Who Dey Draft 2020

The moment that the city of Cincinnati had been waiting for since last December finally came to fruition. Heisman Trophy winner, national champion, and local kid Joe Burrow is officially the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2020 NFL Draft happened last weekend and although it was a virtual format, that did not dampen the excitement of Bengals fans everywhere as the team chose the cornerstone of the franchise for the next 10-15 years. Aside from Burrow, key pieces that will shape the team’s future and launch the Bengals to championship success were also drafted. 

The Bengals had the number one overall pick in the draft by virtue of the horrendous 2019 season. Selecting Burrow as the top pick was the easiest decision of the entire draft process. Burrow had the greatest college football season in the history of the sport and was a no-brainer to be the face of the franchise. Aside from his incredible resume, Burrow is also a local kid as he grew up in Athens, Ohio, which Is about a three-hour drive from Cincinnati. If everything goes according to plan, Burrow will lead his local childhood team to multiple Super Bowl championships.

The Bengals have their quarterback, but he needs to targets to throw to on the field. The Bengals got him one in the second round of the draft by selecting wide receiver Tee Higgins out of Clemson. Higgins and Burrow reportedly did some training together before the draft and the rookie duo are poised to be the next big offensive combo for the Bengals for years to come. Higgins has said he became a Bengals fan after the team drafted his favorite player, A.J. Green, in 2011. Higgins grew up modeling his game after Green, and he now has the opportunity to play alongside his idol. 

The Bengals have not had the best linebackers the last few years and used this year’s draft to address that need. In the third round, they selected linebacker Logan Wilson out of the University of Wyoming. Considered to be one of the more athletic players at his position in the draft, the team jumped at the opportunity to select Wilson with their third-round pick. Wilson already has some experience with the Bengals as their staff met with Wilson while coaching the Senior Bowl.

The Bengals went back to the linebacker well in round four by drafting Akeem Davis-Gaither out of Appalachian State. The team clearly looks to rebuild its linebacker squad as any Bengals fan could easily tell you that it has been an absolute disaster for the past few seasons. Like Wilson, Davis-Gaither met the Bengals coaching staff at the Senior Bowl and was named a captain of his Senior Bowl team.

The Bengals stayed on the defensive side of the ball by drafting Khalid Kareem in the fifth round. Kareem played collegiately at Notre Dame as a defensive end. The Bengals need another guy to rush into the backfield, and Kareem looks to fill that spot as he racked up a total of 13 sacks for the Fighting Irish. 

The sixth-round pick selected by the Bengals was Hakeem Adeniji, an offensive tackle who played at the University of Kansas. Adeniji was the only lineman selected by the Bengals during the entire draft which was odd considering how poor the offensive line has been in recent years. He was a four-year starter for the Jayhawks and seemed to make a good impression on the Bengals coaching staff at the Senior Bowl.

The seventh and final pick of the Bengals in the 202 NFL draft was Markus Bailey, a linebacker out of Purdue. Bailey was the third linebacker taken by the Bengals in the draft despite missing his entire senior season with a torn ACL. With the position being a big need, it is no shock that the Bengals loaded up on linebackers in this year’s draft.

The Bengals addressed most of their needs in this year’s NFL draft. They stocked up on defense, drafted an offensive line, and added two possible franchise cornerstones that could lead to championship success. I do wish that they would have selected an offensive lineman earlier in the draft, but I cannot help but feel excited about the players they have added to the roster. Tee Higgins could be the heir apparent to A.J. Green, and Joe Burrow is shaping up be the biggest star in the history of the franchise. I can honestly say I have never been this hyped to be a Bengals fan. The only things that could top this feeling are a playoff win and Super Bowl championships, and this draft class has the potential to accomplish both of those things. 

Who Dey!

Who Dey Draft 2019

New Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor's first NFL Draft has come and gone and it became clear that his main focus was to select players that could revamp the run game. So who did Taylor and the Bengals add to the team in hopes of making a Super Bowl run? Let's take a look.

The first ever NFL draft pick of the Zac Taylor era was Jonah Williams. He was taken with the 11th overall pick in the first round. Williams is an offensive tackle out of the University of Alabama and should help protect quarterback Andy Dalton while also opening up running lanes for running back Joe Mixon.

In the second round, the Bengals selected Drew Sample. He is a tight end from the University of Washington. Considered to be one of the best blocking tight ends available, you can see why the Bengals selected him despite bringing back both Tyler Eifer and C.J. Uzomah. If he lives up to his reputation, he could be another asset to amplify the rushing attack.

