We are now just 3 weeks away from the draft. My lost mock draft was before the Vonn Bell signing was completed, silly me for thinking the Bengals wouldnt keep spending. Now the defense should be pretty solid after all of the additions. Based on what experts are saying it isn't looking like Denzel Mims is going to fall out of the first which is a bummer. He would have been a perfect fit opposite of AJ.
Bengals fans on this site also need to stop with trying to pawn off the #1 pick to the Dolphins. The Bengals didnt win a playoff game in the Dalton era when they had an elite roster and an above average QB, why in the hell would they try to continue doing that? Understand if the Bengals get every first round pick from the Dolphins they would then have to trade back up to beat out the Chargers for Tua. It is such a ridiculous idea to do all of that so they can get another first round pick in the mid and late first round. The only realistic scenarios where the Bengals would trade the pick are not scenarios the Dolphins would actually do it.
Mock Draft-With little time left I will now be going 7 rounds
1.Joe Burrow
2.Patrick Queen LB LSU-This is an ideal pick that isn't out of the realm of possibility. Queen only starter the second half of this season in his entire career, is pretty raw, and played in a pretty good system where giant lineman kept him clean. He is also slightly undersized at 6'0" 229. He also didn't do agility testing which could mean he would put up some bad numbers. Those are the reasons he could drop to this pick, other than that he is incredible. He has elite explosion and speed and could start as the nickel LB next to Pratt on day 1 and sit behind Josh Bynes on standard downs during his first year. By year 2 Pratt and him could two good every down linebackers.
3.Michael Pittman WR USC- I have drafted him before but he would be an incredible get in the third round. He is a very good athlete with great size at 6'4" and his only real issue is very poor acceleration. He was super productive at USC and would fir great as the #3 in the offense. Burrow would have serious targets from day one.
4.Ben Bartch OT St.Johns-He will likely be a guard in the NFL because of his short arms. He is a very good athlete that put on over 75 pounds of muscle in college to grow into a tackle. He only played a couple seasons at OT due to being a TE from the start and when that is compounded with lower competition from D3 he may need time to adjust. He is a great athlete though and really held did well at the senior bowl. At 6'6" 310 he would have both great size and athleticism for guard. He may not be ready to start day one but it is easy to see him being a quality lineman. I would stick him at RG and hope by year 2 he is ready to be a good starter. At this point of the draft I would be ecstatic. This is pretty close to a best case scenario draft.
5.James Lynch DL Baylor-A bit of a late riser in the process Lynch may not be here come draft day. Lynch is 6'3.5" 290 and had a very good combine. He was very productive for Baylor as well. His problem is he relied on bullying Big-12 tackles who couldnt handle his physicality or strength, he didnt have any strong rushing moves. He would need molded at the next level. A big positive is he is versatile and could play at 3-tech, DE, or 5-tech in a 3-4.
6. Tanner Muse defender Clemson-This is an intriguing guy to draft. He actually may move to LB in the NFL. He was terrible in coverage for Clemson but he is an elite athlete even when testing as a safety. He is 6'2" 230 ran a 4.41 with a 35 inch vertical. If you look at the role Shawn Williams fills now Muse could also do that. He would primarily be a nickel linebacker who plays in space but doesn't have deep coverage responsibility. If a team can get him to get up to close to 240 he could simply be a freak athlete linebacker. He would also be a good special teams player. This is a true sleeper in this draft, if utilized properly he could turn into a quality player.
7.Stephen Sullivan TE LSU-This is somebody who basically didnt player for LSU. He was behind Moss and was unable to show much on tape. However at the senior bowl and combine he was fantastic. He is 6'5" 248 which is a little light but he can gain weight. He has incredibly long arms. He had great explosion/jumping ability and very good speed running a 4.6. He would be a receiving tight end and may not even be big enough to line up on the end of the line. He is a long ways away from being an average blocker but could quickly turn into a receiving threat. There really is just no tape on him to evaluate him on anything other than his athleticism. Intriguing boom or bust prospect in the seventh round.
I love this draft. I changed and went to the draft network which may have made it a little easier but none of these players are unrealistic at the position I grabbed them. I was able to get Burrow a receiver and IOL along with a high ceiling tight end in the 7th. On defense I addressed the teams biggest need with Patrick Queen, added a versatile defensive lineman that can help them move to a 3-4 and a player in Tanner Muse that may not be ready day 1 but adds athleticism to the LB room that desperately needs it. Future needs that would need addressed are RT, Guard if MJ doesnt work out, corner as guys come off contracts, and really that is about it. This would be a great draft.
