Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Identifying Cincinnati Bengals First Round Targets in 2025 NFL Draft

Episode Date: March 27, 2025

In a draft that doesn't have a ton of blue chip talent, the Cincinnati Bengals will have the difficult task of identifying a needle in a haystack for instant impact at 17. James Rapien and Jake Liscow preview the Bengals’ options in the first round, including Nick Emmanwori, Malaki Starks, Will Johnson, Walter Nolen, Derrick Harmon and a plethora of other options. The guys talk through why the first round is so tricky this year and how that opens up a world of possibilities for the Bengals.Join the Locked On Bengals Insider Community! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonbengalsFind and follow Locked On Bengals on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-bengals-daily-podcast-on-the-cincinnati-bengals/id1159723162Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7AObc0lh0WmQl5fJVgtajsGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vbG9ja2Vkb25iZW5nYWxz?sa=X&ved=0CAYQrrcFahcKEwio_sXtj8nuAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAgStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-bengalsSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a draft that doesn't feature too many true first round players. Let's talk about what and who is on the table for the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of this NFL draft. You are locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. What up, Bengals fans, and welcome to another episode of the Locked on Bengals podcast. I'm your host, Jake Liscoe. He's your host, James Rapine, and we are Locked on Benegals. Bengals on the Lockdown Podcast Network, we're covering your team every day.

Today we're going to dive into the draft again. We're getting into draft mode here pretty consistently on lockdown Bengals as we're waiting for things to happen with Trey Hendrickson, potentially a veteran move for the Bengals and free agency. Well, until those things happen for us to talk about, we're going to be locked in on the NFL draft. And every dayers have heard us talk about that a couple of days this week. And if you're not in every day or yet, and you're ready for some.

draft talk, you are in the right place. You can hit that subscribe button to make sure you don't miss an episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Today's episode brought to you by Fandul where right now new customers can get $200 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. And Jays, we have seen some interesting mock drafts happen from national level writers over the last week, two weeks. Haven't talked about a ton of them.

Matt Miller has a relatively fascinating one up on ESP. right now that goes seven rounds with some very popular Bengals targets making it into the second round. And to me, that that evokes this question of who's actually on the table for the Bengals in the first round? Because the more I look at this class, the more guys I watch, the more I think, man, this draft has a lot of players that you'd love to draft in the second round. Has a lot of players you'd love to draft in the third round. Yeah. As a few players, you'd love to draft in the top five. but not a whole lot of players you'd like to draft between say, I don't know, pick 16 and 32 or 16 and 25. Maybe there's some guys you feel great about at the back of the first round.

But the Bengals pick at 17, which both opens up the role of possibilities and creates some challenges when you try to pick who some ideal options would be for the Bengals with their selection. Yeah, I think that, you know, I'm going to say this a lot. People are probably going to get sick of it. but a lot of people are probably viewing the best option available. I'm a big best player available guy, of course. The best option available, a lot of people are probably going to say trade down. Trade down, add more value, get another day two pick where you can really hammer that part of the board. You know, players 25 through 80, and if you're 81, and if you can get three picks at,

that range versus one at 17, one at 49, one at 81. If you can add another one by moving back to 25, and now you're picking 49th and 55th and 81st, like you feel really darn good, I think, and I don't know about the trade value there. But my point is if you could add another top-ish pick on day two, that would be ideal. And I get it. I do. And I think a lot of people view it that way because of the need standpoint. I don't really view it that way.

Like the Bengals, they're going to have something that irks you after the draft. Like there's going to be a need that you're like, ugh. Like I just, I've kind of already accepted that or I'm in the process of accepting that unless they do something that surprises us at this point in free agency. But what I want them to do is that as many quality players as possible. and if the 17th pick starts a new tier of player, and you can still get that tier of player at 23rd or 25th, or maybe even later, but I don't think you want to go too far down,

then why not try to move down? Unfortunately, I think the whole league is going to feel that way. I don't think you're alone. I think the whole league is going to feel that way and probably not try to trade up. So if that's the case, then the Bengals really have to vet this out and find the right, the right player that can have an impact right away.

