those numbers up, it's really impressive.

It's been portrayed as a traits more than production pick, but I want to push back a little bit on the word production because he had the fifth best run stopping grade in the country for edge people according to Pro Football Focus. He had a bunch of pressures. He was top ten in the SEC in terms of quarterback pressures. What he didn't have were sacks. So it's not production, it sacks. How can the Bengals help him in that area?

Yeah, you're right, he was very disruptive. He shows up all over the tape. I think our coaches have a plan for him. They want to work with this guy. They're eager to work with him and develop them. Our coaches have worked with guys with similar backgrounds in the past to Schmar, so that makes you feel good about it. We had a ton of discussions on him. I think part of what you like about him is how hard he plays. Sometimes maybe we can reel him back in

Were there's several people in play when you were on the clock at number seventeen or with Stewart's significantly higher on your board than anybody else still available.

There were a number of people in play at every draft slot that we were at.

You're always constantly talking to other teams.

We had a lot of potential trades sketched out with other teams, whether it was to move back or move up, and you just constantly talk through it. We're always prepared for every possible scenario. We discuss the pick leading all the way up to it, from seventeen picks in advance and then all the way up until three to one picks prior, and we have a board hashed out and it's up there. There's no panic at the last minute,

In the second round, you took linebacker Demetrius Knight. NFL dot Com projected him to go in the second.

Or third round.

I saw some other gurus that said maybe the third. Did you have reason to believe that he would not be there if you waited?

That was a risk at the end of the day that Duke has to make the final decision on. You know, he's in that decision maker chair. And he was a guy that we had consensus on between our coaches and our scouts that looked at him. We had a vision for him as a player as scouts before Al and some of the new defensive coaches even got here, and then their vision aligned with our vision for the player.

We all really liked them.

We had consensus and conviction on them. So, yeah, you always weigh the different scenarios of you could take this guy and then run the risk that this guy could be there later. Could you possibly make a trade here or a trade there. So we talked through all of those scenarios and at the end of the day, all of those options were presented to Duke and he made

How much did Al Golden's input influence the guys that you chose on defense?

Al certainly had a strong voice in the process. We had a prior relationship with Al, so it was a very easy transition in terms of this process and getting on the same page with him, and he was great to work with, so I think that's a good thing about our process. Everybody has a strong voice in the room. Everybody is really good listeners and really open minded to everybody's thoughts and opinions, and Al was certainly a big part and a guy that had a strong voice in those discussions.

He went offensive lineman in round three with Dylan Fairchild, PFF's number one graded past blocking guard in this draft. Is that the most important skill that you were looking for when it came time to choose a guard.

I think with the amount of times that we throw the ball in our offense, certainly pass protection is at the forefront and very important. Dylan is a really athletic player. He's got all the size, strength, measurables that you could ask for. They speak about him like he's the strongest person in their program. I'm sure you've seen the wrestling background with sixty seven to zero heavyweight wrestler, state champ,

We're visiting with Bengal scouting director Mike Potts. Zach Taylor and Dan Pitcher said right after the Dylan Fairchild pick that it's pretty clear that the left guard job is his to win as a rookie. Did you go into this draft thinking there are enough good guards will be in a good position to potentially take a starter in the first three rounds.

I think we thought that, but you never know, so you have to play the board. You have to put values on guys, you have to be ready to take another position if your guys get wiped out at a certain spot. We felt good about Dylan being a guy that we targeted there in the third round. There were some other guys that were in the discussion in the

In the fourth round, you doubled down at linebacker, taking Clemson's Barrett Carter. Dabosweeney raves about him both in terms of his playing ability and his character, having already taken a linebacker. Was this a case of a guy that was simply too good to pass up at that point?

Yeah, he was the top guy on our board there. And again there's different scenarios that you can play. You can take different positions, you can potentially explore a trade, and at the end of the day, all of the options and opinions were discussed. Everybody voiced their opinions and thoughts leading up to that pick, and Duke's in the chair to make that final decision, and he decided that we go with this top guy on our board. Once

Barrett rarely came off the field at Clemson, between defense and special teams. He played nearly twenty five hundred snaps in his college career. Do you expect a big special teams role from him right away?

Yeah, Darren had a high regard through him for him throughout the process. He's very athletic, he can run, He's played on special teams throughout his career there at Clemson. He is a physical guy who's a good tackler. So he's going to really help Darren in whatever role Darren has carved out for him, and he's going to help our defense as well. So he's a really well rounded player that can help on all four downs.

In the fifth round, he went back to the offensive line and took the University of Miami's Jalen Rivers. Last year, he played twenty or more snaps at left tackle and left gold in the same game six times. I'm not sure that I've ever seen that before. You might have a guy that played left guard one year, left tackle the next, but to do it for many snaps in the same game and basically half of their games is highly unusual. How big a factor was his versatility in selecting him when you did.

That was a huge factor.