The third round saw the Bengals pick up OLB Germaine Pratt from North Carolina State. The linebacker position was a weakness for the Bengals in 2018, so it is easy to see why the team went with Pratt in round three. He is a former safety and his versatility could be a great asset for the Bengals' defense.

The first fourth round pick of the Bengals was quarterback Ryan Finley. The team traded up six spots to snag Finley. While Andy Dalton is apparently still their quarterback of choice, Finely will most likely take over backup duties from Jeff Driskel and could perhaps challenge for the starting job when Dalton's contract expires in two years.

The second fourth round pick of the Bengals was Renell Wren. He is a defensive tackle out of Arizona State University. He is a nose tackle, and his size has already garnered him the nickname of Mt. Wren. He can help bolster the defensive line and contribute to the pass rush.

The third fourth round pick of the Bengals was center/guard Michael Jordan out of Ohio State University. Jordan's ability to play either guard or center gives the team the flexibility it needs to make sure that their five best lineman are in the field. This enables them to both protect Dalton and open up the running game.

The Bengals wouldn't pick again until the sixth round when they selected running back Trayveon Williams out of Texas A&M. The team needed another running back after they released Mark Walton due to off field issues. Williams is a versatile player and can play various positions for the Bengals such as kick returner.

The teams' second sixth round pick was Deshaun Davis. He is a linebacker out of Auburn. With the Bengals needing help at the linebacker position, it makes sense that they would pick up Davis. He is considered to have a high football IQ which is never a bad thing.

The Bengals had one more pick in the sixth round and drafted another running back. Rodney Anderson played for the Oklahoma Sooners and had injuries in 2015, 2016, and 2018. It is hard to say where he could fit in with the Bengals system, but based on the numbers he was able to put up in college, Anderson has a lot of potential.

The Bengals' final pick of the 2019 NFL draft was in the seventh round. They selected cornerback Jordan Brown out of South Dakota State. He might have trouble finding playing time behind Darqueze Dennard and Dre Kirkpatrick, but his stats from college suggest he could be a suitable backup for the time being.

Those were all the Bengals' 2019 NFL draft picks. They addressed their offensive line woes and really made an attempt at boosting the rushing attack for the offense. A lot of people (including myself) wanted them to take quarterback Dwayne Haskins out of Ohio State, but you can see why they decided to go with Jonah Williams in the first round instead. Hopefully all these picks pan out well and help make the Bengals a contender in the AFC North Division once again.

Who Dey!

Who Dey Draft 2018

The 2018 NFL Draft has come and gone, and it was a chance for my beloved Cincinnati Bengals to address some of the issues that plagued this team the past two seasons. The biggest of these problems was the offensive line. For the last two years, Andy Dalton was seemingly running for his life every other play. That is why many NFL Draft experts predicted that the Bengals would select an offensive lineman in the first round.

Despite rumors that the Bengals would take quarterback Lamar Jackson out of the University of Louisville, the franchise selected center Billy Price out of Ohio State University. Price replaces center Russell Bodine who signed with the Buffalo Bills in free agency. Hopefully he can prove to be a better center than Bodine and provide adequate blocking for Dalton.

In the second round, the Bengals selected safety Jessie Bates III out of Wake Forest. The Bengals are hoping he can help cover slots and and allow them to stay in base defense. In the third round, the team took defensive end Sam Hubbard out of Ohio State. Hopefully he can help strengthen the pass rush. They also selected Malik Jefferson. He is a linebacker out of Texas. With Vontaze Burfict facing a suspension to start the season as well as his injury history, I feel like the Jefferson’s selection is self explanatory.

The Bengals had one selection in the fourth round, and the chose Miami Hurricane running back Mark Walton. With Jeremy Hill joing former Bengals running back Rex Burkhead in New England, the Bengals were down to Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard. Walton will probably be the new third string back as well as contribute on special teams.

In the fifth round, the Bengals had three picks. First they selected cornerback Davontae Harris out of Illinois State. With Adam Jones currently a free agent, Harris adds some depth to the cornerback position. The Bengals then selected Andrew Brown. The former Virginia Cavalier defensive tackle will most likely see some time on the field behind Geno Atkins. Their final fifth round pick was Darius Phillips out Western Michigan. He is a cornerback who could also be used as a returner.

The Bengals had no six round picks, but did make three selections in the seventh round. First was Toledo Rockets quarterback Logan Woodside. He will most likely be competing for a backup role or might even be the practice squad quarterback. Next was Rod Taylor, an offensive lineman out of the University of Mississippi. The Bengals have stated that they believe he can play either guard or tackle, and they are hoping his versatility can help bolster the offensive line. The final draft pick made by the Bengals in 2018 was wide receiver Auden Tate from Florida State University. He will compete for one of the receiver spots on the team as the Bengals have stated that they believe he can be a major target for Dalton.

