Cincinnati Bengals: Full 2018 NFL Draft roundup

Taking a look at what the Cincinnati Bengals came away with from the 2018 NFL Draft.

A disappointing 7-9 season in 2017 left the Cincinnati Bengals with plenty of needs to fill entering the offseason. An underrated offseason trade and a few cheap free agent signings were a nice start to the process, but the vast majority of any potential improvements made by this team going forward were always going to be through a combination of draft picks and internal development.

While the latter part can’t really be determined until a later time, we do now know what the spoils of this year’s draft are for Cincinnati. In all, the team came away with an astonishing 11 new prospects who will attempt to make the roster and help the franchise return to playoff contention after a two-year absence.

While we now wait impatiently for the season to get here to prove (or disprove) our hopes and expectations, the time is ripe for sizing up just how much these new players will be able to help.

Billy Price, C (First Round)

At No. 21 overall in the draft, Price has been thought of by some as a reach. Regardless of if they could have gotten him a bit later though, he was one of the top prospects at center, and fills a position of dire need for Cincinnati. Assuming the healing process stays on track (he underwent surgery for a partial pectoral tear he suffered at the NFL Combine; it was considered minor enough that even after surgery he should be available for training camp), he can be a Day 1 starter.

Jessie Bates III, S (Second Round)

Safety was an underrated spot of need for Cincinnati, so spending a high pick on one, even though the team has two presumed starters still currently in place, makes sense. Stylistically, Bates III is more on the coverage and turnover-forcing side of the safety spectrum than George Iloka or Shawn Williams. At the least, Bates III should be able to step into the nickel safety role Josh Shaw couldn’t handle last season.

Sam Hubbard, DE (Third Round)

Entering the draft, the pass rush was already a strong weapon for Cincinnati. Adding Hubbard should help keep it that way. While he doesn’t project to be a starter, turning into a serviceable backup is well within reach because of his quality blend of size and high-energy effort. Seeing him step right into the role vacated by Chris Smith is plausible.

Malik Jefferson, LB (Third Round)

Outside of Price, Jefferson best fills a need. Every linebacker spot is a mess for the team right now. Burfict is dynamic when he isn’t suspended or hurt, but those scenarios seem to be taking over more and more of each season for him; past him, pretty much everyone who was already here is either unproven or have shown themselves to not be worthy of a major role. With everyone available, Jefferson may already be the best-case starter alongside Burfict and free agent acquisition Preston Brown.

Mark Walton, RB (Fourth Round)

Walton is the sort of pick a team makes when they have selections to burn on luxury. While he can be a good player, he doesn’t add much new and unique to the backfield equation. Still, he does have value as a runner (5.1 yards per carry, 26 rushing touchdowns in college) and receiver (56 receptions, 624 receiving yards) for a team that isn’t exactly known for explosive plays right now.

Davontae Harris, CB (Fifth Round)

Cincinnati’s corner spot has plenty of options already, but adding another developmental body is an understandable decision. Harris doesn’t fix their turnover problems (small hands only do so much), but his positives did have NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein rate him as someone with a decent chance to become a starter. Whether he does that at corner, safety, or not at all, he should at least be able to make an impact in special teams coverage.

Andrew Brown, DL (Fifth Round)

Brown was listed as a defensive end, but going into the NFL his skills seem to align more with him being a defensive tackle for Cincinnati. That might actually make it harder for him to stick with the team. Geno Atkins is the main man in the middle, but the spot alongside him already has Chris Smith, Ryan Glasgow, and Andrew Billings fighting for time. I would doubt the team goes into the year with more than four interior defensive linemen, but Brown’s high energy should give him a shot at taking one of their spots.

Darius Phillips, CB (Fifth Round)

Pretty much everything said about Harris earlier should apply to Phillips, except for one crucial difference: Phillips may help improve Cincinnati’s aversion to forcing turnovers. Whereas Harris had just four interceptions in four seasons, Phillips had twelve. Harris does have key advantages in size and physicality against the run, but as long as he remains a sub-package player the turnover and coverage skills are a more valuable package for a defense.

