Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast.
Bah yeah, this is my wish addition as Dave Lapham joins me to preview the NFL Draft.
Should the Bengals take one of the top two tight ends Michael Mayer or Dalton Kincaid if available? What if running back b Jon Robinson is still there? Does lap like mammoth Ohio State offensive lineman to Jan Jones. We'll discuss those topics and many more, and end our conversation with our predictions for who the Bengals will select in
the first round on Thursday night. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you in part by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals The Free to play with tickets and sign merchandise up for grabs. Find both inside the Bengals app. Now here's a quick reminder that you you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered write to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's
the greatest thing since the Glove Doctor. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen a picture I posted last week of my baseball mit after serving me well for more than thirty years, it appeared to be damaged beyond repair after approximately the one millionth game of catch between me and my son Sam. But somebody gave me the name of a Cincinnati area glove doctor. His
name is Terry Elkins. He's a longtime baseball coach in Hamilton, Ohio, and he is a master at repairing and relacing gloves. He broke out his pliers and threading tools and lo and behold, my beloved rawlings baseball glove is alive. So if you have a glove that needs some love and live in the Cincinnati area, look up Terry Elkin in Hamilton. He's great at what he does, and the charge was very inexpensive. Now let's get to football. A couple of days ago, I went back and looked at fifteen final
mock drafts prior to last year's festivities. I chose the most prominent NFL draft experts, guys like Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, and Dane Brugler, plus a few of the reporters who cover the Bengals. Do you know how many of those fifteen mock drafts had the Bengals taking Dax Hill one. Chris Collinsworth nailed it for Pro Football Focus. Dax wasn't even mentioned as a possibility on most of the other mock drafts, and in the interest of full disclosure, I
didn't get it right either. I predicted that the Bengals would select Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth, who went eleven picks later to the Minnesota Vikings. My broadcast partner Dave Lapham didn't nail it last year either, but his track record for forecasting the Bengals first round pick is borderline legendary. That's one of the reasons why this edition of this podcast is always one of the most downloaded episodes of the year. So, without further ado, here's my in depth
pre draft conversation with lap Lap. Let's start big picture. What are your overall thoughts on this year's draft class. Where is it strong? Where is it weak?
Well, I think this year's draft classes is a very few blue chippers. You know, there's maybe a handful or less of guys. It's like, man, this is a definite first round pick. This is the model first round pick, upper echelon first round pick. It's a good middle class draft. But the Bengals at number twenty eight. I mean, they're
gonna get the same type of player. I think is a team that picks at eight, you know, it's not going to be a major I think there's you know, like I said, handful or less of players, a little bit of a drop and then a long way before
there's another drop, and the drop's not that big. This is a draft where if you can get an extra third, fourth, or fifth rounder, it'd be good to do because the guys that are drafted in the fourth round would be just like the guys you drafted in the end of the first beginning of the you know, end of the first, end of the second round. It's not not going to be that major of a dropoff. So I think that's
the thing that strikes me most about this draft. I think, uh, their solid defensive line and cornerback depth, which I think is favorable for the Bengals. And you look at it, Dan, they went megabucks in the offensive line this off season. They spent a ton last off season. They drafted a starting left guard rookie in the fourth round. I think based on that, you gotta you gotta go defense, you know, you have to. You have to really balance the balance it up a little bit in terms of your your
attention the dollars that you're spending. So I think I think that this draft fits well for them. And this offensive football team is a wide receiver centric offense. You know, it's a great tight end class, but there's going to be tight ends available in the second, third, and fourth round. You don't have to go first round on a tight
end because this football team. Looking at the pure numbers, the four top wide receivers for the Bengals two hundred and thirty eight catches, three fifty eight yards, twenty five touchdowns last year. The four top tight ends seventy three catches, five hundred and fifty six yards, three touchdowns. The four top running backs as receivers one hundred and three catches, seven hundred and ninety six yards, nine touchdowns. Everybody's playing
those deep coverages and Joe's checking down to backs. Tight Ends are important, but it's in the way the structure of this offense. They play as much eleven as anybody in the NFL, and they'll play them. You know, they'll
play a good bit of ten as well. Now, do you take a wide receiver in the first round, No, I don't think it's wide receiver worthy in the first round, but somewhere in the mid rounds you might draft a wide receiver and maybe give them twelve to fifteen snaps this year, get him and doctrinated into the offense because you're going to be able to keep all three wide receivers after this year, potentially not. So now you get a guy ready to step in, so you're not only drafting.
They're in a position where they've got themselves set. They don't have to draft for a starter in twenty twenty three. Now you can have roles. And Duke Tobin mentioned it, we're gonna want to have roles for all of our players. It doesn't have to be a starting role though, and you draft him for twenty four and maybe even twenty
five in some cases. You know, and thinking ahead, if we do get the big contract done with the quarterback, what does it do to the wide receiver position, What does it do to the edge rush position, What does it do to the corner position. What is it to do? You have to have minimum salary somewhere, You have to you know, low contracts somewhere, So you have to be wise in your selections for sure.
You touched down about twenty things in there that I wanted to bring up. So we're going to double back on a lot of the things that you talked about. Let's talk first about position groups that you would like to see them address. What's at the top of the list. Say, if you could pick three position groups in the top three rounds, what would they be.
