AFCN Hate Guide

[Cincyfan78]

My "nobody asked for it" opinions on AFCN drafts:

Ravens: I'm big on Wiggins & Isaac. Should be able to contribute right away. They found a lot of good value in mid to late rounds. I wanted the Steelers to take Tampa. Ravens wanted to draft OL early, but 9 were taken before they picked in the 1st Rd alone so they wisely opted to go BPA elsewhere. But that puts a lot of emphasis on Rosengarten being a plug & play guy given the state of their OL. They just lost both starting guards in FA, and traded away their starting RT. Their offense might suffer some consistency issues while their new patchwork OL gels.

Bengals: I like Mims & Jenkins. Big dudes capable of starting right away. Not real big on Burton but time will tell with him. Most his film screams scheme dependent, but he has proved to be a big play guy. He comes into a good situation and should start at either WR2 or WR3, depending on Higgins' situation. Jenkins was one of the best run defenders in college football so he'll instantly provide some relief to a Bengals D that has been hemorrhaging yards to opposing running backs. It bugs me that they drafted 2 TEs when they have Gesicki & Sample. Not sure what to think of that..

Browns: The only impact player I see in year 1 is Hall. But makes sense given their draft capital situation. Zinter could also be considered a starter since he's is a borderline 1st Rd prospect had it not been for an injury. If he's all the way back healthy then they got a steal. With Bitonio & Teller, they can afford to give him time to get back to full health.

I love the Burton pick. In round 3 for a potential 1st round guy, I'll take a HR swing. His issue was off-field stuff. In a locker room with Chase and Burrow, I don't have concerns with guys/leaders in place to keep him where he needs to be. He's also being trained by former Bengal TJ Houshmandzadeh - so that hopefully helps. He'll be WR3 to start - Higgins is going nowhere (this year) but even down the line, you now have 2 guys that can run by defenses and you can't just bubble cover Chase with the safety over top. Not in this draft (2023), but don't sleep on Jones in the slot - he has legit speed, too.

I don't mind the 2 TE. Sample is purely a blocker. Best blocking TE in the NFL last year, IIRC. Keeping him around with the OL situation made a ton of sense. Gesicki is on a 1 year deal. So, you draft a TE you hope can take over in a year (All) - and you draft another TE you hope can be your 2/3 TE in a year as well. Bengals have passed on TE's in the draft for awhile now - and with the extra comp picks - using 1 here to double up makes some sense as they needed to re-stock that room with some youth and athleticism.

 

[cincygrad]

My "nobody asked for it" opinions on AFCN drafts:

Ravens: I'm big on Wiggins & Isaac. Should be able to contribute right away. They found a lot of good value in mid to late rounds. I wanted the Steelers to take Tampa. Ravens wanted to draft OL early, but 9 were taken before they picked in the 1st Rd alone so they wisely opted to go BPA elsewhere. But that puts a lot of emphasis on Rosengarten being a plug & play guy given the state of their OL. They just lost both starting guards in FA, and traded away their starting RT. Their offense might suffer some consistency issues while their new patchwork OL gels.

Bengals: I like Mims & Jenkins. Big dudes capable of starting right away. Not real big on Burton but time will tell with him. Most his film screams scheme dependent, but he has proved to be a big play guy. He comes into a good situation and should start at either WR2 or WR3, depending on Higgins' situation. Jenkins was one of the best run defenders in college football so he'll instantly provide some relief to a Bengals D that has been hemorrhaging yards to opposing running backs. It bugs me that they drafted 2 TEs when they have Gesicki & Sample. Not sure what to think of that..

Browns: The only impact player I see in year 1 is Hall. But makes sense given their draft capital situation. Zinter could also be considered a starter since he's is a borderline 1st Rd prospect had it not been for an injury. If he's all the way back healthy then they got a steal. With Bitonio & Teller, they can afford to give him time to get back to full health.

If Roman Wilson becomes a star and Burton sputters, this will be a painful draft to remember for the Bengals. People criticize Wilson's production, but Jim Harbaugh basically played Bo Schembechler football for most of the past 2 seasons. Before the draft I was big on Wilson having much more production as a pro than as a college player. Time will tell.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

If Roman Wilson becomes a star and Burton sputters, this will be a painful draft to remember for the Bengals. People criticize Wilson's production, but Jim Harbaugh basically played Bo Schembechler football for most of the past 2 seasons. Before the draft I was big on Wilson having much more production as a pro than as a college player. Time will tell.

Wilson is growing on me. At first I wondered why they passed on Franklin but I'm seeing why. Love everything I'm seeing & hearing from this kid.

 

[cincygrad]

Wilson is growing on me. At first I wondered why they passed on Franklin but I'm seeing why. Love everything I'm seeing & hearing from this kid.

I think he is the real deal. When Michigan needed it, he stepped up - Particularly in the Rose Bowl. He's a good counter to Pickens skill set.