Cincinnati Bengals Rookies Forecast

By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

Solid Starter

Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State – Round 3
For a lot of the leadup to the 2018 NFL Draft, Hubbard was projected to be a potential late first-round pick. Surprisingly, he slid to Round 3, which turned him into an excellent value pick. The 6-foot-5, 270-pounder has good size to be a base end in a 4-3 defense, yet retains the quickness and athleticism to rush the passer. After playing well for Ohio State over the past few seasons, Hubbard could work his way into starting contention early in his NFL career.

In the pass rush, Hubbard can get after the quarterback. He has upper body strength to fight through blockers and some quickness around the corner. Hubbard possesses active hands and uses them at the same time as his feet. He is also capable of beating tackles with either speed or strength. Hubbard is a sturdy end, but he is not a super explosive or blinding speed rusher off the edge.

In the ground game, Hubbard is generally reliable to hold his gap. He fights off blocks and gets in on tackles. Hubbard also shows some recognition skills and instincts to stay home on misdirection plays. Sometimes it takes him biting on a fake before he then spends the rest of the game maintaining better discipline.

The Bengals ended Hubbard’s fall in the third round, and that was a good landing spot for him. Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson are in the final year of their contracts with Cincinnati. The Bengals also need to get a pass-rushing upgrade over Johnson. They probably drafted Hubbard to replace one of them. Even if Dunlap gets re-signed, Hubbard could finish off the team’s edge-rushing group with Carl Lawson, Jordan Willis and Dunlap. Cincinnati has done a nice job of developing second-day defensive ends into quality starters, as evidenced by Dunlap and Johnson having solid careers after being second-day picks. Hubbard may have to wait a year to break into the lineup, but the Bengals were a good landing spot for him to develop into a solid starter.

2017: John Ross, WR
2016: William Jackson, CB
2015: Paul Dawson, LB
2014: Darqueze Dennard, CB
2013: Tyler Eifert, TE

Most Likely To Bust

Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas – Round 3
The Bengals are one of the better drafting teams in the NFL, so it can be hard to project a pick who has real bust potential. However, Jefferson is clearly the most risky pick that Cincinnati made in the first three rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft. Jefferson possesses a first-round skill set, but he didn’t play up to it during his time at Texas. It wouldn’t surprised me if he underachieves in the NFL.

There is no doubt that Jefferson has a NFL skill set. He is a fast linebacker who covers a ton of ground. Jefferson possesses instincts and shows the skill to read his keys to get in position to make plays. He also has a developed body with the size and strength to play at the next level. As a run defender, Jefferson is at his best when he can use his speed to hunt down ball-carriers. He is fast to shoot gaps and fire into the backfield or the flat. Jefferson tackles well in the open field, is a physical hitter, and generally takes good angles.

There are still a number of issues Jefferson needs to improve upon. Holding up against downhill runs coming at him and taking on blocks are a weaknesses for him. He is not physical with offensive linemen and can get covered up in the ground game. Jefferson also is not a linebacker who has demonstrated man-coverage skills on tight ends or running backs even though he has the athletic skill set to do that, so for the NFL, he needs development in pass coverage.

Sources have said that teams heard that Jefferson didn’t show a deep love for football. That was illustrated in him not producing up to his great skill set early on in his collegiate career and in his work ethic during offseason training according to league contacts. Jefferson supposedly was unhappy with his role in the former staff’s scheme, but as a worker, he improved under the new coaching staff at Texas. Jefferson’s work ethic and commitment are going to be challenged in the NFL as coaches, schemes, and positions rarely ever stay the same. Thus of Cincinnati’s early-round picks, I think Jefferson has the largest potential to be a bust.

2017: Carl Lawson, LB
2016: Nick Vigil, LB
2015: Tyler Kroft, TE
2014: Russell Bodine, C
2013: Shawn Williams, S

Potential Boom Pick

Billy Price, C, Ohio State – Round 1
A few years ago, I had Russell Bodine as a player with bust potential, and over the course of the past few seasons, it was apparent that Cincinnati needed an upgrade at center. The team also lost Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency a year ago without finding an adequate replacement at the position. The offensive line was a crippling weakness for the Bengals in 2017, so after trading for left tackle Cordy Glenn, they added a long-term fix to the interior with Price.

Price is a well-balanced player who is effective as a run blocker and pass protecter. He excelled as both a guard and center for Ohio State while impressing team evaluators across the league. Sources say that Price plays within himself. They like his awareness and feel he is an above-average athlete for an interior blocker. He isn’t overly fast or twitchy like the Pouncey brothers, but Price has movement skills and is better than average in space. The sources also like that Price handles big nose tackles well, which can be difficult for centers and is a hard-to-find attribute. Price is a polished player without glaring weaknesses and is a steady blocker to win his matchups while being assignment sound.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Price has size, strength and athleticism to be an asset as an interior offensive lineman. Price should be a plug-and-play starter for Cincinnati who immediately upgrades the run blocking for Joe Mixon and the pass protection for Andy Dalton. Price has the upside to be one of the top centers in the NFL and a 10-year starter. He could be a real boom pick for Cincinnati.