Well, i'd go I'd go corner and edge rush would be two position groups that I'd like to see addressed. And then i'd like to see, you know, maybe an offensive tackle and a wide receiver. If they first couple of rounds they go defense and then offense, and you know, maybe in the next round or so, or they may be able to double down at one of those position
groups like they have in the past. But those i'd like to see corner, defensive line, maybe an offensive tackle, you know, at the end of at the end of day day two or the beginning of Day three, and then a wide receiver in that same in that same ballpark. And then double back, you know, running back, and that's that's later on, that's down the road. To me, it's definitely a Day three thing. But that running back has to be able to catch the football because they do
like to throw to the running back. And then he's also going to be able to be able to blitz pick up because he's out there. You know, this is a pass centric football team and he's going to have to do his job here as well.
All right, I'm going to follow up on that by talking running back. Bjeon Robinson from Texas is universally considered, I guess, the number one running back in this draft. Two hundred and fifteen pounds, runs a four four six forty six point three yards per carry in his career thirteen point four yards per catch. In his career he had eight carries of fifty plus yards at Texas. There are some draft out there, mock drafts out there that still have them available at twenty eight. Not many, but
there are some. If he somehow slides to twenty eight, would you take him.
Well, you got to think about it. You got to figure he's on their big board. You know the big board where they go, I don't know one to turn on fifty three hundred players, whatever, doesn't matter the position. They're just ranking them in their in their eyes. And always everybody's big board's different because they always say it's
never based on need. You don't want to reach based on need, But when you're putting your board together, you structure that based on needs, so you're not reaching within what your your offensive schematic and your needs and all that sort of thing may be offensively, defensively and everything else. Everybody doesn't run the same things, so everybody looks at players and evaluates players differently. Nobody's board is the same. He's got to be up there. I mean, the guy.
The guy is an unusual talent. But if a guy like that slides to twenty eight, I would think teams that really really are more run centric than the Bengals would be calling and saying, hey, jeez, you know what, would you would you, uh, we want to take Robinson? You know, are you going to take him? If you're not going to take them, would you think about moving back? I think he would be a candidate where that kind
of discussion might take place. If, for whatever reason, one of these four quarterbacks slides to twenty eight, and I've seen cases where it's going to maybe be close that that's gonna I think generate some phone calls and you could you could move back based on that or whatever. The position is the Bengals, would you know, I think consider it because, like I said earlier, this is a middle class a great middle class draft, and as many picks as you can get in that middle class, you're
gonna get good football players. The more you get, the better your ards are hitting on somebody.
I will answer my own question on B John Robinson. Hell, yes, I think he's different. Yeah, in your era, he might have been the number one overall pick in the draft back when running backs are draft differently from how they are now. It's harder. Yes, well, maybe not the best person to bring up, but that era, you know, that era correct, and it's not a need at the moment.
But they're obviously issues with Joe Mixon. He's got two years left on his contract, but it's ten million dollars a year, which, like you were saying, at some point you're going to have to make hard decisions when it comes to what positions you prioritize in terms of salary. You can get a talent like that on a rookie contract and maybe make the mixing decision a little bit easier or different. I would sign up for Bjon Robinson.
And the thing about him, he runs good routes. I mean, you know you can. You can formation him. You can be very creative with your formations when you're in eleven personnel. I mean you can move them out of the and the Bengs have done this, you know, backs and move them out of the backfield and empty backfield with one tight end and three wide receivers, but the running backs the fourth receiver, and you've got a tight end that can run routes catch. You get five receivers out there,
but you can present it to the defense. We have running back in a tight end in the huddle. You better put your big people out there. So now you can create formational mismatches having guys of that caliber to do those kind of things. And he fits that bill as well. On top of you know, being able to run the football like he does. He's a dynamic football player. If he's there, you got to think about him. You got to.
All right, let's make this a little bit trickier. Let's go to the second running back in the draft, Jamar Gibbs from Alabama. He ran a four to three six and he's quick as well. Didn't get like a huge load of carries and receptions at Alabama because they were so deep, so not a lot of tread on that
tires a lot of Alvin Kameric comparisons. For Jamar Gibbs, would you even think about him at twenty eight or would he be the ideal if they trade back a few spots, get a high second round pick and get a fourth round pick, then you'd love to maybe think about Jamar Gibbs.
I mean, I can see where you know, Gibbs his tantalizing, but like you said, other guys at Alabama got more opportunity than he did, you know, so I mean, what what is there? Where's where's the hole? You know, It's like obviously he's not much of a blitz pickup guy, but when he does, he when he gets the ball in space, he is a freakazoy.
There.
There are no two ways about that. So, uh, you know, these kind of these kind of players with this kind of talent, I mean you got to you got to give full consideration. There's no question.
More with lap in a moment. But first, a quick reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet capable of delivering multi gigabit speeds designed to take your home, business, and community to a new level, elevates your connection with Alta fiber. All right, you spoke about the tight ends earlier. The top two tight ends in this draft, according to most
are Michael Mayer. We know all about him from Notre Dame six ' four two hundred and fifty pounds or n A four seven forty at the So that wasn't great because a very productive receiver at Notre Dame. Then you've got Dalton Kincaid, a little smaller six three two forty six, but he's got longer arms. He's two years younger, he's had some injury problems, so he didn't run the forty at the combine or at his pro day, but he had the best stats of any tight end in
the country last year at Utah. If either of those guys is there at twenty eight, would you take him?
