Bengals: Kiper: C-plus for Bengals draft

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Kiper: C-plus for Bengals draft

Keith Rivers is solid player with great character. Jerome Simpson is a hard-working receiver and WR Andre Caldwell could be a second or third option right away. While junior DT Pat Sims was a very underrated player out of Auburn, OT Anthony Collins should have stayed at Kansas for another year. Still, he was decent fourth-round pick. Safety Corey Lynch is a playmaker (he blocked the field-goal attempt in the closing seconds of Appalachian State's upset win at Michigan last season). Some scouts I spoke with thought Lynch -- who went in Round 6 -- could go as high as the fourth round. Villanova TE Matt Sherry is not a very good blocker, but he has very good hands and could push for a roster spot. Wide receiver Mario Urrutia didn't have a great 2007 season and I'm not sure why he came out. Urrutia has talent, but should have gone back to Louisville for his senior season. Angelo Craig flashed pass-rushing abilities at times; at other times he disappeared.

16 Comments:

at 4/29/2008 2:38 PM

Chris said...

All of our other drafts got panned by the media. It's a shame they don't have to come back in two or three years and reevaluate. That's when the real grading should be done.

at 4/29/2008 3:03 PM

Joe said...

I thought the Falcons trading up to get Sam Baker was a reach until Kiper graded the move a C-. That's when I knew it was a smart decision. If hair-boy is banging the Bengals draft, I'd say that's a solid endorsement

at 4/29/2008 4:25 PM

House of Cards said...

House of Cards: Kiper: C- for hair cut

at 4/29/2008 4:58 PM

CanMickCoach? said...

Any interest by the Bengals in looking at Dominc Rhodes?

at 4/29/2008 5:14 PM

firefly118 said...

I am not a big Kiper fan, but he knows his stuff! And his grade for the draft RIGHT NOW is pretty close. Yes, 3 years down the road, maybe a better grade, but grading the players as is....C.

Urrutia is the hidden gem.....the other WR may turn out to be solid, but if given the chance, this guy will be the best of the draft. He needs a year, maybe on the practice squad, to learn and grow. When he adds about 10 pound of muscle and learns how to run inside routes, he will be an awesome TE.

I could forsee 7 of the 10 sticking with the team and contributing within a couple years.

at 4/29/2008 8:41 PM

Carson said...

Here is a much more accurate evaluation of the Bengals draft. From Jason Cole of Yahoo sports:

Picks: LB Keith Rivers, WR Jerome Simpson, DT Pat Sims, WR Andre Caldwell, OT Anthony Collins, DT Jason Shirley, S Corey Lynch, TE Matt Sherry, DE Angelo Craig and WR Mario Urritia
Positives: Rivers, Sims and Caldwell
Negatives: Simpson and Shirley

Bottom line: D-. Rivers and Sims are immediate starters, but that’s almost by default. The Bengals wanted to get USC DT Sedrick Ellis in the first round, but got jumped by the Saints, who telegraphed their move for four days. The Bengals should have done something to counter New Orleans, but as is typical with Cincy, the Bengals let someone else determine their fate. Calling Simpson a “negative” is a little strong, but he’s just a reminder of how bad the situation is there between the dismissal of Chris Henry and the mouthing off by Chad Johnson. Where the grade really takes a hit is with Shirley, a guy who was in and out of trouble last season. The Bengals never learn.

at 4/30/2008 7:01 AM

Carson said...

I think Yahoo Sports has a more accurate assessment of this Draft, They gave the Bengals a D-.

It took the Bengals 15 years to figure out free agencey, how long will it take them to realize they can negotiate with other teams on draft day? I mean they did have 10picks to work with...

at 4/30/2008 8:41 AM

Anonymous said...

Here is an interesting bit of history:

From 2001, Mel Kiper's Top 25 Draft Prospects:

1. Michael Vick
2. Gerard Warren
3. Koren Robinson
...
7. Rod Gardner
8. David Terrell
...
10. Deuce McAllister
11. LaDainian Tomlinson
...

Would anybody out there put Michael Vick at the top of their list today? Would anybody take Deuce McAllister over LaDainian Tomlinson today? Good thing for the Chargers that they didn't listen to Kiper.

at 4/30/2008 8:48 AM

Anonymous said...

Some more Mel Kiper history - this is great stuff:

"Here's what ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had to say about the first-round draft picks in the 2002 NFL draft:

1. Houston -- David Carr, QB, Fresno State
Carr now becomes the cornerstone of the Texans' franchise. He is a franchise-caliber quarterback with accuracy and velocity reminiscent of another No. 1 overall pick, Troy Aikman.

3. Detroit -- Joey Harrington, QB, Oregon
...Harrington is the third highest player on my draft board and deserved to go in this area... Harrington is a great fit for Mornhinweg's West Coast scheme. Harrington, who has a Brett Favre-like flair for the dramatic, was a highly productive quarterback and one I had rated only slightly behind Carr."

David Carr = Troy Aikman? Joey Harrington = Brett Favre? HAHAHAHAHA!

at 4/30/2008 8:58 AM

AC Cincy said...

