This was a huge draft class for the Bengals that has had very mixed results so far.
You have two linebackers who have been productive but also made a lot of mistakes.
You have a 1st-round pick who has only one more tackle than your 6th-round pick, which is crazy since only one of them plays defense.
And then there are the pair of guards who are both starting.
1st-Round Pick Shemar Stewart
I think we all knew that 1st-round pick Shemar Stewart was a bit of a project, but you would have liked to have seen more out of him by this point. The rookie defensive end out of Texas A&M has made four starts this season and has recorded six tackles, 1 QB hit, and no sacks in 177 total snaps. It’s not totally surprising, given that Stewart was unproductive in college as well, but it would be nice to have seen a sack or two, or at least a significant number of tackles, particularly with Trey Hendrickson’s absence in recent weeks.
Stewart is an incredible athlete, but his tackling and disengagement from blocks need to be improved. It is unfortunate that at this point in the season, we have no tangible proof of his development as a pass-rusher or in any other area of his game. He has been a disruptor, causing problems for offenses both on the edge and in the interior, unfortunately he has not demonstrated that he can be a finisher as well.
Stewart needs to develop into the high-level pass rusher that this team is desperate for.
2nd-Round Pick Demetrius Knight and 4th-Round Pick Barrett Carter
Demetrius Knight has started every game at Sam linebacker this season and is second on the team in tackles with 68. He also has one interception this season.
Despite his production on a porous defense, Knight’s developmental curve has been a rollercoaster in his rookie campaign. Linebacker is a tough position to transition from college to the NFL, and rookies often struggle. However, you hope that mistakes are not repeated and that players trend upward.
Knight has been up and down all season long. This is particularly distressing since Knight is 25 years old and was expected to have a relatively smooth transition. He needs to find more consistency and improve his processing speed.
Barrett Carter is third on the team in tackles with 58. He was not the starter at the beginning of the season, but since being named the starter four weeks ago, he has literally not come off the field.
Carter has made some rookie mistakes, but his trajectory is much stronger than Knight’s. Even in preseason, he was more impressive and consistent than Knight.
While the defense has had its struggles overall, Carter looks like the long-term answer at Mike linebacker if he can continue to improve.
3rd-Round Pick Dylan Fairchild and 5th-Round Pick Jalen Rivers
Another Day 1 starter, Dylan Fairchild, has been impressive this season. He is exactly as advertised. His pass protection is strong, but he needs a little work in the run game. Of course, his run blocking got better as the offense found its identity in the run game. Fairchild is incredibly strong and has excellent hands. His wrestling background makes him a perfect match for offensive line coach Scott Peters with his MMA background. It appears they found a plus starter at left guard in Round 3, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he develops into a Pro Bowler.
Surprisingly, 5th-round pick Jalen Rivers seems to be establishing himself at the other guard position, beating out preseason starter Lucas Patrick and late acquisition Dalton Risner. Rivers has a much steeper learning curve than Fairchild, but has been a pleasant surprise so far. Rivers played basically every position in college, and I think it would make a lot of sense to teach him to snap. He has the brains to potentially be the anchor of the offensive line, or this could just add to his versatility.
6th-Round Pick Tahj Brooks
The last of the Bengals draftees this season is running back Tahj Brooks. The Bengals don’t like to play rookie running backs and have Brooks buried on the depth chart behind starter Chase Brown and prodigal son Samaje Perine. As a result, Brooks has seen very little action offensively this season and has run the ball only 6 times for 18 yards.
Brooks has, however, been very active on special teams, playing multiple roles. His kick and punt coverage have been particularly impressive, and he has five solo tackles on the year.
This bodes well for him as we project him into Perine’s role as a pass-protector and third-down back.
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