The reason I wouldn't is because, like I said, it's a wide receiver centric offense and they're great players. But quarterbacks are now making fifty million dollars a year, and you know the tight end can support the quarterback, There's no question about that. But schematically, the tight end is not going to support Joe Burrow as much as the wide receiver corps. The Big three are going to support Joe Burrow and his talents. And the Big Three again
is okay, well, it's dubious. Are they going to be able to get Gigans extended? Will he be able to resign Jamar Tyler Boyd? I mean, what do you think there? I just think that the first round is a little too rich to go tight end position. I don't dispute these guys are really, you know, fantastic players, but they fit other people's offenses probably better, or would give other people's offenses more of a boost as the twenty eighth
pick in the draft than the Bengals offense. So I would not be surprised if those guys are on the board that the Bengals don't pull the trigger and they still, you know, potentially go defense and the defensive side of the football, because honestly, it's a quarterback driven league. The numbers show it more than ever, fifty million dollars a year. To these quarterbacks, you have to not only protect them, you have to affect them. And the best way to
affect them is to cover the receivers. And to rush them. So in my mind, you're gonna be playing a lot of great ones. Joe's tremendous and he's one of the best in the NFL, if not the best. He's that doesn't take long to call role. But they're going to be playing against some of them too, and you got to you got to pressure him, You got to get him uncomfortable, get him off their spot, and uh and make the windows as tight as you possibly can for them to throw it.
Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network says this is the best tight end draft in the last ten years. So if they don't take Mayor or Kincaid in round one, and maybe neither guys even there for them to pick, is there somebody that you like in round two, three, four, whatever that fits what the Bengals are looking for out of a tight end. Yeah.
I mean, I think the guy that is probably as good a football player in that group as there is is Sam Laporta out of Iowa. You know, he's a two hundred and forty five hundred and fifty pound guy that runs sub four six forty in you know, he's he didn't have a great quarterback situation at Iowa this past season. His numbers show that, and I think that, you know, maybe he is less highly regarded as a result of that, but I do think that that this guy,
he can accelerate after the catch. His yards after catcher are extraordinary. He's he's a willing blocker. Not that he doesn't need work there, but I think a lot of these guys do. He shows toughness throughout his routes. I think he's a he's a mismatch because of his strength and his speed, his size. He's another he's a guy when he runs routes. He's a quick processor, you know, in terms of determining what's going on down the football field in terms of coverages. And he's got really good hands.
He's got a very solid catch radius. He's good in that regard as well. So he's his contested catchability is there. I think that from a football player standpoint, he might be as good as there is in the draft at the tight end position.
Based on most of the mocks I've looked at, he's a second round pick. Would you take him in the second or do you cross your fingers and hope you can get him in the third. Obviously, I hope you can get him in the third, But would you jump with the fear that he wouldn't be there in the third?
I mean, I think that's the sixtieth pick in the draft, the Bengals at number two, and I mean he would definitely in my mind being the discussion. But if there's an edge rush guy that has slid to sixty and he was projected to maybe go in the top thirty, in the top thirty five or forty, now all of a sudden you got to think, hmm, boy, is this the peak of where we have Laporter?
Do we have?
This is the sweet spot for Laporter? But this guy man can't believe he's there. You know, maybe we go edge rush for example, and maybe there's an offensive tackle that for whatever reason slid to sixty and it's like geez, I mean, we can't turn this down. But I think he would heavily be in the discussion process.
There's no doubt he forced the most mistackles of any tight end college football last year. Obviously, that's such a big thing in the NFL. A short pass to the tight end, he makes a guy miss, Suddenly it's a fifteen yard game. That's one thing that I really like about Sam Laporta. So I would really love to see him wind up in Cincinnati as a second round pick. That'll will depend on who's on the board.
Yeah, that's true. And he's got great feat and he has this little stutterstep deal that he uses and creates some opportunities for himself. Yards have to catch. He's legit, he's you know, some guys are just good football players. I think he falls into that category. He's got a lot of physical traits are outstanding. But in terms of some guys just get it. Some guys are instinctives, some guys are good football players. I think he falls into that category.
If he's gone, or if they choose somebody else in the second round and he's not available in the third, do you have another name for later in the draft among this deep list of tight ends that you think, Okay, I'll take a iron that guy.
Yeah, I mean that's what about Josh Wiley from U See, I mean a local kid. I mean he he's projecting a lot of mock drafts, like, you know, fourth fifth round, even you know, if he's available in the fifth round, do you think about Josh Wiley? I mean, Dan, you saw him play. You know him as well as anybody, and with respect to this organization, I mean, that's a that's a guy. That's a name I might think about maybe Will Mallory from from Miami if he's if he's
there you know later in the draft. I mean, they're That's the thing. Like everybody has said, there could be ten tight ends go in the first two days, ten of them in the first three rounds. It's it's that it's that deep of a tight end draft.
Tucker Craft from South Dakota State, that's my If Laporta is gone and they don't take King Kid or Mayor, that would be my guy. Sixty four two fifty four runs a four six forty still raw. I think that, you know, the Bengals could help develop him. Obviously their tight ends have been very well coached over the past couple of years. So I guess he would be my next guy on the list.
Yeah, he's a three year starter. He's got a ten inch hand, which is big. I mean he's got big, big Mucker's good hands, almost an eighty inch wingspan. So he's a he's a he's a big body kid. There's no question about it. Tucker Craft would be a would be a good choice as well. There's no doubt all right.
Last year the Bengals drafted Dax Hill knowing that Jesse Bates was likely to leave at the end of the year as a free agent. That's the way it played out. Here are some of the key players on this year's roster who are going into the final year of their contract.
DJ Reader who turns thirty next year, Tyler Boyd who turns thirty next year, Childebeya Wouje coming back from a torn acl Joanah Williams obviously might not want to be here next year knowing that he won't be the left tackle te Higgins although they're trying to obviously extend him and he would be a franchise to candidate if they can't.