Yahoo Sports sound like they bengal haters. Giving them a D- because they took a chance on a fifth round pick. Fifth round picks are third stingers. Taking a shot on a bad seed that has the protental to be the most athletic DL in this draft is a no brainer.

at 4/30/2008 9:05 AM

House of Cards said...

Carson, you think yahoo's grade is better, simply because you have done nothing but btch and moan all week about it yourself, so that just validates you. Let's play devil's advocate for a few minutes here..... since EVERYBODY lies about their draft picks, how does the yahoo from yahoo know for sure that the Bengal's really wanted Ellis all along, and that maybe that wasn't smoke from them? What the Bengal's wanted and needed was a run stuffer, not a three technique tackle who tends to get swallowed up by larger (read: Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cleveland O-lines) O-linemen, which is Ellis. I admit, I was caught up in the hype too, but thinking later, would I rather have a solid/potentially great LB AND a run-stuffing DT, or just a DT?, the answer is pretty obvious.
Fact is, some of these National guys are banging on the Bengal's solely because they feel Cincy should have traded Chad for draft picks. The Bengal's have their own reasons for not doing that, and those reasons are theirs alone. But not making that deal doesn't mean that they drafted crummy players... Separate the two topics.
I have also heard/read tons of fans with the "Simpson was a reach" comment. Since there were other NFL teams ready to pick him behind the Bengal's, including the all mighty Steelers, clearly there were some NFL personnel people who knew more than helmet-head.... Since there were also plenty who thought Sims was a 2nd round talent, I wonder had the two picks been flip flopped in order, would the national talking heads be singing a different tune?
And the kid from Fresno State will be fine, as long as he doesn't go out clubbing with Odell. Thank God we already cleared the deck of Smokey McPot though....

at 4/30/2008 9:15 AM

Anonymous said...

I'll stop picking on Mel Kiper for the moment. It's not just him:

"The 2003 NFL draft is over so it's time to hand out grades. Len Pasquarelli gave Baltimore, which traded to get quarterback Kyle Boller an "A-plus"..."

From ProFootballWeekly:

"By far, the Ravens had the best draft. They made shrewd moves up top to add two of the top 10 players on their board, OLB-DE Terrell Suggs and QB Kyle Boller. The Ravens did pay a steep price for Boller, a first-round pick in 2004, but he may be worth it...

WR Kelley Washington...could easily be the No. 2 receiver opposite Chad Johnson, with Peter Warrick in the slot..."

OK, back to Mel Kiper, regarding the 2004 draft:

"Kieran [sp] Ratliff is a big-play corner... Matthias Askew...could be a force with some experience and coaching...Maurice Mann is an underrated wideout...

Craig Krenzel has smarts and the ability to manage a team, making him a good pick as a career backup-type behind Rex Grossman...

Robert Gallery is a can't-miss tackle prospect...

Here's my point - any grades for the 2008 draft are totally meaningless in regard to what will happen on the field in the next few years...

at 4/30/2008 9:17 AM

AC Cincy said...

10 picks instead of the usual 7. Took mostly good character guys and two bad character guys that have trmendious up sides if they turn out.
If you don't take chances on those guys your missing too much. Talking about a guy that has the skills of Big Daddy Dan Wilkinson, Who the Bengal's picked 1 overall and this guy was a fifth round pick.
Given that Big Daddy as good as we wanted him to be. He has been a Pro for 14 years.

at 4/30/2008 9:20 AM

Anonymous said...

I hate Mel Kiper. To be completely honest (and i hate to sound like a know-it-all) I dont know how anybody can even grade a draft without even seeing them practice much less play a couple seasons at the pro level. I will give it to him he does know alot more about prospects than I do. It really isnt his drafting grades that make me hate him so much either... I ask of only one thing from anyone who decides to post on this blog today. "Look at Mel Kiper (take your time if your like that) and try not to get pissed."

Carson Palmer will be graded A+ and MVP.

Mike from GPA

at 4/30/2008 1:26 PM

Anonymous said...

Mel Kiper is an overrated anyalist. Everyone listens to him like there is no tomorrow. He doesn't take into account that all the players that have been drafted haven't even steped onto the field, met thier teammates, and met the coaches. Noone knows how a certain player will affect a team. How can you grade someone on thier choices. Yes I know that he grades them according to the "team needs" but still, common Mel. As for the Bengals picks, I thought they did great. They added some much needed defense and they replaced Chris Henry with someone who is more talented and more clutch. With the addition of Odel Thurmann as well, the Bengals could push for the wild card this year, I think the Steelers and Browns will bash heads for the division.

Remember* TJ was a 7th round draft pick..

at 4/30/2008 1:35 PM

russ said...

I've said many times before, Mel Kiper has the easiest job in America. Responsibility = 0. Accountability = 0. A few years ago someone (Bill Polian, I believe) called Mel out on that and ESPN somehow made it look like Mel Kiper was a hero or something.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Kiper: C-plus for Bengals draft

16 Comments: