WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: My Wish 0:00:03.800 --> 0:00:06.840 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.880 --> 0:00:08.800 The Bengals Booth Podcast. 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:17.640 Bah yeah, this is my wish addition as Dave Lapham 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:20.239 joins me to preview the NFL Draft. 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:23.239 Should the Bengals take one of the top two tight 0:00:23.360 --> 0:00:28.040 ends Michael Mayer or Dalton Kincaid if available? What if 0:00:28.120 --> 0:00:31.960 running back b Jon Robinson is still there? Does lap 0:00:32.159 --> 0:00:36.800 like mammoth Ohio State offensive lineman to Jan Jones. We'll 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:40.880 discuss those topics and many more, and end our conversation 0:00:41.040 --> 0:00:43.879 with our predictions for who the Bengals will select in 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:47.880 the first round on Thursday night. The Bengals Booth Podcast 0:00:47.960 --> 0:00:49.920 is brought to you in part by Bengals Picks and 0:00:50.080 --> 0:00:53.440 Ultimate Bengals The Free to play with tickets and sign 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:57.680 merchandise up for grabs. Find both inside the Bengals app. 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:00.400 Now here's a quick reminder that you you can have 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:04.440 the latest edition of this podcast delivered write to your phone, tablet, 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:08.559 or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's 0:01:08.600 --> 0:01:13.920 the greatest thing since the Glove Doctor. If you follow 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:16.160 me on Instagram, you might have seen a picture I 0:01:16.200 --> 0:01:20.120 posted last week of my baseball mit after serving me 0:01:20.200 --> 0:01:23.040 well for more than thirty years, it appeared to be 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:27.400 damaged beyond repair after approximately the one millionth game of 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:31.759 catch between me and my son Sam. But somebody gave 0:01:31.760 --> 0:01:35.080 me the name of a Cincinnati area glove doctor. His 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:39.480 name is Terry Elkins. He's a longtime baseball coach in Hamilton, Ohio, 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:44.280 and he is a master at repairing and relacing gloves. 0:01:44.720 --> 0:01:48.040 He broke out his pliers and threading tools and lo 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:53.840 and behold, my beloved rawlings baseball glove is alive. So 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:56.600 if you have a glove that needs some love and 0:01:56.720 --> 0:02:00.960 live in the Cincinnati area, look up Terry Elkin in Hamilton. 0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:04.360 He's great at what he does, and the charge was 0:02:04.560 --> 0:02:09.480 very inexpensive. Now let's get to football. A couple of 0:02:09.560 --> 0:02:12.640 days ago, I went back and looked at fifteen final 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:16.040 mock drafts prior to last year's festivities. I chose the 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:20.520 most prominent NFL draft experts, guys like Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:23.520 and Dane Brugler, plus a few of the reporters who 0:02:23.560 --> 0:02:26.760 cover the Bengals. Do you know how many of those 0:02:26.919 --> 0:02:32.720 fifteen mock drafts had the Bengals taking Dax Hill one. 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:37.480 Chris Collinsworth nailed it for Pro Football Focus. Dax wasn't 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:40.520 even mentioned as a possibility on most of the other 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:44.080 mock drafts, and in the interest of full disclosure, I 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:47.080 didn't get it right either. I predicted that the Bengals 0:02:47.120 --> 0:02:52.280 would select Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth, who went eleven picks 0:02:52.320 --> 0:02:56.320 later to the Minnesota Vikings. My broadcast partner Dave Lapham 0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:59.760 didn't nail it last year either, but his track record 0:02:59.800 --> 0:03:04.880 for forecasting the Bengals first round pick is borderline legendary. 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:07.880 That's one of the reasons why this edition of this 0:03:08.000 --> 0:03:12.160 podcast is always one of the most downloaded episodes of 0:03:12.200 --> 0:03:16.720 the year. So, without further ado, here's my in depth 0:03:17.120 --> 0:03:23.480 pre draft conversation with lap Lap. Let's start big picture. 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:26.560 What are your overall thoughts on this year's draft class. 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:28.880 Where is it strong? Where is it weak? 0:03:29.800 --> 0:03:32.880 Well, I think this year's draft classes is a very 0:03:32.880 --> 0:03:36.040 few blue chippers. You know, there's maybe a handful or 0:03:36.120 --> 0:03:39.640 less of guys. It's like, man, this is a definite 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:42.000 first round pick. This is the model first round pick, 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:45.920 upper echelon first round pick. It's a good middle class draft. 