Those are all of the 2018 draft picks of the Bengals. They addressed some of their offensive line needs, strengthened the defense, and hopefully picked up a few players that can help them win a Super Bowl Championship. On paper, I’d say that they had a good draft. Of course, we won’t really know how the draft picks pan out until the season starts.

Who Dey!

Cris Collinsworth Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Bengals Cris Collinsworth bobblehead. 

Who Dey Draft 2017

The NFL Draft has come and gone and for the most part, the Cincinnati Bengals did a pretty good job with who they selected from the college game to join their team. In this post, I will list who the Bengals drafted and share my thoughts on the role each pick will have with the team.

The first pick was Washington wide receiver John Ross. The guy has electrifying speed and along side A.J. Green, the Bengals passing attack should be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.

Second was running back Joe Mixon out of the University of Oklahoma. On the field, Mixon could be one of the best running backs in the league and should help the ground game immensely. Off the field is another story. His incident in which he punched a woman in the face has followed him from college to the NFL, and it will be up to him to change how people perceive him.

Third was defensive end Jordan Willis. He played college football for Kansas State. Hopefully Willis can complement Carlos Dunlap and boost the pass rich for the defense.

The fourth pick was Carl Lawson out of Auburn. Like Willis, Lawson is a defensive end. I could see Lawson and Willis being used in a platoon like system on the defensive line to give them both some playing time and experience.

Fifth was wide receiver Josh Malone. The former Tennessee Volunteer should help bolster the offense as he has a combination of both size and speed. With Green now entering his seventh season in the league, Malone and Ross along with Tyler Boyd could be considered the next generation of bengals receivers.

Sixth was Ryan Glasgow, a defensive tackle out of Michigan. Glasgow is a key building block for the defensive line as he can both rush the passer and stop the run. Like Lawson and Willis, I can see Glasgow being rotated in and out of the defensive line.

Seventh was Memphis kicker Jake Elliott. Last year the Bengals had Mike Nugent. Need I say more?

The eighth pick of the draft was J.J. Dielman. He is a center out of Utah. The offensive line sucked last year and with both Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler departing the team via free agency, Dielman could see a lot of playing time on the line outside of the center position.

Ninth was Jordan Evans. He was a linebacker for the Oklahoma Sooners. With Rey Maulauga being released by Bengals in the offseason, Evans could be groomed to take his spot.

Brandon Wilson was selected tenth by the Bengals. He played cornerback at Houston. With Adam Jones in legal trouble and William Jackson III and Darqueze Dennard having a history of injuries, Wilson might get to showcase his coverage abilities this season.

The last pick for the Bengals was tight end Mason Schreck out of Buffalo. Tyler Eifert is notorious for his battles with the injury bug so Schreck might be able to compete for a backup tight end spot should Eifert get hurt again.

Those are the 2017 Cincinnati Bengals draft picks. Hopefully they can help the Bengals have a bounce back year in 2017 after the disappointing 2016 campaign. Maybe some of these players are the key pieces needed to finally give the Be gals a playoff win.

Who Dey!

A Controversial Pick

With the 2017 NFL Draft now officially in the past, hundreds of former collegiate football players realized their dream of playing for an NFL team. My beloved Cincinnati Bengals selected numerous players from various colleges from across the country. There is one player, however, that generated more buzz than all of their draft picks combined. That player is former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon.

For those of you who are unaware, Mixon was caught on video punching a woman in the face in the midst of an altercation. He hit her with such force that she was knocked off her feet and suffered broken bones in her face. The incident occurred in 2014, and Mixon was suspended for one season at Oklahoma. Mixon also had to serve 100 hours of community service and undergo counseling. The woman filed a suit against Mixon in 2016 that ended in a settlement. Mixon has since apologized to the woman, and both parties have expressed their desire to move on from the incident.

Almost every team in the league said they would not select Mixon. I was hoping the Bengals would follow suit as I found what he did in 2014 absolutely disgusting. Despite the immense baggage that Mixon would bring, the Bengals still decided to draft him in the second round. When NFL hall of famer and Bengals legend Anthony Munoz announced the pick, the entire NFL draft crowd erupted in deafening boos. A Bengals fan was shown on camera giving a thumb down to the decision. Despite the obvious backlash, the Bengals decided to welcome Mixon into the fold.