And that's why I'm totally fine with not ignoring the trenches at 17, but not forcing trenches at 17. If they are stuck there, we'll take the best player available. And there's a decent chance that it's a corner or a safety. or a linebacker or maybe a tight end, I think it's pretty unlikely that it's just going to, and maybe it does, but it's just going to fall into their lap where this high-end player, that seventh on their board is suddenly there at 17, hopefully, but it's pretty unlikely. I'd be really curious to hear how many 1A players the Bengals have this year.

How many 1B players the Bengals have this year? Well, let's do it. How many do you think are 1A? Let's look here. Mason Graham, Abdul Carter. Yeah, I think about seven. I think about seven is the number I came to. We can name the name.

So I don't think either of the quarterbacks, they will be picked there. Maybe Camford for some will be, but let's ignore the quarterback. So Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, Mason Graham. And then I think some people might put Tet McMill in there. He doesn't like to go by Tet.

I should learn how to pronounce his name. but McMillan from Arizona might be there for some people I don't think he's quite there for me Yeah if you're the Bengals you want him to be there for Whatever be for somebody I think I agree with you I don't think he's

In that that tier Ashton Genty That's four No brainer I think Will Campbell is five And maybe not for some teams But I think he would be I think he should be

And then I think it honestly gets Pretty tenuous I think Jehahad Campbell, depending on where the injury discounts him on the Bengals board, could be in that conversation. And then I think one of the tight ends, depending on the team, I think that it'll vary between the tight ends,

Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland. Yeah, I knew one about it. But he has the injury too. I do wonder about Loveland. Like, it wouldn't shock me if the Bengals like Loveland more than more. It wouldn't. I don't know.

but it wouldn't shock me. What about Armand Membo? I think he's like borderline there. I would probably guess 1B, the top of 1B, maybe the very back of what, but I think it's like seven or eight players and then there's going to be some disagreement. You know, some people are going to say,

oh, Mike Green is for sure 1A. Some people are probably out there listening to this and love Mike Green, for example. But I don't think that he's that blue, like think about the players we just named. Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, that little Ashton Gentry, that level of player. Like, I don't think they're in the same bucket.

Yeah, I would be stunned. We can have a little bit of that Mike Green, James Pierce. Like, I don't think the Bengals are going to look at those guys and be like, yeah, that'll play down in, down out in the north. That doesn't mean they won't take Mike Green. Like, I'm not saying that. But I do think that there will be some concern, especially with Pierce more than Green.

But Green is the small school. Do they, knowing the Bengals trends and tendencies, are they going to take him 17th overall? Or let's cross that out because that's not even the conversation we're having. Would he be in the 1A tier for them? I don't think so. I think that's fair to say. Well, they take him at 17. Who knows?

I don't think either of those guys, though, are 1A players on their board. I think the players that could potentially be in that 1A bucket who could potentially be available to the Bengals at 17 are probably Jahaig Campbell and Will Johnson. Johnson. Yep. And honestly, the Will Johnson one is really dependent on that April workout. Totally. That's why I say that injury, like for both of those guys, could really affect where the Bengals have them.

Yeah. Because I know they think, man, that dude can play, which means if they think it the rest of the league thinks it, and it's going to be about the medicals, it's going to be about how that workout goes. He has a private workout. I forget the date. It's early April. And if he nails that, then he's probably a top.

probably a top. He might go top 10. I mean, that would not be shocking at all. For sure. He could. But when we think about the players that could cross over between 1A and 17, those two stand out to me the most. There's maybe an outside chance for Will Campbell. But I think that's a very, I mean, I think it's an outside chance for all these guys. There's a lot of smoke connecting Jahad Campbell to the Falcons of 15. And the idea of the top corner, top, one of the top tackle guard prospects in Will Campbell being there. Could be tough.

But last year we saw quarters fall to the late first round. Very different draft last year. A ton of great offensive linemen in that draft class last year. I think more true first round players last year. But you never know what happens when we get to the first round of the NFL draft. No, you don't. I think the other one that I have a prayer circle for that won't happen because he's probably going, he's more likely to go top five.