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:49.160 But the Bengals at number twenty eight. I mean, they're 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:51.120 gonna get the same type of player. I think is 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:53.840 a team that picks at eight, you know, it's not 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:56.600 going to be a major I think there's you know, 0:03:57.080 --> 0:03:59.440 like I said, handful or less of players, a little 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:02.520 bit of a drop and then a long way before 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:05.680 there's another drop, and the drop's not that big. This 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:09.400 is a draft where if you can get an extra third, fourth, 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:12.960 or fifth rounder, it'd be good to do because the 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:15.160 guys that are drafted in the fourth round would be 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:17.760 just like the guys you drafted in the end of 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:20.200 the first beginning of the you know, end of the first, 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:21.840 end of the second round. It's not not going to 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:25.000 be that major of a dropoff. So I think that's 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:29.159 the thing that strikes me most about this draft. I think, uh, 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:32.760 their solid defensive line and cornerback depth, which I think 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:37.240 is favorable for the Bengals. And you look at it, Dan, 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:41.080 they went megabucks in the offensive line this off season. 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:44.800 They spent a ton last off season. They drafted a 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:48.000 starting left guard rookie in the fourth round. I think 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:52.000 based on that, you gotta you gotta go defense, you know, 0:04:52.040 --> 0:04:56.200 you have to. You have to really balance the balance 0:04:56.240 --> 0:04:58.000 it up a little bit in terms of your your 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:01.400 attention the dollars that you're spending. So I think I 0:05:01.400 --> 0:05:07.240 think that this draft fits well for them. And this 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:13.320 offensive football team is a wide receiver centric offense. You know, 0:05:13.400 --> 0:05:16.120 it's a great tight end class, but there's going to 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:19.760 be tight ends available in the second, third, and fourth round. 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:21.520 You don't have to go first round on a tight 0:05:21.600 --> 0:05:26.200 end because this football team. Looking at the pure numbers, 0:05:27.400 --> 0:05:30.200 the four top wide receivers for the Bengals two hundred 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:33.680 and thirty eight catches, three fifty eight yards, twenty five 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:37.960 touchdowns last year. The four top tight ends seventy three catches, 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:41.479 five hundred and fifty six yards, three touchdowns. The four 0:05:41.520 --> 0:05:44.880 top running backs as receivers one hundred and three catches, 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:48.960 seven hundred and ninety six yards, nine touchdowns. Everybody's playing 0:05:49.000 --> 0:05:53.200 those deep coverages and Joe's checking down to backs. Tight 0:05:53.279 --> 0:05:56.080 Ends are important, but it's in the way the structure 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:58.800 of this offense. They play as much eleven as anybody 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:01.520 in the NFL, and they'll play them. You know, they'll 0:06:01.520 --> 0:06:04.839 play a good bit of ten as well. Now, do 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:06.760 you take a wide receiver in the first round, No, 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:09.839 I don't think it's wide receiver worthy in the first round, 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:13.000 but somewhere in the mid rounds you might draft a 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:16.360 wide receiver and maybe give them twelve to fifteen snaps 0:06:16.400 --> 0:06:20.799 this year, get him and doctrinated into the offense because 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:22.960 you're going to be able to keep all three wide 0:06:22.960 --> 0:06:26.040 receivers after this year, potentially not. So now you get 0:06:26.040 --> 0:06:28.680 a guy ready to step in, so you're not only drafting. 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:31.840 They're in a position where they've got themselves set. They 0:06:31.839 --> 0:06:36.159 don't have to draft for a starter in twenty twenty three. 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:38.800 Now you can have roles. And Duke Tobin mentioned it, 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:41.480 we're gonna want to have roles for all of our players. 