Logan Woodside, QB (Seventh Round)

The Matt Barkley signing was never going to be a true fix for the backup quarterback slot, but it was nearly the only move the team made behind Dalton. Woodside may not have the upside of the players who went before him, but he does have enough positives to make him more intriguing than Barkley would be. The arm strength is lacking and his size is below average, but his intangibles are plenty good enough to make him the sort of gritty backup who can be called upon to finish off a game here and there.

Rod Taylor, OG (Seventh Round)

Taylor may be a seventh round selection, but because of who selected him he may be a challenger for playing time from the start. His size is a question, but he has experience starting at both right guard and right tackle — the two spots still clearly up-for-grabs on the Cincinnati offensive line. Taylor’s size may not be what holds him back most, however; rather, he isn’t the sort of player who is going to push himself to be better. It shows up in his physique (top-heavy body), his technique (lunges, wastes motion, spreads hands too far apart), and his character (maturity issues). If he could ever find a way to stay motivated, those right side line spots await.

Auden Tate, WR (Seventh Round)

The wide receiver position appeared as stacked as ever for Cincinnati last offseason, but once the games started the flaws of the group were put under a spotlight. Adding new talents to the mix — especially ones with skill sets not currently present on the unit — is a smart move to help circumvent the issues which will undoubtedly be uncovered. Tate won’t help them speed-wise, but he is huge (6-5, 228 pounds) and should give the team a gigantic target in the red zone. In that area, he can be either the third huge target in that area alongside A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert or take a bigger role when one of them inevitably gets hurt.

Final Thoughts

– With 11 different picks, Cincinnati had plenty of opportunity to bring in players at numerous positions on the roster. Here’s how it broke down: one quarterback, one running back, one wide receiver, two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, one linebacker, three defensive backs.

– Upgrading at safety was a clear goal in mind for Cincinnati this offseason. If not, they wouldn’t have had noted interest in both Kurt Coleman and Eric Reid, nor would they have spent a Round 2 pick on one.

– Spending a high pick on Billy Price was a nice move to fix the offensive line, but on its own it leaves much to be desired for the unit as a whole. Even assuming that Price and trade acquisition Cordy Glenn prove to be worthy of what was used to get them, the team only has a total of three serviceable linemen and a bunch of question marks for the two spots on the right side. Beyond Price and Glenn, all the team has added this offseason is Taylor, who was a late seventh round – project.

– While needs must be addressed, there are definitive advantages to sticking as close to the “best player available” mantra everyone preaches at this time of year. One of them is building up a single position with a wealth of talent, allowing it to be a game-changing strength. That’s the defensive end slot for Cincinnati. With two more added in this draft, that gives the team a half-dozen potential edge rushers to pick from with this already being the best position group on the entire roster to being with.

– Somewhat surprising to not see Cincinnati use more than one pick on linebackers. The position group became as depleted as can be throughout 2017, and the overall talent was overrated. With Vontaze Burfict a constant suspension risk who also has injury concerns and no other proven starters, throwing more resources at it probably should have been in their plans.

Next: NFL Power Rankings 2018: Post-draft edition

– If Walton does make the roster, Cincinnati’s likely running back depth could be sorely lacking power. Joe Mixon can pound the rock sometimes, but he, Gio Bernard and Warner all are best suited for outside runs and dumpoff passes when they line up in the backfield.

– With all these picks, it would have been nice to see Cincinnati take a chance on Day 3 at a quarterback with upside to maybe challenge Dalton at some point. The team must still believe the 2015 Dalton is coming back for sure. However, with a guy like Luke Falk available until late in the sixth round they had their shot, but selecting Woodside instead shows they wanted a backup and nothing more.

Home/Cincinnati Bengals