2017: Joe Mixon, RB
2016: Tyler Boyd, WR
2015: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT
2014: Jeremy Hill, RB
2013: Giovani Bernard, RB

Future Depth Player

Mark Walton, RB, Miami – Round 4
The Bengals took their running back of the future last year with Joe Mixon, but they were in need of some depth behind him. Jeremy Hill left in free agency, and Gio Bernard has had injuries in his career. Walton was a really good value in the fourth round because he has versatility to help as a runner, blocker and receiver. In his last full season of play, Walton averaged 5.3 yards per carry for 1,117 yards with 14 touchdowns. He also had 27 receptions for 240 yards and a score. Walton (5-10, 202) may not hold up as a three-down starter in the NFL, but he could be a very nice backup to Mixon and a quality depth player for Cincinnati.

2017: Ryan Glasgow, DT
2016: Andrew Billings, DT
2015: Josh Shaw, CB
2014: A.J. McCarron, QB
2013: Margus Hunt, DE

Walt’s 2018 NFL Draft Grades:

21. Billy Price, C, Ohio State B+ Grade
And the run on centers begins! Actually, not really, as the Bengals were going to select a center the entire time. They wanted Frank Ragnow, but Billy Price is a nice consolation prize. In fact, I thought they’d take Price when his medical concerns were still apparent.

Fortunately for Price, he’s been medically cleared. He’s the top blocker on the board, and Cincinnati absolutely had to upgrade the line. The only concern is that Price may not be ready to play until August, but he could return before then. It’s just a minor worry, so this is a good pick.

54. Jessie Bates, S, Wake Forest B+ Grade
The Bengals could’ve taken any of the top three second-day safeties – Bates, Ronnie Harrison, Justin Reid – and they would’ve made sense. Cincinnati had a huge need at safety entering the draft, and it’s nice that they’ve filled it with a quality player like Bates.

77. Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State A+ Grade
We had Sam Hubbard in the opening round! I suppose he fell because he never lived up to his ability for most of his collegiate career, but he ended it with a bang. I thought this might convince teams to select him early, but apparently not. Still, it’s a high-upside selection, as Hubbard should help the edge rush.

78. Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas C Grade
Once upon a time, I had Malik Jefferson in the first round of my 2018 NFL Mock Draft. He fell to the third or fourth round because of a down 2017 campaign, as well as rumblings that he had a lack of passion for football. That’s not someone I’d want to draft in the third round, but the upside is certainly there.

112. Mark Walton, RB, Miami B+ Grade
If Mark Walton didn’t have durability issues, he may have gone a round earlier. He’s a nice third-down option for the Bengals, as they may eventually want to pair him with Joe Mixon, depending on what’s happening Giovani Bernard, whose contract will expire in 2020.

151. Davontae Harris, CB, Illinois State B Grade
Davontae Harris struggles with deep speed, but he’s a solid zone cornerback, and he definitely fits the range as a fifth-round prospect. He’ll provide some much-needed depth at cornerback.

158. Andrew Brown, DE/DT, Virginia A- Grade
Andrew Brown was very inconsistent at Virginia, but showed his great potential at the Senior Bowl and combine. Brown could’ve been chosen a round or maybe even two earlier than this, so I like this pick for the Bengals, who are bolstering defensive line depth well.

170. Darius Phillips, CB, Western Michigan B Grade
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Bengals have doubled up on cornerbacks, given their dire need at the position. Darius Phillips makes sense as a fifth-round prospect, and he should be able to play in the slot and double up as a solid special-teamer.

249. Logan Woodside, QB, Toledo B Grade
Marvin Lewis said the Bengals would have to “start from scratch” this offseason. Is this what he meant? Logan Woodside makes sense this late in the draft – I had him going 198th overall – and the Bengals might be able to develop him into a solid No. 2 quarterback, which they need in the wake of the A.J. McCarron departure.

252. Rod Taylor, G/OT, Ole Miss A- Grade
It’s not a surprise that the Bengals added another offensive lineman. Rod Taylor should be able to make the 53-man roster as a backup, thanks to his versatility. He played four positions (everything except center) at Ole Miss, and he has nice length and strength to stick in the pros. It wouldn’t surprise me if Taylor emerged as a starter one day, but he’ll likely be a reserve.

253. Auden Tate, WR, Florida State C+ Grade
Auden Tate made a huge mistake by declaring early. There were concerns leading up to the draft that he wouldn’t be able to get any sort of separation in the pros, and that’s exactly why he fell to the seventh round. I’d be pretty surprised if he remained in the NFL for more than a year or two.

2018 NFL Draft Team Grade: B . Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.

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