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:44.520 It doesn't have to be a starting role though, and 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:47.599 you draft him for twenty four and maybe even twenty 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:51.400 five in some cases. You know, and thinking ahead, if 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:53.960 we do get the big contract done with the quarterback, 0:06:54.279 --> 0:06:56.279 what does it do to the wide receiver position, What 0:06:56.320 --> 0:06:58.520 does it do to the edge rush position, What does 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:00.279 it do to the corner position. What is it to do? 0:07:00.800 --> 0:07:03.400 You have to have minimum salary somewhere, You have to 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:07.000 you know, low contracts somewhere, So you have to be 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:10.040 wise in your selections for sure. 0:07:10.600 --> 0:07:13.240 You touched down about twenty things in there that I 0:07:13.280 --> 0:07:15.200 wanted to bring up. So we're going to double back 0:07:15.240 --> 0:07:16.920 on a lot of the things that you talked about. 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:20.680 Let's talk first about position groups that you would like 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:24.680 to see them address. What's at the top of the list. Say, 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:26.840 if you could pick three position groups in the top 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:28.400 three rounds, what would they be. 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:32.720 Well, i'd go I'd go corner and edge rush would 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:36.160 be two position groups that I'd like to see addressed. 0:07:37.240 --> 0:07:39.400 And then i'd like to see, you know, maybe an 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:42.040 offensive tackle and a wide receiver. If they first couple 0:07:42.040 --> 0:07:44.840 of rounds they go defense and then offense, and you know, 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:48.040 maybe in the next round or so, or they may 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:50.320 be able to double down at one of those position 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:54.360 groups like they have in the past. But those i'd 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:59.720 like to see corner, defensive line, maybe an offensive tackle, 0:08:00.440 --> 0:08:02.600 you know, at the end of at the end of 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:06.080 day day two or the beginning of Day three, and 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:08.840 then a wide receiver in that same in that same ballpark. 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:11.400 And then double back, you know, running back, and that's 0:08:11.600 --> 0:08:14.640 that's later on, that's down the road. To me, it's 0:08:14.680 --> 0:08:17.800 definitely a Day three thing. But that running back has 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:19.600 to be able to catch the football because they do 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:21.880 like to throw to the running back. And then he's 0:08:21.920 --> 0:08:24.280 also going to be able to be able to blitz 0:08:24.320 --> 0:08:27.360 pick up because he's out there. You know, this is 0:08:27.400 --> 0:08:30.080 a pass centric football team and he's going to have 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:31.520 to do his job here as well. 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:33.720 All right, I'm going to follow up on that by 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:38.840 talking running back. Bjeon Robinson from Texas is universally considered, 0:08:38.880 --> 0:08:40.920 I guess, the number one running back in this draft. 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:43.360 Two hundred and fifteen pounds, runs a four four six 0:08:43.520 --> 0:08:46.400 forty six point three yards per carry in his career 0:08:46.520 --> 0:08:49.360 thirteen point four yards per catch. In his career he 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:52.640 had eight carries of fifty plus yards at Texas. There 0:08:52.760 --> 0:08:56.840 are some draft out there, mock drafts out there that 0:08:57.000 --> 0:08:59.880 still have them available at twenty eight. Not many, but 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:04.240 there are some. If he somehow slides to twenty eight, 0:09:04.840 --> 0:09:05.800 would you take him. 0:09:05.880 --> 0:09:07.720 Well, you got to think about it. You got to 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:10.760 figure he's on their big board. You know the big 0:09:10.760 --> 0:09:12.840 board where they go, I don't know one to turn 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:15.760 on fifty three hundred players, whatever, doesn't matter the position. 0:09:15.920 --> 0:09:18.800 They're just ranking them in their in their eyes. And 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:22.160 always everybody's big board's different because they always say it's 0:09:22.200 --> 0:09:23.920 never based on need. You don't want to reach based 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:26.480 on need, But when you're putting your board together, you 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:29.920 structure that based on needs, so you're not reaching within 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:35.640 what your your offensive schematic and your needs and all 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:39.200 that sort of thing may be offensively, defensively and everything else. 0:09:39.559 --> 0:09:42.720 Everybody doesn't run the same things, so everybody looks at 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:45.960 players and evaluates players differently. Nobody's board is the same. 