Same thing with Logan Wilson. After running down those names, is there a spot where the Bengals really have to think about getting the next guy in case that core player is not back at the end of this year?
You know, I think that's where the wide receiver position, you know, could be a candidate. Again, not in the early early rounds, but I do think that we've emphasized already the importance of the wide receiver group. It's a wide receiver centric offense. Joe Burrow likes to get the ball down the football field, and he's very capable of
doing so. So if you can get a wide receiver in Day three, beginning of Day three potentially, or you know, third, fourth, fifth round somewhere in there, that is capable of giving you twelve to fifteen snaps in packages as a rookie, with the idea of grooming him and giving him comfortable with the offense where he can just move in to one of those top three receiver possessed positions the following season. I think I'd probably fall in line with that.
Let's talk about trading back starting with the first round. The Bengals have not traded out of the first round or have gone without a first round pick in thirty four years. The last time they did that was nineteen eighty nine. They went back eight spots, they got an extra fourth round pick, they got an extra tenth round pick. The draft was longer back then, those extra picks didn't pan out, so it really didn't work out that well.
But according to the draft chart, the twenty eighth pick in the draft is worth six hundred and sixty points. If you move back into the second round, you're probably looking at a fourth round pick, maybe a late third for moving back.
Would you do it with this draft potentially? Because you know, if I'm thinking, all right, twenty eight, I'm real comfortable with the depending on how far back you're moving, you know, if I'm comfortable there's still a four or five guy, because like we said earlier, there's multiple players at multiple positions that there's not a major drop off, you know,
like falling off a cliff. So at twenty eight, somebody is you know, really excited about whatever player it might be, and they'll give you that extra third or extra fourth round pick, And you say, if I move back to that spot and then still get an additional third and fourth, I can still get this player even if they make
a run on the others. There's the numbers. Tell me one of them is going to be available, and I'm good with all four of these guys, and one of them is still available, and I get an extra third or fourth round pick in this middle class draft where you're still going to be able to get additional players, you think about it. I would think about it unless somebody has fallen where the reason that team's calling, you know, to trade up is because man, they're going same guy.
We're tired this same guy. So it's like, I'll sit and take that, thank you. You know, I'll stay there. But I guess with the circumstances that have gone on in the draft, I'm sure you know you've got to consider everything on that particular day, and all the variables that we just discussed are important factors. There's no question. But I'd think about it. I'd think about it. But
it does. It takes two to tango, and very rarely his history has shown do both parties concur one percent and every single variable involved.
So how does Lapp feel about gigantic Ohio State offensive lineman Dewan Jones. That's coming up next, But first, a reminder that The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by Kettering Health, the official health care provider of the Bengals. With more than one hundred and twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health. Visit Kettering Health to learn more.
All right, I'm gonna hit you with a name that has come up a lot where Cincinnati is concerned in the first round or in some cases even the second round. And that is gargantuan Ohio State offensive tackle Dewan Jones six ' eight, three hundred and seventy four pounds, thirty six and three eight inch arms, eleven and five eight inch hands. He is a mast to don I had Charles Davis from CBS on the podcast a few weeks ago.
He said, buyer beware. He didn't do anything after the first day of the Senior Bowl, although he had a good first day, chose not to get weighed at his pro day. There's a real question mark about the weight. How do you feel about Dewan Jones.
He's four hundred pounds waiting to happen. I think that's the big concern with him. I mean, he is a massive man, and you know, when you're talking about guys of that size, it's hard. I mean, if if they ate a blowny sandwich they gained five pounds, it's crazy. I mean it really is. It's nuts how their metabolism seemed to work. I mean, he is a behemoth. There's no no two ways about it. Not not terrible movement. I mean he ran a five to three I think
something like that at the at the combine. He he did. It's not like he's a big stiff, but he's not a big change of direction guy. And uh man, that did you talk about a massive humanity? If you've got Orlando Brown at left tackle and that beast at right tackle, I mean, you've got skyscrapers. It's it's unbelievable. I'm not sure Joe could see over them to throw. It's like it'd be it'd be like another Cincinnati skyline. But yeah, I uh, I don't. I don't see necessarily that, uh
you know, that taking place. I think there are so many candidates at that at that right tackle position. I'm not saying they're not gonna draft one, and I think they will. I think they will draft, and I think they'll probably bring one in as a college free agent as well, and they may also bring one in and veteran free agency after the NFL Draft in college free
agent signings. With the final stage of veteran free agency is whatever tackles out there is like geez, you know what, LC doesn't look like he's maybe going to be able to make the beginning of the season let me go in there and compete for that right tackle position. And so you don't know one thing about the tight end position. I'd like to say though, too, dan is signing Ersmith Junior and Drew Sample was big. I mean both second round picks. Bengals drafted Sample in the second round. Earth
Smith was drafted the second round himself. He's only twenty four years old. I mean he came out when he's twenty years old. This guy. There are quarterbacks in the NFL drafted that are twenty five years old and they're coming into the draft. Earth Smith Junior has a lot of football left and he's I think he's going to be pretty good. And you know, James Casey made CJZAML lot of money, you know, and then in comes another prove it deal. Proves it now Carolina Panthers. He makes
a ton of money. So I'm sure earth Smith Junior and his agent were like, man, you got a good coach at the tight end position in Cincinnati, get a hell of a quarterback. You know. Again, it's not a tight end centric offense, but you're going to get some opportunity to prove yourself. And the big thing about him is Will he stay healthy, that's the thing. But yeah, I mean back to big old Dwan, I'd be surprised if he's a Bengal.
