Lots of talent. Who makes sense for Cincy?
Yes, the Cincinnati Bengals need a lot of help on defense, but that doesn’t mean they can draft just anyone. There are good fits and bad fits. Some of those bad fits might be very good players; they just aren’t the right players for Cincinnati.
Let’s take a look at who those players are.
Safety
Best: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
We will start with the most talked about fit in the draft. Xavier Watts was a fantastic player in Al Golden’s Irish defense a year ago. Many of the safeties in this year’s draft lack the speed and range to be true center-fielders in the secondary. At best, they are Jordan Battle, and the Bengals have a perfectly good Jordan Battle already.
Watts, on the other hand, has shown that he can be successful and productive in the deep middle field for a high-performing defense.
He is just what the Bengals need.
Worst: Malachi Starks, Georgia
I think Malachi Starks is a good player, but he makes most of his plays in underneath zones. He has not shown that he can make an impact in the deep field zones. In other words, he is like a less athletic Dax Hill, and we all know how that experiment worked out.
Defensive Tackle
Best: Rylie Mills, Notre Dame
Rylie Mills is another former Al Golden player who would make an excellent future Al Golden player. Mills is not a special athlete, but he is a hustler and a technician. He is also the team captain for the Irish, and the Bengals front office highly values all of those things.
He just had a 7.5-sack season as a defensive tackle, and we all know this team thirsts for an interior pass rush as I thirst for an Orange Crush on a warm summer’s day.
Mills was injured in the playoffs, making the final sack of his run in South Bend. Obviously, that is less than ideal, but the Bengals love a value, and Mills’ battered ACL will likely push him to Day 3.
Worst: Deone Walker, Kentucky
Deone Walker is a big dude who disappears for long stretches of time. The Bengals hate inconsistency, which is the primary narrative of Walker’s game film.
Defensive End
Best: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
Ashton Gillotte is one of my favorite fits for the Bengals in this draft. He went to high school in Florida, but according to his Wikipedia page, he was born in “Ohio, USA,” the wording of which I find so amusing that I refuse to look for more detail.
At 6’3” and 264 pounds, he meets the team’s size requirements. He is twitchy and explosive on the edge and plays well against the run. He also bumps inside to rush from the interior from time to time. I see him as a similar player to Cam Sample, but I think he has more upside.
Worst: James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Yeah, I said it.
Don’t get caught up on James Pearce’s 4.47 40-time speed, which is just about all he has going for him. Pearce has no power pass rush. He wins by running around the tackle, but when they get their hands on him, he is he’s a Toaster Strudel. And not a good one. The crappy one they put eggs in for some reason.
This lack of strength also causes him to get washed out in the run, which is a big no-no in the AFC North.
He could develop into a good player, but he will have a lot of roadblocks to overcome.
Linebacker
Best: Nick Martin, Oklahoma State
In 2020, my top three linebackers left after Day 1 of the NFL Draft were Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither, and Markus Bailey. Due in part to injuries suffered by two of them, the Bengals were able to get all three. Al Golden was the linebackers coach in 2020. As a result, I consider myself to have a very good idea of what the Bengals are looking for in a linebacker.
Martin has great burst in small spaces and a second gear to close after long distances. He can cover, he can blitz, and most importantly he can tackle. Martin is an excellent tackler who puts his chest runner and shoots his hips through him.
Like Davis-Gaither and Bailey before him, Martin is coming off an injury, so he stands to be a great value.
Sounds like a fit to me.
Worst: Corey Schwesinger, UCLA
Everybody loves this dude, but I consistently see him making tackles from his knees or while laying out on his face. That is a tell-tale sign that he’s going to have tackling problems in the NFL. That is not something this team needs.
Cornerback
Best: Trey Amos, Ole Miss
Nobody ran man coverage more than Al Golden last year, so you need players who can match the athleticism and physicality of NFL wide receivers. That’s the play-making, swagger-oozing transfer portal frequenting Trey Amos.
The 6’1” and 195-pound Amos ran a 4.43 40 at the combine. On top of that, he is a tough player who is physical at the catch point, which could come in handy now that DK Metcalf is in the division. Amos also shows excellent reads and creaks in zone coverage and is a good tackler. In fact, as a tackler, he is borderline reckless and seems to have no regard for his personal well-being.
Worst: Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame:
He played for Al Golden, and he’s excellent in man coverage, but the last thing this team needs is another injured cornerback.
This is where you call me a hypocrite because I said Rylie Mills and Rylie Martin would be great value because of their injuries.
Well, you’ve got some nerve.
Besides, the situation is completely different. The Bengals have healthy linebackers and defensive tackles who can play in the meantime, and while they may be limited in some ways, they are passable.
Cornerback on the other hand is full of question marks. If they are going to add a player at that position, they need a sure thing.