Who Dey Nation can do nothing about it. Mixon is in the Queen City and will help make up the offensive backfield alongside Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill. Despite Mixon’s presence, I am still going to root for the Bengals no matter what. I have been and will always be a diehard fan of the team. Mixon being on the roster does not change that. Media outlets have already criticized the Bengals for drafting the former Oklahoma Sooner. Let them. They need to realize that it was not Mike Brown or Marvin Lewis or anybody else on the team that punched that woman in 2014. It was one player. It was Joe Mixon. The Bengals are merely offering him a chance to play football. What Mixon does with it is up to him. It is his responsibility to change how people perceive him. The Bengals gave him the ball. Let’s see if he runs with it.

Bengals Banner Page Update

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) May 3, 2017

Draft Dodger

The 2017 NFL draft has come and gone, and I can honestly say that I barely watched it. Despite the hype and the amount of speculation that media outlets pour into the NFL draft every year, I spend maybe a grand total of two minutes actually watching it play out on television. The only time I make sure to tune in it is when my beloved Cincinnati Bengals are about to make a pick. Other than that, I could not care less about it.

Personally I do not understand its ability to lure in football fans. I find it boring. Don’t get me wrong. I love football. Every weekend during football season my eyes are glued to a TV as I watch either a college game or an NFL game. Games are exciting, get your blood pumping, and have been responsible for some of the greatest moments in professional sports. The draft on the other hand is just a glorified version of picking teams.

That is not to say that the draft doesn’t have its moments as the first few picks of the first round are the ones that people will remember as a team selecting either a future franchise cornerstone or a total bust. It is also a nerve-wracking experience for the players in the draft as they wait with baited breath to hear their name called by an NFL team. For a fan though, I think it’s boring

If you enjoy watching the NFL draft, more power to you. As for me, I will probably be watching a Cincinnati Reds game and will switch to the draft when the Bengals make a pick. It is what I have always done and will continue to do.

Who Dey Draft 2016

After the most heartbreaking postseason defeat that I have ever seen and an offseason filled with players departing from the Queen City, the Bengals went into the 2016 NFL Draft with roster holes that needed to be filled in order to build a team that can hopefully win in the playoffs. So who did my beloved Bengals add to their roster, and how will these rookies fit in with the team? Allow me to explain.

In the first round, the Bengals drafted William Jackson with the 24th pick of the NFL Draft. Jackson is a cornerback out of Houston and was one of the best collegiate defenders in the country. Adam Jones is entering the twilight years of his career and Darqueze Dennard will be coming off a major injury, so it seems that Jackson was drafted as a way to both prepare for the future once Pac-Man is gone and to serve as a backup if Dennard is not ready to go.

In round 2, the Bengals selected Tyler Boyd, a wide receiver out of the University of Pittsburgh. With Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu leaving the Bengals via free agency, the Bengals were in desperate need of a wide receiver. Boyd should help fill the void nicely and be a great addition to the offense.

The Bengals drafted Nick Vigil in the third round. Vigil is a linebacker out of Utah State. With Burfict being suspended for the first four games, this could be his last chance with the Bengals. Vigil could get some significant playing time during the first four games this season due to Burfict’s playoff actions, and should the Bengals part ways with Burfict, they have Vigil to take his place.

Andrew Billings was the four draft pick of the Bengals. He is a defensive tackle out of Baylor. The defensive line of the Bengals last year was incredible. Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins among others were a force to be reckoned with and were great at rushing the quarterback. Wallace Gilberry, however, left during the offseason so Billings could take his place on the defensive line.

The fifth pick of the Bengals was Christian Westerman. He is an offensive lineman out of Arizona State University. The Bengals parted ways with Andre Smith during the offseason and Andrew Whitworth is in the final years of his playing career. Cedric Ogbuehi will most like take over for Smith and Westerman could serve as a backup before potentially taking over for Whitworth.

Cody Core was selected in the sixth round, and he is a wide receiver out of Ole Miss. As I said earlier, the Bengals are in desperate need of a wide receiver and Core will be competing for one of the starting positions.

Clayton Fejedelem was the final draft pick for the Bengals. He is a safety out of the University of Illinois. Reggie Nelson had a great career as a Bengal and his fantastic season last year put him out of the Bengals price range. Fejedelem could take the place of Nelson and help bolster the defense.

In conclusion, the Bengals addressed their needs for the most part, and hopefully these draft selections are the pieces needed to get the Bengals over the hump in the postseason. I’m especially interested to see how Boyd will fit in with the offense. He has big shoes to fill, but I think he can do it. With the Reds tanking this season, I cannot wait for the Bengals to take the field!

Who Dey!