I would The name Anton Harrison comes up on quite a few mock drafts as a potential first round Bengals right tackle selection, and then you get into second round guys. I've seen Matthew bergeron from Syracuse mocked to Cincinnati a few times. Do you like any of these right tackles Potentially? I guess Darnell right maybe could be a guy that might slide to twenty eight. The typically isn't there, but occasionally I've seen him there.
Yeah, I think the only way that those tackles, you know, makes sense to me is if there's been a huge rush on corners, edge rushers, you know, even even the tight end position, where it's like, my gosh, I mean, if we want to take a tight end, we've got to take one now. I mean, there's a bigger it's gone faster than we anticipated. I mean, they were talking about ten tight ends in the first three rounds. Well, heck, six of them have already gone. That's absurd. That won't
take place. But I'm talking about, you know, another position, where there's a run with The Bengals have have guys that they've they've got on their big board. If that big board starts to disappear and one of those tackles is still on it and a lot of other things aren't, I could see it happening, but I don't think the odds are great.
All Right, here's a tricky question for you. Who is the most like Lee right tackle for the Bengals this coming season? Is it a Jonah Williams, b L C LEL Collins, C Jackson, Carmen d Cody Ford or E. We're getting all the way to E A draft pick who starts right away.
Yeah, I mean it's a derby. I mean it really is. LC. He's he's ahead of schedule in terms of his rehab, but being able to do some things, get in the stance and and come out of your stance and pass that against Aaron all those kind of things is a far cry from playing in the National Football League. And I think the big thing that he's going to have
to experience and get over is that first contact. You know, when you come off the ball and you hit somebody and it's a you know, a two hundred and eighty five to three hundred pound body, and your big body slams into him and there's a stalemate. Now you have to climb and dig your feet. It's going to put a lot of strain and straight us on that joint that hasn't even been close to being strained and stressed like that. Or in pass protection the same way, you
have to plant. He takes an inside move, you have to move inside, redirect yourself off of that knee, and then plan it again and take the contact. I mean, there's a lot, a lot that has to go on. So Elsie, I hope that he continues ahead of schedule. I hope he doesn't do too much too soon and has a setback. But you know, there are a lot of candidates at that right tackle position. The one that is interesting to me is Cody Ford. You know, they
they really it's a I can't lose proposition. Bring him in a very reasonable deal, no salary cap concerned there, And that's what they've done Dan A lot of the free agency they signed seven and the nine people one year contracts, so they're basically structuring their football team where they're still really flexible in terms of these big deals that are coming. If guys make it, it's not a huge burden on the cap. If they don't, it's no
skin off the nose from a cap standpoint. So I think they've they've done things very intelligently, and not only the players that they've accumulated, but how they're paying them. You know, multi year deals went to Orlando Brown, obviously into Pratt at linebacker, but just about everybody else is a one year contract. So uh, it's it's gonna be. It'll be an intense battle at that at that right
tackle position. The big, the big thing in my mind is well Jonah Williams get over the bitterness or betrayal, whatever he feels and decide, you know what, I'm gonna go out there. I'm going to compete. I'm going to try to be as good a right tackle as I can be, and I'm going to go win this job. And I mean to me, if you if you proved you can play both tackles, I think it enhances your value. I mean, I really do. Orlando Brown to a right tackle, two Pro Bowls at left tackle, He's proven he can
play both positions. Why not prove you can play, you know, right tackle as well as left tackle and it's a good football team. You don't you know, it's like trade me, you don't know where you're gonna go. But I guess you will be playing that left tackle position if the team trades for you. But what if the team absolutely sucks and you know, it doesn't matter how well you play the left tackle position. You know it's it's not going to look as good you playing that left tackle
position is if you're on a good football team. So I hope he gets over it and decides to compete and go out and goes out and plays football and gives them another option at the right tackle position. But boy, they do have a lot of depth in that offensive line. There's no question about it. I mean that right tackle position. It's not like there's a bunch of you know, Tom Dick and Harry and Joe Schmoe's out there. You know, they get some guys that that do have some NFL
resumes to him. And I mean came out with early in the draft. I mean, Jonah's a first round pick for his second round pick. You know there's there's there's guys out there. Jackson Carmen second round pick, high second round pick, he'll be competing out there as well. It's it's not like it's it's void of potential talent.
I assume if Jonah Williams is still on the roster, he will be the right tackle. That would be my guess. And he's got twelve million million reasons to show up and compete.
Yeah, and that's the reason that he'll be the start if he's If he's not the starting right tackle, I don't think he'll be on the roster because of that twelve million dollars, or if he is on the roster, won't be for twelve million dollars. So yeah, it's it's going to be interesting how all that unfolds.
Last year, I believe the Dax Hill was number eleven on the Bengals board when they lined him up one through thirty one and they got him with a thirty first pick. They were stunned he was still there. If you go back and look at the final mock drafts before last year's Drafty Linderbaum was the most frequently mentioned player going to the Bengals. He was actually gone before they had the chance to pick him. He went twenty fifth to Baltimore Andrew Booth commonly mocked to the Bengals.
That was my mock draft selection. Last year he was still there. He wound up going forty second in the draft. I know you were big on George Catis, Carl Loftis. He went one pick before the Bengals at number thirty. Logan Hall was a guy whose name kept coming up. He went a few picks later at number thirty three.
So this is my long preamble to this question. Is there like a dream guy that you don't think is going to be there, but if he somehow slid to twenty eighth, you would be doing cartwheels if you could still do a cartwheel in the Bengals press room. Could you ever do a cart.
