The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Cincinnati Bengals have made quite the statements. Getting bigger and nastier in the trenches and creating more explosive plays through the air were two of the primary ones, given the picks they made over the weekend.
That slate of picks comes with reverberations and consequences, so we’re going to take a look at those. Here are the winners and losers from the Bengals’ draft haul.
Winners
Frank Pollack:
Only one other time has Pollack had a first round pick to work with on the offensive line. Billy Price was one back in 2018, and now he gets a ton of clay to mold in the form of future franchise tackle Amarius Mims.
When Pollack was on a recent episode of “In the Trenches with Dave Lapham,” he was fawning over Mims’ athletic profile and what he could become. Now, that dream is a reality, so it’s on the grizzled line coach to get the most out of the big Georgia offensive lineman.
Joe Burrow:
Not only did the Bengals bring in a sound, short-term option to fortify the right tackle spot in Trent Brown, but they also have one of the future in Mims. Cincinnati also selected Matt Lee, who may prove to be one of the bigger steals of this class and should be the heir apparent to Ted Karras.
Additionally, the Bengals loaded up on pass-catching options for No. 9. Aside from bringing in Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati added two other talented tight ends on Day 3 in Iowa’s Erick All and Arizona’s Tanner McLachlan, as well as the enigmatic Jermaine Burton at wide receiver.
James Casey:
Speaking of all of the amassed tight ends, what an offseason for the team’s position coach. The cupboard was pretty bare last year, but now he has the “good problem” of finding a way to get all of these guys on the roster.
Marion Hobby:
While he lost a couple of valuable guys this offseason and the team is dealing with some uncertainty with Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati gave their defensive line coach a lot of options to find viable replacements and a potential new approach on defense. Sheldon Rankins joined the interior in free agency, while Cincinnati added two more interior players in Kris Jenkins, Jr. and McKinnley Jackson.
That’s not all, though. Cincinnati used a sixth-round pick on Ole Miss edge defender Cedric Johnson, who has some great traits. The team putting 30% of its entire draft class on the defensive line should make Hobby happy.
Zach Moss and Chase Brown:
In a somewhat surprising twist, the Bengals didn’t draft a running back to add to their group in what seems like a “by committee” approach in that position group. That shows the confidence and commitment level they hold for Moss and Brown for 2024.
Lou Anarumo:
Exactly half of the draft went to the defense, which is a little bit of a surprise, given three pretty big free agent signings. Still, there were issues galore on that side of the ball last year and Anarumo seems determined to fix it.
He’s found a blend of players who are versatile and others with high athletic profiles. Throw in the fact that the first three picks of the 2023 class were on his side of the ball, and he could have a nice, young core of players to mix in with solid veterans to re-stabilize the unit.
Cordell Volson:
Much like the situations at running back, some felt that the Bengals may draft a replacement (be it immediate or down the road) for Volson, who’s had an up-and-down start to his career. Still, Volson is a “Pollack guy,” and the hope is that the vaunted “year three leap” occurs with the team’s left guard, especially without a true replacement selected.
Losers
Jackson Carman and D’Ante Smith:
Things have looked pretty bleak for the former second-round pick in terms of his long-term starting viability anywhere on the line for a while, but this weekend’s first-round pick sealed the deal. At this point, Carman is viewed as nothing more than a backup for a couple of spots, and his roster spot is in question.
Smith may still have a chance as a developmental guy, and everyone (coaches and fans alike) really likes his skill set. Still, injuries and a question of “tackle vs. guard” have followed him since being picked in the fourth round a few years ago. Mims also makes things murky for him.
Charlie Jones:
With Andrei Iosivas showing more than Jones last year and in the drafting of Burton, Jones is now part of an extremely talented and crowded receiver room. Additionally, the Bengals seem dead-set on utilizing more tight ends as weapons going forward, potentially further de-emphasizing his role with the team.
Tanner Hudson:
I’d like to think the Bengals find a way to keep all five guys at tight end on this roster, but it’s going to take some creativity. Hudson played admirably last year when the position was a mess, but there have been some heavy investments in the position group this year.
Gesicki seems like a lock, the Bengals just re-committed some pretty big money to Drew Sample and both of the drafted players have major upside. Is All healthy enough to start the season active? Is Sample going to be listed as an H-Back/Fullback? We’ll see.
Brad Robbins:
The Bengals didn’t draft a punter this year, but they are bringing in one of the better ones in this year’s class as an undrafted free agent. Texas Tech’s Austin McNamara has a shot at beating out Robbins if the former Michigan punter doesn’t step up his game from last year.
This facet of the Bengals has been a bit of a mess for the past handful of years and needs to be drastically cleaned up.
Zachary Carter:
Where does he fit in now? He was a fun project coming out of college because of his ability to move around the line, but the commitment to him moving inside hasn’t worked yet. Cincinnati has brought in four interior defensive linemen via free agency and the draft, as well as another edge guy in Johnson. Throw in the versatile Myles Murphy and the team’s commitment to Joseph Ossai, Sam Hubbard, and others, and Carter may be on the outside looking in when it comes to number-crunching time.
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