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:49.760 He's got to be up there. I mean, the guy. 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:52.600 The guy is an unusual talent. But if a guy 0:09:52.679 --> 0:09:56.360 like that slides to twenty eight, I would think teams 0:09:56.400 --> 0:10:00.480 that really really are more run centric than the Bengals 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:04.720 would be calling and saying, hey, jeez, you know what, 0:10:04.760 --> 0:10:07.640 would you would you, uh, we want to take Robinson? 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:09.400 You know, are you going to take him? If you're 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:11.439 not going to take them, would you think about moving back? 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:14.360 I think he would be a candidate where that kind 0:10:14.360 --> 0:10:17.360 of discussion might take place. If, for whatever reason, one 0:10:17.400 --> 0:10:20.360 of these four quarterbacks slides to twenty eight, and I've 0:10:20.400 --> 0:10:24.880 seen cases where it's going to maybe be close that 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:27.960 that's gonna I think generate some phone calls and you 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:30.880 could you could move back based on that or whatever. 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:33.360 The position is the Bengals, would you know, I think 0:10:33.400 --> 0:10:36.400 consider it because, like I said earlier, this is a 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.600 middle class a great middle class draft, and as many 0:10:39.640 --> 0:10:42.040 picks as you can get in that middle class, you're 0:10:42.080 --> 0:10:44.920 gonna get good football players. The more you get, the 0:10:44.960 --> 0:10:46.800 better your ards are hitting on somebody. 0:10:47.400 --> 0:10:52.280 I will answer my own question on B John Robinson. Hell, yes, 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:56.839 I think he's different. Yeah, in your era, he might 0:10:56.880 --> 0:10:58.600 have been the number one overall pick in the draft 0:10:58.600 --> 0:11:01.080 back when running backs are draft differently from how they 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:04.760 are now. It's harder. Yes, well, maybe not the best 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:06.920 person to bring up, but that era, you know, that 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:11.120 era correct, and it's not a need at the moment. 0:11:11.760 --> 0:11:15.079 But they're obviously issues with Joe Mixon. He's got two 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:17.800 years left on his contract, but it's ten million dollars 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:20.360 a year, which, like you were saying, at some point 0:11:20.640 --> 0:11:22.720 you're going to have to make hard decisions when it 0:11:22.760 --> 0:11:26.720 comes to what positions you prioritize in terms of salary. 0:11:27.200 --> 0:11:29.480 You can get a talent like that on a rookie 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:32.920 contract and maybe make the mixing decision a little bit 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:36.959 easier or different. I would sign up for Bjon Robinson. 0:11:36.600 --> 0:11:40.000 And the thing about him, he runs good routes. I mean, 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:43.079 you know you can. You can formation him. You can 0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:47.480 be very creative with your formations when you're in eleven personnel. 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:49.679 I mean you can move them out of the and 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:51.640 the Bengs have done this, you know, backs and move 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:53.800 them out of the backfield and empty backfield with one 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:56.800 tight end and three wide receivers, but the running backs 0:11:56.840 --> 0:11:58.880 the fourth receiver, and you've got a tight end that 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:01.800 can run routes catch. You get five receivers out there, 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:04.680 but you can present it to the defense. We have 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:06.760 running back in a tight end in the huddle. You 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:08.679 better put your big people out there. So now you 0:12:08.720 --> 0:12:12.320 can create formational mismatches having guys of that caliber to 0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:14.960 do those kind of things. And he fits that bill 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:17.720 as well. On top of you know, being able to 0:12:18.000 --> 0:12:21.120 run the football like he does. He's a dynamic football player. 