We never did a cartwheel, never did a cartwheel. Yeah, there's I mean, I think there's a good group of guys that if any of them slid to twenty eight. You know, honestly, I would not be shocked if almost any guy's there, because, like we're saying at the beginning of our visit here, it's like there's maybe four or five guys that you can't even predict the order in
which they'll go on the top four. You know, usually every year you can even get down to the first eight picks of the draft, it seems like not this
year whatsoever. So I mean, there's there's a bunch of guys that could that could be there at twenty eight that you might not think would be there at twenty eight honestly, and guys that you think are there at twenty eight they might go a hell of a lot sooner than that too, because, like I say, everybody's board is very, very different based on what they do schematically, how they do it from a personnel standpoint. So it's it's going to be this draft, honestly, they say the
drafts of crap. Shoot. It is the biggest crap shoot I've ever I've witnessed in a long long time.
There's a mun't emphasize crap, did you.
There's a lot of crap in that shoot. It's like you just if you think, oh, yeah, I've got this figured out, it could be it could be a very interesting three days for you, that's for sure.
How do you feel about Elijah Knsey, the pit defensive tackle. He gets compared to Aaron Donald because he's short and super quick, but unlike Aaron Donald, he has the tiniest arms of anybody who's been projected to go in the first round at his position less than thirty one inches.
Yeah, I mean a guy like that. I mean, you know, think Gino Adkins a little bit too, you know, undersized, but Gino was just vertically challenged. Gino had. You know, this kid's two eighty as well. It's not like he's not put together, and he's got an unbelievable dramatic initial burst. I mean, his first step quickness is incredible. But man, with thirty one inch arms, you can get engulfed, you know,
you really can. If he doesn't beat you with that first step quickness, he's going to get covered up and covered up quickly potentially. So I mean, I think that if you if he goes to the right defense with the right coordinator who has a he wants his three technique to do nothing but penetrate, disrupt, and create havoc. I'm not sure that that's exactly what the Bengals are
looking for in their defensive schematic. It's it's it's more, you know, it's not just a guy penetrating and trying to disrupt every single snap, and that would be you know, like like Aaron Donald Aaron Donald has free reign with the Rams whenever whatever he wants to do, and if he decides he wants to try to bust it up
and create havoc, go for it. Mike Reid, back in my early years with the Cincinnati Bengals, Mike Read out of Penn State was that kind of a guy, a disruptive guy, and they would allow him to go ahead and use that you know, unbelievable first step quickness you have and cause problems and invert the offensive line. So I don't see that one happening. I think that would be more of a long shot.
My dream slides. Don't think they're going to be there, But if they were, I'd be really excited. I mentioned b Jon Robinson earlier. I just think that would be fun, you know, to have a running back like that. I will say, Dalton Kincaid, and I know what you're saying about tight end. This isn't a tight end heavy offense. It's three receivers. Those are the guys they are going to throw two most of the time. But Tyler Boyd final year of his deal, probably not back next year.
I'm guessing, I don't know, maybe he is, Maybe takes a you know, a short term, less expensive deal than he is. I'd love that because I love him. Yeah, but I just see Dalton and k being really a potential game changer. He had sixteen catches for two hundred and thirty four yards in one game against USC and looked like Travis Kelcey in that game eight catches of
twenty five plus yards last year. So I'm that that would be a guy that if he's there, even despite the things you were saying about the position value in Cincinnati, I'd be excited about Dalton Kin Kate.
Well, he's almost like you know, when you talk about Kelsey and tight ends like that, they're basically hybrid. You know, they're almost more of a receiver than they are a tight end. I mean they're not They're not asked to line up at the end of the line of sperimens, put their hand in the dirt and block defensive ends and outside linebackers, and you know you got to be able to, you know, get after these guys and show some physicality. Kim Kaid is an outstanding route runner, outstanding hands.
I mean he is more of a you know you if I had him, i'd flex him a ton, he would be almost like a slot receiver for me. So I could see that. I could definitely see that that one, that one, if that were to occur, I could I could see him, you know, fitting the Bengals scheme offensively in a in a way that is not traditional tight end role with an offense. I could see that definitely.
I saw one evaluator put it this way. He's the best tight end in the draft and the second best wide receiver in.
The draft right right and blocking. It's not that he's not willing. He's willing, but needs a lot of work.
Our predictions for the Bengals first round pick are just a few minutes away. And here's a reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps. More than twenty nine thousand customers trust Paycorps to help them recruit, pay, engage, and retain employees. Learn more at paycorp dot com. Let's get to the two positions that you mentioned right off the top as the positions that you're prioritizing if it's up to you, cornerback and edge rusher.
Who are some of the guys you like at those two positions?
Well, let me give you, let me give you a guy at each one that would I would probably, I'd probably we take at twenty eight. These are kind of my two my two bit picks if they're there, And as we've already talked about at nauseum, you just don't know. But I've seen this guy go in the teens and I've seen him be there at twenty eight.
Emmanuel Forbes, the cornerback from Mississippi State.
