Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals were in the market for a DT, RT, WR, TE, CB and depth at WR and S. Of those, TE had the shortest list of passing YAS grades, with noseguard (DT) also in short supply.
- Round 1 Pick 18 mims
Original Pick: Amarius Mims, OT
YAS Assisted Pick: Amarius Mims, OT
Mims has an incomplete YAS score because he did not complete enough combine drills. Tyler Guyton was a first-round graded YAS offensive tackle available. However, one of the tenets of YAS is that it assists in PROJECTING starters, but that first-round picks should not need projecting. Their tape should already suggest immediate starter play (other than QB). In this scenario, we would have asked the scouting department if they had seen sufficient tape on Mims to identify him as an immediate starting RT. They likely did (even though he had 8 starts). At that point, we would defer to the scouting department for Mims, instead of Guyton.
- Round 2 Pick 49
Original Pick: Kris Jenkins, DT
YAS Assisted Pick: Kris Jenkins, DT
Jenkins did not complete all of the combine events, so a range has to be given for his YAS score instead of a definite score. That range assumed 25th and 75th percentile results for his missing events. That projected range (7.03-7.65) included a passing score (7.2). There were no other DT within the same range of draft position with definite passing scores, although Mike Hall also had a projected ranger of a passing score (7.64-8.71), and his YAS range was higher. We would have had suggested Hall over Jenkins, but given how close the two YAS scores were, we would defer to the scouts if they felt strongly that Jenkins was more developed than Hall.
- Round 3 Pick 80
Original Pick: Jermaine Burton, WR
YAS Assisted Pick: Theo Johnson, TE
Jermaine Burton had a passing YAS score. However, there were several WR that could be had in the following rounds with higher YAS scores (Walker, Franklin, Wilson, McCaffrey, Flournoy, Means). If Burton was significantly more polished than the other options, then YAS would recommend drafting Burton here. However, the scouting reports do not describe Burton as a polished route runner, so he would be as much a projection as the alternatives named above. Given that, it would make sense to wait to draft the project WR for the later rounds.
The TE list for this draft is short, and likely does not extend past this pick. Theo Johnson and Jared Wiley would be our recommendations here, with Johnson getting the nod for a higher YAS score.
- Round 3 Pick 97
Original Pick: McKinley Jackson, DT
YAS Assisted Pick: McKinley Jackson, DT
YAS considered some of the WR that were passed in pick 80, along with IOL and TJ Tampa. However, YAS tends to defer to the team needs if the player actually picked has a passing YAS score. Here, Jackson has one of only 3 passing noseguard YAS scores, so we defer to the team need decision.
- Round 4 Pick 115
Original Pick: Eric All, TE
YAS Assisted Pick: TJ Tampa, CB
Having already solved the TE decision before, YAS was able to focus on the BPA at a position of need instead of a TE. We expected Tampa to go in the 2nd round. This is a bit of a luxury pick, but a potential starting CB who can contribute on day one in the 4th round, and is long enough to play some safety, is too much of a value.
- Round 5 Pick 149
Original Pick: Josh Newton, CB
YAS Assisted Pick: Dominique Hampton, S
Having already taken the CB, Tampa, in the 5th round, we take one of the highest YAS scoring safeties, in Hampton.
- Round 6 Pick 194
Original Pick: Tanner McLachlan, TE
YAS Assisted Pick: Beaux Limmer, IOL
Again, the TE position was addressed earlier, allowing for a BPA pick. Here, Limmer had a 3rd round grade and a high YAS score. He provides depth and a potential starting piece to the IOL. If a run-blocking TE was the goal, those can be found during PFA. We have not addressed the WR position yet, but there were still numerous WR with passing YAS scores, and the value differential on Limmer was too significant to ignore.
- Round 6 Pick 214
Original Pick: Cedric Johnson, Edge
YAS Assisted Pick: Ryan Flournoy, WR
At this stage, only Ryan Flournoy was left among WR with a passing YAS score that we expected to get drafted. Other options included Cornelius Johnson, Devaughn Vele and Billy Bowen. Flournoy had the highest draft grade amongst scouts.
- Round 7 Pick 224
Original Pick: Daijahn Anthony, S
YAS Assisted Pick: Myles Cole, Edge
We did not know that edge was a need for the Bengals until their pick of Cedric Johnson in the 6th. In this scenario, since Ryan Flournoy was drafted instead of Johnson, Cole is drafted in the 7th round to fill the edge opening. Cole is an absolute physical freak with length, explosiveness, quick acceleration and profiles as a prototypical power rusher with size to anchor against the run.
- Round 7 Pick 237
Original Pick: Matt Lee, OC
YAS Assisted Pick: Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE
The IOL need was filled with the Beaux Limmer pick. In the real draft, the Bengals drafted a second TE, likely signaling the desire for a run blocker. Though Spann-Ford just missed out on a passing YAS overall score (6.14), his blocking score was the third highest in this draft class.
Priority Free Agents:
OT: Frank Crum
CB: Mike Victor
DT: Fabien Lovett
Edge: Eric Watts
LB: Keontra Smith
OC: Avery Jones
OG: Bayron Matos
RB: Blake Watson
S: Mark Perry
TE: Shelton Zeon
WR: Cole Burgess