0:12:21.400 --> 0:12:23.679 If he's there, you got to think about him. You 0:12:23.760 --> 0:12:24.040 got to. 0:12:24.400 --> 0:12:26.640 All right, let's make this a little bit trickier. Let's 0:12:26.640 --> 0:12:28.960 go to the second running back in the draft, Jamar 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:32.480 Gibbs from Alabama. He ran a four to three six 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:36.600 and he's quick as well. Didn't get like a huge 0:12:36.679 --> 0:12:40.040 load of carries and receptions at Alabama because they were 0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:42.040 so deep, so not a lot of tread on that 0:12:42.160 --> 0:12:46.280 tires a lot of Alvin Kameric comparisons. For Jamar Gibbs, 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:48.920 would you even think about him at twenty eight or 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.440 would he be the ideal if they trade back a 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:54.280 few spots, get a high second round pick and get 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:57.640 a fourth round pick, then you'd love to maybe think 0:12:57.640 --> 0:12:58.560 about Jamar Gibbs. 0:12:58.679 --> 0:13:01.319 I mean, I can see where you know, Gibbs his tantalizing, 0:13:01.559 --> 0:13:04.360 but like you said, other guys at Alabama got more 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:06.840 opportunity than he did, you know, so I mean, what 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:09.800 what is there? Where's where's the hole? You know, It's 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:12.600 like obviously he's not much of a blitz pickup guy, 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:14.840 but when he does, he when he gets the ball 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:16.840 in space, he is a freakazoy. 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:17.040 There. 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:20.280 There are no two ways about that. So, uh, you know, 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.720 these kind of these kind of players with this kind 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:26.480 of talent, I mean you got to you got to 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:28.959 give full consideration. There's no question. 0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:32.520 More with lap in a moment. But first, a quick 0:13:32.520 --> 0:13:34.960 reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:39.560 by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet capable of delivering 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:42.520 multi gigabit speeds designed to take your home, business, and 0:13:42.600 --> 0:13:47.520 community to a new level, elevates your connection with Alta fiber. 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:51.560 All right, you spoke about the tight ends earlier. The 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:54.280 top two tight ends in this draft, according to most 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:56.240 are Michael Mayer. We know all about him from Notre 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:58.760 Dame six ' four two hundred and fifty pounds or 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:01.400 n A four seven forty at the So that wasn't 0:14:01.400 --> 0:14:04.040 great because a very productive receiver at Notre Dame. Then 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:07.120 you've got Dalton Kincaid, a little smaller six three two 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.439 forty six, but he's got longer arms. He's two years younger, 0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:12.880 he's had some injury problems, so he didn't run the 0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:14.920 forty at the combine or at his pro day, but 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:16.920 he had the best stats of any tight end in 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:21.200 the country last year at Utah. If either of those 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:26.640 guys is there at twenty eight, would you take him? 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:30.000 The reason I wouldn't is because, like I said, it's 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:34.920 a wide receiver centric offense and they're great players. But 0:14:36.440 --> 0:14:40.480 quarterbacks are now making fifty million dollars a year, and 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:42.720 you know the tight end can support the quarterback, There's 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:47.480 no question about that. But schematically, the tight end is 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:49.640 not going to support Joe Burrow as much as the 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:52.880 wide receiver corps. The Big three are going to support 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:56.600 Joe Burrow and his talents. And the Big Three again 0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:59.200 is okay, well, it's dubious. Are they going to be 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:01.440 able to get Gigans extended? Will he be able to 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:05.960 resign Jamar Tyler Boyd? I mean, what do you think there? 