Cornerback from Mississippi State, yep. Six feet They say he was one hundred and sixty six pounds at the combine. All I can say is the dude was involved in probably one hundred and thirty five hundred and forty tackles at Mississippi State and never get hurt. I mean, durability was a was a plus for him. And it's not like he was avoiding contact. I mean, he's he's almost got a He's got a seventy nine inch wingspan, eight and a half inch hands. That's good size hands for
a guy at six feet tall. Runs of four to three six thirty two and a quarter sleeve on him, you know arm length. He's got elite ball skills. He's got unbelievable instincts in anticipation. He had six interceptions and three touchdowns last year, thirteen interceptions, six touchdowns on his career. There when he was in high school, he had fourteen interceptions returned seven for touchdowns. So here's a guy that
understands route combinations. He's real sudden when he sticks his foot in the ground and he drives on the football. I think he has as good a burst as I've seen. When the ball is in the air, he's tremendous. Actually had eight interceptions, three or more picks his senior year. Led the nation in ball production his senior and we're talking about the SEC West, which is the most physical
conference in the best conference in college football. I think, you know, people might say, ah, boys, he takes some chances, he takes some risks that he might pay for that in the National Football League. I don't know. I mean, I think a guy like him, he just he just understands, he sees things, he sees things before it happens. If I'm a coach, I don't pull the reins in on this guy. I let him play. I let him do what he's done. And uh, he's very willing to run support.
I've seen him get up the football field and take the you know, take the players out low, take him, take him on high. He plays man coverage with real good eyed discipline. He's always looking to make a play, you know. I mean, it'll be interesting if everything that he does translates in the National Football League. But I think he's extremely talented, and honestly, you look at a guy he throws. He threw a ninety five mile in our fastball as a baseball player, too, ninety five mile
in our fastball. So I mean, here's here's a guy that's got skills that translate into other sports. And I like multi sport athletes like that. I just think that if he comes here, the nutritionists and the strength coaches get him up to one hundred and eighty pounds, I think it can happen. And I think as he matures, I think it can happen more readily. You know, because you say, well, why the hell didn't they do that
in the SEC at Misissippi State. Why didn't that training staff and nutritionists and that strength and conditioning, why didn't they beef him up? I think they decided, you know, let him play. Look at how he's playing and he can he can handle it. Maybe he resisted a little bit and said, you know what, I just don't feel like I want to overreat like that or whatever. Maybe in the National Football League who feel like he has to in order to compete a little bit more. But
I think this kid is has got it. I really do think I think he's he's he can be out there on the alan by himself. And the other thing, he visited Cincinnati, and everybody that I talked to said first class individual. I mean, like, I want to adopt
this kid kind of kid. So if he's that type of personality fits in really well in the locker room as well, because we know that this locker room has got a tremendous culture and all these guys get along, and I think he would be a tremendous fit in that regard as well.
Sauce Gardner Wade in the one sixties when he got to UC they got him up to the one nineties before he was drafted by the Jets, So the timetable's a little bit different, but I do think there's, you know, the ability to put good weight on Emmanuel Forbes. The other thing is if the Bengals select him number twenty eight. Overall, all they need to do is to assign him to lap them and hoard for a few months. Have him eat with us. He will put on weight.
No question about it. We'll take him right through training table and that dog he'll have no problem. He'll he'll be he'll be a buck eighty before he knows.
It won't necessarily be good way, but he'll be. Wait, all right, who is your other guy that you've got your eye on?
Okay, the other guy is if Forbes is not there. And I've seen this guy, same type of thing. I've seen him gone, I've seen him available Lucas Vans out of Iowa. I think this this guy, leu Anoumo loves versatility. This guy played three technique the first year of football. He's redshirt sophomore. He's a young guy coming out. The other thing I like is he's got tremendous upside potential because of that that factor. Six ' five, two hundred and seventy two pounds, run sub four, six thirty four
inch length to his arms, eleven inch hands. He will grab you and consume you. Eighty one and three quarters inch wingspan. I mean He's a condor with big hands, run sub four six at over two inns seventy pounds. His traits are freakish. I mean, they really are. He was a hockey player. I played high school football with a hockey player. This dude's legs were so strong because skating,
you know, develops different muscles in your legs. He was an accomplished hockey player at that you know, at that size, probably outgrew hockey. But the fact is he's very, very strong in his lower body. So he played three technique initially, then they kicked him out to end. Now with Louanna Roumo, he could be an end and edge rush guy. He's got some good techniques. He uses his hands well, he's got counter moves. He's still young and he can learn
more and he can develop. But you could move kick him inside to a three technique in your nickel defense and let him rush there. He could play three technique in a pinch against the run in the past, He's done it. I like the position versatility he plays with natural need bend angle flection. I think that some of that comes from hockey. Honestly, he's got real big ability on contact. His explosion is is definitely strong. Seeing him forklift guys on the edge, you know, I mean he'll
work there that way as well. He can do it all. I don't know. I think if if Emmanuel Forbes isn't there, I'd look to Lucas van Ness and hope that he's there. If they're both not there, reload Reload.
Van Ness would be this year's Dax Hill. It seems like on almost every mock draft I've seen he's gone. But like I said, that was the case with Dax last year, and sure enough there he was at number thirty one.
And the one thing that I like about him when you watch his tape, he is doggedly determined. He chases everything. He tries to run everything down. Of that in a player, you know, it's not just it's the other side of the field. I'm just gonna chill and watch hope my teammates get it done. This guy he gets after everything. So he's got he's got a motor, and I just think that if he comes here, he's raw and he's got huge upside potential. He's look regarded as a late
first you know, second round pick by most everybody. Some have him going higher, but I mean, if the Bengals can draft him and develop him, and man, I think the ceiling is extremely high with this kid. I think he's got Pro Bowl potential if he's developed the right way. And I think Lou and a room when his defensive staff could do that.
All right, one more question and then we're going to get to our predictions. To wrap this up, is there a guy that, for whatever reason you would just like to see the Bengals take at some point? So we're not talking about a first round guy or maybe even a second round, but is there somebody who, for whatever reason you're intrigued with, you would like to see the Bengals grab at some point?
