JLH'S MOCK DRAFT

JH Post Sweat fkup

  • JLH DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
Jer'Zhan Newton Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (CIN)
Jer'Zhan Newton
DL Illinois
Kamari Lassiter Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (CIN)
Kamari Lassiter
CB Georgia
Ja'Lynn Polk Head Shot
PICK: 80 RND: 3 (CIN)
Ja'Lynn Polk
WR Washington
Christian Mahogany Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (CIN)
Christian Mahogany
OG Boston College
Max Melton Head Shot
PICK: 115 RND: 4 (CIN)
Max Melton
CB Rutgers
Ainias Smith Head Shot
PICK: 149 RND: 5 (CIN)
Ainias Smith
WR Texas A&M
Khristian Boyd Head Shot
PICK: 194 RND: 6 (CIN)
Khristian Boyd
DL-EDGE Northern Iowa
Julian Pearl Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (CIN)
Julian Pearl
OT Illinois
Cornelius Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (CIN)
Cornelius Johnson
WR Michigan
Myles Harden Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (CIN)
Myles Harden
CB South Dakota
Dominique Hampton Head Shot
PICK: 238 RND: 7 (CIN)
Dominique Hampton
S Washington
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall B
ValueB NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
Larceny in the 115th pick lands the Bengals a B, Melton and all.

Call it larceny. Max Melton sat on the board until the Round 4 slot, and the Bengals did not need to be asked twice. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.

The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The roster is better shaped than it was, with cornerback chief among the fixes.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the tight end spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Jer'Zhan Newton
In Round 1, Pick 18 they get a wrecking ball inside at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick49 Rnd2 Kamari Lassiter
The board had Kamari Lassiter higher than pick 49, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick80 Rnd3 Ja'Lynn Polk
Nothing to complain about; Ja'Lynn Polk went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick97 Rnd3 Christian Mahogany
A straight-up fair deal on Christian Mahogany at the Round 3 slot, value and slot in agreement. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick115 Rnd4 Max Melton
A cornerback of that caliber at the 115th pick is the definition of value, full stop. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick149 Rnd5 Ainias Smith
Ainias Smith is a better player than slot 149 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick194 Rnd6 Khristian Boyd
They let Khristian Boyd come to them and pounced at No. 194. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick214 Rnd6 Julian Pearl
Julian Pearl at pick No. 214 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. The roster fit checks out.
Pick224 Rnd7 Cornelius Johnson
Cornelius Johnson at the 224th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick237 Rnd7 Myles Harden
Myles Harden in the Round 7 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick238 Rnd7 Dominique Hampton
A reasonable price with a little left over, Dominique Hampton in the 238th pick. It adds depth where they could use a little.