He probably top 10. but more likely to go top five than to follow to the Bengals at 17. Everyone knows that if you follow me on social is Ashton Genty. But we'll put that one to bed now. And we'll continue our conversation when it comes to the 17th pick. Who could be there coming up next? Today's show is brought to you by Fandall. March Madness is here.

The Sweet 16 is here. And whether you think that Duke is going to cut down the nets or maybe your bracket is just completely busted. Well, Fandall is giving you the chance to get in on all of the action right now new customers can get $200 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. That's $200 extra bucks to use on everything from buzzer beaters to Cinderella stories. Even who's cutting down the nets? Do you think it's going to be Duke? Do you think Houston's going to do it?

Do you think it's going to be someone else? Regardless, Fandall is the place to go. And it's easy and it's fast. The Fandle app is so simple to use when you win. You get paid instantly. No waiting around. And with tournament games happening every day, starting today through something. Sunday, there's always something exciting to bet on.

Plus, it's opening day. If you're watching on YouTube, I'm wearing a Reds jersey and get on on all the fun, all the action with Fandall. Visit Fandall.com and get on on all the college hoops action and get $200 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins at fandle.com. When we talk about 1B, 1C buckets, the players that the Bengals could realistically be picking from if one of those 1A guys is not available. to them at 17.

There's not a whole lot distinguishing those buckets this year. I wonder how many players are really in those buckets. You might see a heavy 1C, 2A for the Bengals this year, James. Maybe just a stockier than average 2A, B, and C altogether and very thin, 1B and 1C. The players that are available in that next tier down, there's probably going to be about 20 players. that are very close for many teams.

And there will be tiebreakers and different needs and different preferences that will break those ties, different injury information and off-field information we don't know about that will break some of these ties. But from an on-field perspective, the talent level levels off and kind of plateaus for a while after those top few guys are off the board this year. Yeah, and that's why there's all sorts of positions

that it could end up being. I mean, safety, corner. You could certainly multiple safeties in that mix. Offensive tackle, which could mean guard. I'm thinking Kelvin Banks, Jr. out of Texas. Certainly edge in defensive tackle. I know a lot of people are focused on that, no doubt about it. And so you look at it, and there's a lot of guys that are wide receiver, by the way,

not for the Bengals, I don't think, but wide receiver will potentially be in that bucket. A mecca Abuka from Ohio State is going to be in the, that mix. Luther Burden out of Missouri is certainly going to be in that mix. It may go before the Bengals are on the clock. And so I look at it and I'm like, man, yeah, they're, they're going to be a lot of guys, tight end. I should have mentioned tight end. Like if Colston Loveland is in a 1A, he's probably in 1B or 1C for a lot of teams and maybe every team is that high. And Warren, if he's not ahead of Loveland, he's certainly right there in that mix as well. So a lot of different positions. And this is, it's why I default to the draft players, not positions. If you get a

really high-end safety that's going to make an impact like Nicky Monroe. Awesome. Like, if you think he can make an impact, and they're bringing him in for a top pre-draft visit, one of their pre-draft visits, if you think he's going to be able to help on the back end and play deep when you need him to and make plays around the line of scrimmage and be this, Derwin James like player, then he's a no-brainer at 70. And regardless of how you feel about the defensive line or anything, like it would make a ton of sense. I don't know if they feel that way, but that's why.

Malachi Starks, maybe they like Malachi Starks better than Nicky Munwry. I do think James Pierce, Jr., just going to the defensive line, is interesting, because he's, he's 23. And so he's, like, he's older than Walter Nolan. He's older than some of these other guys. And so I think that's interesting as well. But yeah, the safety part of it, I think, should be very much online. I know everyone wants to talk about Xavier Watts and there are other guys on day two.

But if they feel like one of these guys can come in and make an impact right away, that's what I'm looking for at 17. Is it impact. And if that's at defensive line, great. That's at guard, great. But if it's somewhere else, I'm also down. It's one of those things where you look at the options for the Bengals in 17. And I want to focus on Nick Mniquin Wari here in just a second.