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:09.720 I just think that the first round is a little 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:12.920 too rich to go tight end position. I don't dispute 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:17.080 these guys are really, you know, fantastic players, but they 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:22.320 fit other people's offenses probably better, or would give other 0:15:22.360 --> 0:15:25.800 people's offenses more of a boost as the twenty eighth 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:29.160 pick in the draft than the Bengals offense. So I 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.200 would not be surprised if those guys are on the 0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:35.280 board that the Bengals don't pull the trigger and they still, 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:38.320 you know, potentially go defense and the defensive side of 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:43.200 the football, because honestly, it's a quarterback driven league. The 0:15:43.280 --> 0:15:45.840 numbers show it more than ever, fifty million dollars a year. 0:15:45.840 --> 0:15:49.240 To these quarterbacks, you have to not only protect them, 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:52.560 you have to affect them. And the best way to 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.840 affect them is to cover the receivers. And to rush them. 0:15:56.280 --> 0:16:01.400 So in my mind, you're gonna be playing a lot 0:16:01.400 --> 0:16:03.720 of great ones. Joe's tremendous and he's one of the 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:06.120 best in the NFL, if not the best. He's that 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:08.920 doesn't take long to call role. But they're going to 0:16:08.960 --> 0:16:10.560 be playing against some of them too, and you got 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:12.480 to you got to pressure him, You got to get 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:15.520 him uncomfortable, get him off their spot, and uh and 0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:17.520 make the windows as tight as you possibly can for 0:16:17.520 --> 0:16:18.160 them to throw it. 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:21.560 Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network says this is the 0:16:21.600 --> 0:16:24.160 best tight end draft in the last ten years. So 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:27.240 if they don't take Mayor or Kincaid in round one, 0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:29.720 and maybe neither guys even there for them to pick, 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:33.040 is there somebody that you like in round two, three, four, 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:36.600 whatever that fits what the Bengals are looking for out 0:16:36.600 --> 0:16:37.400 of a tight end. Yeah. 0:16:37.400 --> 0:16:40.440 I mean, I think the guy that is probably as 0:16:40.480 --> 0:16:44.080 good a football player in that group as there is 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:47.240 is Sam Laporta out of Iowa. You know, he's a 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:49.200 two hundred and forty five hundred and fifty pound guy 0:16:49.200 --> 0:16:53.200 that runs sub four six forty in you know, he's 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:58.120 he didn't have a great quarterback situation at Iowa this 0:16:58.200 --> 0:17:01.400 past season. His numbers show that, and I think that, 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:06.720 you know, maybe he is less highly regarded as a 0:17:06.720 --> 0:17:10.080 result of that, but I do think that that this guy, 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:14.800 he can accelerate after the catch. His yards after catcher 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:20.359 are extraordinary. He's he's a willing blocker. Not that he 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:22.520 doesn't need work there, but I think a lot of 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:26.000 these guys do. He shows toughness throughout his routes. I 0:17:26.000 --> 0:17:28.400 think he's a he's a mismatch because of his strength 0:17:28.400 --> 0:17:31.880 and his speed, his size. He's another he's a guy 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:34.520 when he runs routes. He's a quick processor, you know, 0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:37.840 in terms of determining what's going on down the football 0:17:37.880 --> 0:17:41.240 field in terms of coverages. And he's got really good hands. 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:45.560 He's got a very solid catch radius. He's good in 0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:49.399 that regard as well. So he's his contested catchability is there. 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:53.400 I think that from a football player standpoint, he might 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:55.479 be as good as there is in the draft at 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:56.359 the tight end position. 0:17:57.200 --> 0:17:59.840 Based on most of the mocks I've looked at, he's 0:17:59.880 --> 0:18:02.400 a second round pick. Would you take him in the 0:18:02.440 --> 0:18:04.480 second or do you cross your fingers and hope you 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:06.159 can get him in the third. Obviously, I hope you 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:08.600 can get him in the third, But would you jump 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:11.040 with the fear that he wouldn't be there in the third? 