It's unbelievable the ability he had to bounce back and forth between two positions in almost every game. Like you said, series to series, he may not know the next series where he was going to end up lining up, but that just shows you the trust that Miami staff had in him, his football intelligence, his instincts, his makeup. We had him in here on a visit. His character is exceptional, and I think you see elements of that in his game when you flip the tape on. He's a very

You've got a new offensive line coach this year in Scott Peters. Does Scott have a type and is it different from Frank Pollock's type.

I don't know if Scott has a type.

I wouldn't want to speak for him, but it's been great to get to know him. It's been great to spend a lot of time with him. I was with him out on the Pro day circuit several different places and had a ton of discussions in the office, in person and or over the phone about you know, just getting on the same page with guys that he liked, different techniques that he's.

Going to use.

So it's been great to work with him. It's been great to see him get hands on some of these players. Just being with him at the Pro days, and working with these guys. So I wouldn't want to speak for him in terms of his type, but he was a huge asset to us in this scouting process and I'm looking forward to working with him moving forward.

You had one more pick.

It was in the sixth round Texas Tech running back Taj Brooks. Anybody that watched him last year against UC likes this pick. He had thirty two carries for one hundred and seventy two yards in that game. In a really talented running back class. What jumped out to the Bengals about Taj Brooks.

We really liked the running back class this year. We thought it was really deep.

Again, I was a little surprised that he was there in the sixth round, but I think that just speaks to the depth of the draft class at that running back position. He's a guy that we had targeted throughout the process. You absolutely love his production, his makeup. I mean, going for over fifteen hundred yards each of the past two seasons, all of the touchdowns that he had, He catches the ball well. He's got upside and ability and pass protection, so he's really a well rounded player. He

And again, we were really excited.

That he was still available in the sixth round because he's a guy that we could have Sawn could have could have potentially saw going earlier in the draft.

The Bengals have not announced the college free agents that are likely to join the Bengals, so I can't ask you about specific names yet. But only having six picks did that make it a little bit easier to sell opportunity to some of the guys that went undrafted?

For sure, we're.

Really excited about some of the college free agents that we've agreed to terms with. We can announce those later once the contracts are officially finalized.

But yeah, when you only have.

Six picks, two of them on the O line and two of them are in the linebacker room. So that leaves only two other positions that we actually addressed in the draft. So some of the positions that we didn't didn't address. That's an attractive spot for some of these undrafted players and their agents as well. So that's part of the selling point that we get on the phone and sell those guys on in terms of the opportunity here.

You didn't draft to safety.

Is that just the way the board fell or is it a reflection of how you feel about the guys that are already here.

It's a combination of both.

Safety is a position that we valued a number of guys in this draft at different levels, and there were a lot of guys that were in the discussion in almost every round that we could have addressed that safety position. Like you said, it didn't work out that way. That's just not the way the boards shook out for us. So we do like the safeties that we have on the roster right now, and we think, you know, some of our guys even have more upside to potentially ascend

Similar question about defensive tackle. You re signed BJ Hill, you signed TJ.

Slayton.

You drafted two defensive tackles high last year, Chris Jenkins in round two the Ckinley Jackson in round three. How did that impact your approach to the defensive tackles in this draft.

Yeah, it was a really good defensive tackle class as well. Similar to the safeties, that just didn't shake out perfectly for us there with only six picks and not making any trades and adding additional picks, we weren't able to address that defensive tackle position.

Unfortunately.

There definitely were guys, Like I said with the safety, there was guys in almost every round at defensive tackle that were in the discussion. It just didn't break that way for us, and again we'll continue working through all the defensive tackle options. You mentioned some of the undrafted guys that could be options for us to help out the roster and then other avenues as well. But that's definitely something that we have our eyes on.

Who do you view as the best candidates to give you an inside pass rush from the guys that you already have on the roster.

Well, a lot of our guys in that defensive end room have a lot of versatility. You saw Joseph Osai kick inside there last year camp sample has done a lot of it in the past. Miles Murphy maybe is a guy, and then also Shamar Stewart. I think all of those guys have some potential versatility. I'm not going to speak for Al Golden and our defensive staff in terms of their vision on it, but I do think they have a plan to move some guys around and

Like I said on this podcast after Round three or Day three rather on Saturday, that reminds me a little bit of the twenty twenty draft. Not that there's a Joe Burrow that doesn't happen very often, but in twenty twenty, every guy you picked, except for T Higgins was a college captain, and he would have been had he stayed for another year at Clemson. Similarly, it seems like every guy in this draft class was loved by his college

A little bit of both in that regard.

We definitely went into that, and it's interesting we even had discussions about the parallels to that twenty twenty draft. I know a lot was made of the captains coming out of that. It sounds like an exaggeration, but all six of these guys that we drafted are excellent character guys that are completely raved about by our scouting sources at their respective colleges. So we're really excited about the

I've met three in person, I've talked to the other three on the phone. They all seem like great guys that I think we are going to easily be able to root for going forward and hopefully they're very successful in Bengals uniforms. Appreciate your time. Congratulations on a great draft.

Thanks Dan, I appreciate it.

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