Film Breakdown Analyzing the Bengals Fir
The Bengals have the 31st overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. They’ve never picked that late in franchise history.Last year, the first round pick came down to two players, but this year there is a large range of po sible players that they may have to choose from. They could target a plethora of positions, including an offensive lineman, defensive lineman, safety or cornerback. Even though this decision may come down to whoever falls to them at 31, Blank Jersey I have watched just about every po sible selection they could make.Lets dive into nearly every player the Bengals could consider in the first round. Tyler Linderbaum, C, IowaPros:His movement ability and more specifically his first step are off the chartsHe works his combination blocks like a 10-year veteranNasty finisher in the run game despite his smaller sizeExtremely flexible to be able to turn and seal defenders while on the runQuickly can drop his anchor when he faces off against powerCons:Hes smaller and has short armsHes a bit of a leaner and can lose his balance because of itLeans and goes for kill shots at the second level rather than just driving and sustaining those blocksMy grade if the Bengals take him at 31: A+.Hes a top 20 talent that fills a need. George Karlaftis, Edge, PurduePros:Great get off and first stepFantastic bullrush that he uses as his primary movePristine hand placement on his bullrushHas a really nice quick swim move that he utilizes as a change-up for his bullrushGood feel for the pa s set of the offensive linemanCons:Lacks length to play on the defensive linePlayers can get Trevor Williams Jersey inside of his frame and control him right now because he lacks some of the technique required to disengage from these blocks.Pad level can get high at timesMy grade if the Bengals take him at 31: A+.Another top 20 talent that falls to them in a position of need. Kaiir Elam, CB, FloridaPros:Stays low and maintains proper cushion to mirror releases in pre s coverageUses his length and a variety of techniques very well when jammingSmooth hips to quickly turn downfield along with great recovery speedGood tracking and ball skillsUses the sideline to his advantage by squeezing outside releasesCons:Unnece sarily grabby at the top of routesDoesnt do a good job when trying to tackleStruggles a little bit with quick, twitchy receiversMy grade if the Bengals take him at 31: A.I have him as a top 20 talent in the draft cla s without too many concerns, but I understand that is not consensus. He is still my third favorite realistic pick for the Bengals at 31. Devonte Wyatt, DT, GeorgiaPros:Great get off the ballRefined and polished pa s rushPlus lateral agility and athleticismGood hand usage on his pa s rush to swipe, rip, etc.Very good bullrush to bully interior offensive linemenCons:24 years oldLacks elite productionDoesnt take on double teams wellMy grade if the Bengals take him at 31: B+.Age is a real concern, despite his talent. He’ll be pushing 30 by the time his rookie deal is finished. Zion Johnson, OL, Boston CollegePros:Ability to torque and move defenders with his core strengthVery impre sive anchorGrip strength and mirror in pa s protectionGreat double team and combination blocksPlays with nastine s and always looks to finish the defenderCons:Balance may be a concernDoes not play with the same athleticism that he showed at the combineStance and kickslide are just a little bit offMy grade if the Bengals take him at 31: B+.Johnson would be a high floor pick in an area of need. Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&MPros:Dynamite in his hands to move defenders on initial contactDrops his anchor and becomes an immovable objectGreat mirror ability in pa s protectionGood proce sing against stunts and blitzersVery quick out of his stanceCons:Very erratic and wide hand placementGives up his chest too oftenPrefers to wrestle defenders rather than move his feet and driveMy grade if the Bengals take him at 31: B+.Green is a good prospect in an area of need. He doesn’t have a high floor like Johnson, but he might have a higher ceiling. Kyler Gordon, CB, WashingtonPros:Played a Francisco Cervelli Jersey variety of spots at WashingtonExplosive athlete to close on receiversLoves to fit the runVery good blitzerSolid bail technique on the outsideCons:More of an inside/slot cornerbackLooked like he did not have the long speed you like to see at cornerbackA little bit too jumpy on jabs and other moves at the top of routesMy grade if the Bengals take him at 31: B.While I think Gordon is a great prospect in this spot, it does feel like he may be underutilized early in his career since the Bengals already have a great slot corner in Mike Hilton. Logan Hall, DL, HoustonPros:Explosive first step to fire off of the ballDrops to a knee against double teams extremely wellWill meet offensive linemen at their pad level despite sizeGood bullrush to power through linemenHas a good set up and secondary pa s rush moves as wellCons:As a rep goes on, Sean Rodriguez Jersey his pad level can rise especially when rushing the pa serHand placement can be erratic and a little bit too highAt 6-foot-6, he needs to be an outlier to be succe sful at defensive tackleMy grade if the Bengals take him at 31: B.A slight reach, but its in an area of need and this draft has a very shallow crop of players that can play both 3 and 5-technique. Andrew Booth Jr., CB, ClemsonPros:Fights hard to get through screensVery willing run defenderBackpedal is one of the best in the cla sQuick reaction speed to the ball being thrownKeeps a good cushion in coverageCons:Narrows his base too frequently in pre s sometimes even cro sing his feetOpens his hips earlyCan be too aggre sive to underneath routes especially playing cloud in Cover 2My grade if the Bengals take him at 31: B.The hernia and no testing drops this about an entire letter grade. On film hes a great player, it’s just a risky pick. Lewis Cine, S, GeorgiaPros:Will lay down some absolutely brutal hitsFlies downfield to fit the runPlus route recognition and knowledge of his role in each coverageGood ball skills to break up pa sesComing off of a national championship where he may have been the best playerCons:Shaky ability to stick in man coverage against out breaking routesPlayed with almost all NFL level players on the Georgia defenseLeaves his feet too often when making tacklesMy grade if the Bengals take him at 31: C+.Safety is a need and Cine fits what the Bengals like to do, but its a slight reach and he probably doesnt see much action early on. Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn StatePros:Finds lanes to run through and make TFLs in run defenseClutch player who stepped up in big momentsTough player who would play through in game injuriesCan play both in Chris Archer Jersey the box and deepAnticipatory defender that does a good job of reading the quarterbackCons:Mi sed way too many tackles this