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:14.080 I mean, I think that's the sixtieth pick in the draft, 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:18.560 the Bengals at number two, and I mean he would 0:18:18.600 --> 0:18:22.160 definitely in my mind being the discussion. But if there's 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:25.080 an edge rush guy that has slid to sixty and 0:18:25.160 --> 0:18:27.240 he was projected to maybe go in the top thirty, 0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:29.520 in the top thirty five or forty, now all of 0:18:29.560 --> 0:18:33.920 a sudden you got to think, hmm, boy, is this 0:18:34.200 --> 0:18:36.479 the peak of where we have Laporter? 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:36.879 Do we have? 0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:39.560 This is the sweet spot for Laporter? But this guy 0:18:39.880 --> 0:18:42.920 man can't believe he's there. You know, maybe we go 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.800 edge rush for example, and maybe there's an offensive tackle 0:18:45.880 --> 0:18:48.880 that for whatever reason slid to sixty and it's like geez, 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:52.320 I mean, we can't turn this down. But I think 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:55.640 he would heavily be in the discussion process. 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:59.040 There's no doubt he forced the most mistackles of any 0:18:59.160 --> 0:19:02.359 tight end college football last year. Obviously, that's such a 0:19:02.400 --> 0:19:04.560 big thing in the NFL. A short pass to the 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:06.879 tight end, he makes a guy miss, Suddenly it's a 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:09.480 fifteen yard game. That's one thing that I really like 0:19:09.520 --> 0:19:12.840 about Sam Laporta. So I would really love to see 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:16.280 him wind up in Cincinnati as a second round pick. 0:19:16.400 --> 0:19:18.400 That'll will depend on who's on the board. 0:19:18.480 --> 0:19:21.720 Yeah, that's true. And he's got great feat and he 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:25.800 has this little stutterstep deal that he uses and creates 0:19:26.680 --> 0:19:31.919 some opportunities for himself. Yards have to catch. He's legit, 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:35.760 he's you know, some guys are just good football players. 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:37.720 I think he falls into that category. He's got a 0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:40.760 lot of physical traits are outstanding. But in terms of 0:19:41.240 --> 0:19:44.040 some guys just get it. Some guys are instinctives, some 0:19:44.080 --> 0:19:46.840 guys are good football players. I think he falls into 0:19:46.880 --> 0:19:47.600 that category. 0:19:48.280 --> 0:19:51.159 If he's gone, or if they choose somebody else in 0:19:51.160 --> 0:19:53.399 the second round and he's not available in the third, 0:19:53.480 --> 0:19:56.160 do you have another name for later in the draft 0:19:56.560 --> 0:19:59.200 among this deep list of tight ends that you think, Okay, 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:00.680 I'll take a iron that guy. 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:04.640 Yeah, I mean that's what about Josh Wiley from U See, 0:20:05.040 --> 0:20:07.560 I mean a local kid. I mean he he's projecting 0:20:07.600 --> 0:20:10.960 a lot of mock drafts, like, you know, fourth fifth round, 0:20:10.960 --> 0:20:14.240 even you know, if he's available in the fifth round, 0:20:14.400 --> 0:20:16.320 do you think about Josh Wiley? I mean, Dan, you 0:20:16.359 --> 0:20:18.960 saw him play. You know him as well as anybody, 0:20:19.400 --> 0:20:22.639 and with respect to this organization, I mean, that's a 0:20:22.760 --> 0:20:24.719 that's a guy. That's a name I might think about 0:20:26.080 --> 0:20:29.720 maybe Will Mallory from from Miami if he's if he's 0:20:29.760 --> 0:20:31.840 there you know later in the draft. I mean, they're 0:20:32.560 --> 0:20:36.160 That's the thing. Like everybody has said, there could be 0:20:36.520 --> 0:20:39.440 ten tight ends go in the first two days, ten 0:20:39.520 --> 0:20:42.080 of them in the first three rounds. It's it's that 0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:44.840 it's that deep of a tight end draft. 0:20:45.359 --> 0:20:50.000 Tucker Craft from South Dakota State, that's my If Laporta 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:53.159 is gone and they don't take King Kid or Mayor, 0:20:53.440 --> 0:20:56.040 that would be my guy. Sixty four two fifty four 0:20:56.359 --> 0:20:59.879 runs a four six forty still raw. I think that, 0:21:00.480 --> 0:21:04.040 you know, the Bengals could help develop him. Obviously their 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:06.600 tight ends have been very well coached over the past 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:08.159 couple of years. So I guess he would be my 0:21:08.720 --> 0:21:09.720 next guy on the list. 0:21:09.840 --> 0:21:11.960 Yeah, he's a three year starter. He's got a ten 0:21:12.040 --> 0:21:14.360 inch hand, which is big. I mean he's got big, 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:17.840 big Mucker's good hands, almost an eighty inch wingspan. So 0:21:17.960 --> 0:21:21.560 he's a he's a he's a big body kid. There's 0:21:21.600 --> 0:21:24.880