Because that's who Matt Miller mocked to the Bengals and his most recent mock that somewhat inspired this conversation. It was very interesting. The second round pick in particular is very interesting. Or maybe it is. You think about some of the top options for the Bengals in this draft. And it's just flaw after flaw after flaw, honestly. You got Walter Nolan, who I think needs to get stronger to play at a. consistent level in the NFL. He's a young player. He has room to get better. His up,

his flashes are great, but the consistency and the ability to disrupt consistently, I think he needs to get stronger. You got Harmon from Oregon, really disruptive defensive tackle out there, but has a massive tackling red flag. You got Starks, Malachi Starks, from Georgia, who tested poorly, but has great GPS numbers and teams love him. James Pierce, Jr. didn't really face any NFL caliber competition, and the production came in spurts. And while he's a great speed rusher, you worry about the size. You worry about his past rush arsenal winning besides just with speed.

Kenneth Grant, an option people have talked about for the Bengals. Are you taking a nose tackle? Nick him in worry. Is he a linebacker in the NFL? He's big for his safety. We'll talk about him and worry more in a second. Colston Lovell, we've talked about his name a few times. Is he a wide receiver or is he a tight end?

Tyler Booker, a trench option that some people talk about, not testing the way you want to see a guard test to pick him in the first round. Josh Simmons coming off that Pateller tendon issue, there's just so many flags for so many of the players the Bengals could pick. But Nick Emondwari is very interesting to circle back to that conversation. And here's what Matt Miller wrote. He said, Eminem Worry is a Derwin James, in size, speed, and playmaking ability.

He put on a show at the combine. He was actually faster than Derwin James. He jumped better than Derwin James. He also produced on tape. He had four interceptions, two pick sixes. And he concluded, I like this line. Line him up for your strong safety and let him spy Lamar Jackson twice the season, wrote another way.

By the way, they couldn't stop Lamar. They needed a stop with Lamar. And I think back to that Thursday night. game in Baltimore where I think Lamar had a poor throw and he kind of laughed it off. It was like Steph Curry missing a free throw. And then it's a huge third down. And he just casually drops back at Thursdays the touchdown. Like he was just in complete control against the Bengals defense. So if you could get a guy that can disrupt that a little bit, it would go a long way. Not bounce off of him when they have them dead to rights. Yes. Yeah, tackle him in space.

just a little bit. Which when I think about Derek Harmon, and the flags, you know what I mean? Like it's just every player you can suggest to me for like, Jahad Campbell's shoulder, Will Johnson, the two missing games. Just it's tough. That's why it's both very open.

And also like, man, who do you pick at 17 where you're like, yeah, of course you pick that guy at 17. there's just something with all of the options here where you feel great about any of these guys in the second round. And speaking of second round, let's talk about who Matt Miller had drafted to the Bengals in the second round of this mock. But there's so many guys you feel great about in the second round

if you're the Bengals, which is why I understand, especially with all the draft simulators out there that make it so easy to trade back, why everybody wants to trade back when they're looking at this draft. And you started the show there, and I thought that was a good point.

Let's talk about who Matt have for the Bengals in the second. round here because it's fascinating some of the players Matt Miller has falling in this mock. We'll do that to finish the show coming up next. Well, Matt Miller has a guy by the name of James falling to the Bengals in the second round. James Pierce, Jr. I got to be honest, Jake. When I saw that, I was like, oh, I'm in. What a difference it makes between 17 and in 49. And I was kind of foreshadowing a little bit with the age part of it because I went back and kind of looked like all right well I get it like you might not be in on James Fierce Jr at 17 but is he really going to make it to 49?

Maybe like I think it's unlikely but I don't think it's impossible that he drops that far and I think the age could be a part of it the other part of it and the reason why I don't think the Bengals will take him at 17 is they're going to look and they're going to say is that guy going to really hold up in the AFC North? Is that guy going to be able to be able to able to deal with the the physicality and be good against the run and hold up there, also bring juice on the edge and do everything that we would want a first round edge player to do. They're not going to take a first round edge just to take it. They got to, if you're doing that, it's got to be a game changer. And so for him to fall to the second round, I do think it's

interesting. There were a few other guys that fell in Matt Miller's mock. Walter Nolan fell to 43. So I don't know if he's just way off or maybe not. Maybe these guys are are viewed a little differently in NFL circles, but for Pierce to fall to 49, much different when you get him there versus 17. Yeah, that age number, age is just a number, but it's the number of the Bengals care about quite a bit when it comes to drafting in the first round. They have drafted guys that are younger than 22 in the first round for like the last six years or something like that. I don't remember the exact number now. Talked about it yesterday.