You know, I haven't really thought about it. You know that that far into the into the draft. You know who I might think about for like third, fourth, fifth, sixth round kind of guy or a Day three guy that that might be there. I mean there's again, it's it's a it's a great middle class draft.
I like that.
I think that you're going to bring guys in that still know that they've got a lot to prove. I got a lot of work to do. There's there's I don't really have a player like I'd like I've got a bunch of them, and I guess that fits this kind of draft.
Either of the two UC wide receivers for personal reasons or be on the list for me. But running back Taj Spears out of Tulane. I saw him a lot watching American Athletic Conference games. Cincinnati obviously faced him. Ran for more than fifteen hundred yards average almost seven yards of carry, was great at the Senior Bowl. Apparently there might be an ACL issue now sure about where that
stands going forward when the teams do their medicals. But Taja Spears, the running back, is the guy that you know, I just kind of have in the back of my head, is all right, if the Bengals could get him in the fourth or fifth or something like that, that would be a great pick up.
Yeah, I mean I think that that's where I think the sweet spot of this draft is going to be. I think there's gonna be picks around the league that it will be fourth, fifth, sixth round guys they're gonna turn into turn out to be pretty darn good football players. I don't know. I guess I guess maybe part of me, uh maybe I'm off base, But if they could get Josh Wiley at tight end, that that would be a guy that's he's amongst a bunch of guys that i'd like to you know what, I think the guy's a
good football player. If you can get him in the fourth or fifth round, I think that's a good value for a guy like that local kid. You know, there'd be some interest there. Somebody like that, I think would would uh, you know, would kind of peak peak some interest for sure. I'd like to see that.
Josh Wiley is a very good football player. He's got the size, he's got the speed. He's had some injury problems that you see. That's a reason why he might not have the productivity of some of the other tight ends in this draft. But if he winds up in Cincinnati, the Bengals are gonna have a good football player.
Yeah, and he seems like he's a very willing blocker. You know, there's no question about that. He'll he'll stick his nose in there and get that dirty for sure.
All Right, the moment people have all been waiting for, it's time to make predictions. Laps legends speaks for itself. Back in twenty twelve, everybody said the Bengals would take offensive guard David di Castro. You said, nah, I think it's going to be Kevin Zeidler. Was Kevin Zeidler. The next year, the world landed on matt Elam, the safety who was taken in the first round by Baltimore, as the guy the Bengals were going to take. You said, I think it might be Tyler Eifert. It was Tyler Eifert.
There have been others since John Ross. You nailed that one in twenty seventeen. In twenty nineteen, you said, I'll tell you what, if Jonah Williams is still on the board at number eleven, they will raise to the podium. And that's what they did, all right, So here we go. You are on the clock. Dave Lapham. With a twenty eighth pick in the twenty twenty three NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select.
I'm going with the guy that I talked about earlier. I'm going to go with cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, and I'm not sure he'll be there. If he is, I think they take him unless there is somebody else that slid. But Emmanuel Forbes, And like I said earlier, if he's not My backup guy is Lucas van S, but I think i'd be I would be thrilled to death if both of them were there. If either one were there, I'd be equally excited. But I think one of those
two guys could really really help this football team. I'm all in on those guys.
I would love to see Emmanuel Forbes, but I'm not going to make him my pick because I don't want to have the same thing as you. That's no fun. And secondly, I don't think he's going to be there. Probably I could see Baltimore taking him at twenty two. So the Bengals it's getting closed. You're thinking, all right, they got a shot. And then your division rival, who's the cornerbacks are getting older and have had injury problems. Let's grab this guy to lock up the great receivers in our division.
Hoops, and look the physical AFC North. We're talking about Cincinnati and or Baltimore picking them. They're not worried about one hundred and sixty six pound guy. He's shown that he can, he's got durability, he can play physically. I mean, I hope he's there. I hope he's there.
I do too but I'm not going to pick him. I am going to stick with the cornerback position. I think Deontay Banks is gone. I think Devon Witherspoon will be the first cornerback taken. I have landed on George's Keeley Ringo as my pick with the twenty eighth pick in the draft. He's six to one, He's two hundred and seven pounds. He was the top cornerback recruit coming out of high school in his recruiting class. Ran a
four to three six at the combine. And we know the Bengals love to draft players from big schools that have played in big games. Well, this guy was the best cornerback on back to back national championship teams at Georgia. I think they would rather have Emmanuel Forbes, and if he's there, I would take him, but I don't think he will be there. I have landed on Georgia's Kei Lee Ringo as the next Cincinnati Bengals first round draft.
Pick, and I think he probably has a better chance to be there. I've seen him on a few bocks be taken, but not as many as Emmanuel, So I guess maybe I'm hoping against hope but you're I mean, both of them come from the SEC. There's not a better conference in college football, so I'd be good with either. I mean, I do think that the corner position is
probably the area that they'll target first in. If there's somebody available that fits in that need at the corner position, I think they are going to go there.
Dan, all right, this has been fun as always. Looking forward to Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We'll be spending a lot of time together extravaganza.
It's the National Football League Draft.
It is.
It's mind boggling. I was talking to Bob Johnson earlier this week and I said, far cry from nineteen sixty eight, right, the NFL Draft, and he just burst out laughing. I mean, it is. The NFL Draft has become musty TV in a time when you've got NBA Playoffs, you got you know, major League Baseball just rolling right along. What's dominating the news cycle in terms of sports, the NFL Draft. It is a marketing giant.
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