Joe Goodberry had the tweet. That was a subscriber tweet from Joe Goodberry. So citing my source. But the number of guys here that are falling into the second round that I think by many are considered first round picks are very interesting for Matt Miller. So for one, you got Tyler Booker at the top of the second round. I looked at, I don't know why I looked at that wrong. Sorry to catch you off.

He is 21, James Pierce Jr. I don't know why I looked at that and thought he was 22. Good correction on the fly. Yeah. Man, what the hell? this is what I get when I look at it wrong. She's 21, but still fell, which means the Bengals would be even more in if he's there at 40.

So the thing with Pierce that could cause him to fall is there's all this smoke about off-field or football character questions. And we're not going to know those answers. We just know that they're being discussed. Is it character assassination from some scout who wants to try to push James Pierce down in the draft by trying to get it out there? I don't know, maybe. Or is there real smoke there?

Maybe. But the number of players that fell for Matt Miller in this draft, very interesting. I mentioned Tyler Booker in the top of the second round here. Some people think he should be a first round guard. Kenneth Grant all the way down at 39. I know there are Bengals fans out there that would be interested in Kenneth Grant at 17. Xavier Watts, 41, not necessarily falling, but a notable name. Tileak Williams, 42, Walter Nolan, 43.

That's the two big nose tackles before Walter Nolan at 43. Donovan Jackson, 45, that is tantalizingly close. If on the Bengals watching a potential high caliber guard get all the way down to 45. And then James Pierce at 49, which interestingly, followed by Tate Routledge of 50. So there's a guy that's earlier than you can get them in the simulators. But if James Pierce is available to you in the second round, it's totally different. My concerns about James Pierce holding up against a run are, largely diminished when you're spending a second round pick

because maybe he grows into that. Maybe he's just Nick Benito. And that's who I keep thinking of when I think of James Pierce. Is a speed rusher who will undeniably bring you some past rush juice. And you'll want him on the field for those two minute drills. You'll want him on the field for that third and 12 at the end of the game where the defense needs a stop. If you can put James Pierce Jr. opposite Trey Henderson in that spot, you feel pretty good

about your edge rushers. If you can prevent quick game, to quote Jermaine Pratt, and make the quarterback hold the ball for two and a half seconds, you feel pretty good about James Pierce and Trey Hendrickson in that spot. But getting to that spot and relying on James Pierce to be a three-down player early in his career, maybe you don't feel so good about that. And that's what Matt Miller wrote about in his blur. Pierce was once considered a top 10 overall prospect, but a lack of play strength and a pass rush plan beyond speed rushes have caused concern around the league. He has a high immediate ceiling as a pass for our specialist.

You're telling me you can get that in the second round. It's different. I'm all over. Yeah. It's different. And there's a good argument for Pierce in the first round, too. Don't get me wrong. There's, I think, legitimate concerns about size and play strength for Pierce.

And the Bengals would certainly have those in the first round. Probably should be talking more about guys like Michael Williams and Shemar Stewart, by the way, for that first round pick, as much as some Bengals fans like to push those options out of their mind. We didn't mention those. I think those guys are options for the first round pick, at least in the eyes of the league and the team. But, yeah, Sharmar Stewart could be the pick if he's there.

Give me James Pierce in the second round all day. Yeah, I think Pierce is, if you're getting him in the second round, you could be like, all right, well, we don't need you to have the same impact. We can use you as the specialist that you are. and Jerry Montgomery can refine what you have. Like it just, it feels so much different, especially if you get a Nickymanworth, like if you have,

if you're going, and we're just doing the Matt Miller mock here, but even worry and James Pierce Jr., where you're getting two, to be clear, 21-year-old prospects that are going to hopefully have an impact and play significant snaps and be able to disrupt opposing offenses

as rookies, even where he should play a ton of snaps, Pierce, even if he's more of a, well, he would be, a rotational piece. But if he bolsters your pass rush, that's a thumbs up, right? And at the same time, you mentioned some of those other guys. And it's like, yeah, like if Walter Nolan is falling, that's really, that would be insane. I don't think that one's going to happen. I think Pierce is much more likely to fall a little bit. And we don't know about the off the field stuff.

But if a lot of people are going to say move down, but I think last year we saw it. And honestly, you could look and yeah, the Bengals had 10 picks. But if one of these like higher end players is there at like 41 or 42 and you feel like, man, we're considering him at 17, I would consider being aggressive and going up if you feel that good about that play. And whether that's Walter Nolan or James Pierce or insert whoever, I do think that that's, everyone's going to talk about the trade down, but the second round trade up, there's a lot of value there historically. And so would not be against that, even if the Bengals would be hesitant.

The Bengals have done it. They don't like to do it, but they did it for Camp Taylor Britt. Sure. And so it's something that they will consider if there's a clear drop-off at a position that they really want to target or a player that they really like. That's what gets them into that situation. Now that was when they were picking at the end of the round. That maybe makes trade-ups more likely for the Bengals where you're more likely to see those cliffs coming and have a chance to get ahead of it. And a lot of Bengals fans are probably thinking about this mock so far where the

Bengals have added two defensive players and two exciting defensive players. You can't be mad at that, but you're thinking, man, who are you going to get a guard? And then in the third round, And here's a new name for you. Quincy Riley, a quarterback out of Louisville, is the Matt Miller selection here. And he's said to be one of the most underrated playmakers in the draft, according to Matt Miller, 15 career interceptions. And he's talking about him as a nickel replacement for Mike Hilton. And I don't know too much about Quincy Riley, so I'm not going to dive into this too much. But if you're thinking about a guard, at this point, you're the Bengals. And I think we all are. Jonah Savinae Savoniah goes 91 in this draft an Arizona tackle guard convert

prospect who I'd be all about in the third round. Ozzie Trappolo Tripilo goes they met with. Who they met with. It goes a pick later to the Seattle Seahawks at 92.

Those will be a couple of options for you at guard. Give me Ozzy. The third round there. Wyatt Millum also 112 all the way down into the fourth round. also where he has D.L. Walker, Omar Norman Locke going in the fourth round. So those are some interesting ones. But some guard options still there in the third round here. But you are probably missing out on a lot of guard options if you went until the third round.

And that's why signing one would be so huge. You mentioned Louisville, so I'm going to mention him. I think Ashton Jolati, the edge from Louisville, just have him on your radar. He fell to Baltimore, of course, I pick 129 in this. Matt Miller mock, but like very much a guy that if he's there when the Bengals are on the clock at what, one, one 19 in the fourth round, like makes a ton of sense. You're not going to question him against the run can give you some, some pass rush on the edge. Like I think he's going to be in the mix for the Bengals on either that third round pick or fourth round pick.

I think that's the range for him. Yeah. Point of all of this is to say, first round. sure is tricky. It is. This is going to be a fun month. Second round, I feel great. Third round, you're hoping that some of those guys you love in the second round are still

there. And I think that some will be. That always seems to happen. But with those premium picks and the way this draft is going, if you can find a tradeback at a top 100 pick this year, you would love that. I think it's going to be really hard to do. But the scenarios we're discussing here and some of the flaws. for these guys. Not to say that all those guys I mentioned, because I was focused on flaws there,

they all have reasons that they're being considered in the first round, right? The upside is there for all those guys. But there's no... There's something in their profile. Yeah. And that happens to 17, a lot of years. Didn't happen last year. Marius Smith. I mean, Marius Simpson's didn't start very much in college. That was his thing. So even last year, we saw that a little bit. You tend to see that. And it will make this draft season very interesting as we continue to dive into some of the players and some of the texture of this draft class. We'll, of course, talk to some more guests about their thoughts on some of these prospects as well over the next few weeks. But that's going to do it for this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast.

Until next time, thanks for listening. Ho-Day and have a good one.