Drafting a Wide Receiver

by Jay McDonnell on Mar 24, 2010 7:15 PM EDT in NFL Draft

As I was watching ESPN a week or so ago, I happened to catch Mel Kiper's and Todd McShay's new mock draft crawl across the bottom line. What I found interesting is that the contrast each of them has, especially when it comes to the Bengals. Kiper, the soothsayer of draftnix's, has the Bengals picking Arrelious Benn, Wide Receiver from Illinois in the first round. However, McShay, antagonist supreme, has the Bengals picking Taylor Mays, Safety from USC.

What I call into question is Kiper's thinking that the Bengals would pick a wide receiver in the first round after signing Antonio Bryant to help with the position. Not only that, Benn's production last season does not favor him as being a first round draft pick after finishing with 38 catches for 490 yards and two touchdowns. The argument that he is worthy of such a spot is that he has a lot of upside. Does he? The only upside Benn may have is that he is a speed demon running 4.36 and 4.39 40 yard dash times at Illinois' Pro Day on 17 March. During the NFL Combine, Benn had trouble running routes and staying on his feet. Yes, he may have had the jitters due to the enormity of the situation, but if he can't handle the pressure of a simple workout, then how could one expect him to handle the pressure of a top NFL receiver?

The Safety position last season became thin with injuries to Roy Williams and Chris Crocker. It showed a lack of depth as the run defense suffered due to both players' injuries, who are known for defending against the run. There are durability concerns. Williams suffered his third broken forearm in the past four seasons with two coming in the same season. Last season's break landed him on Injured Reserve forcing him to miss the second half of the season, including the team's loss in the Wild Card game. Crocker injured his calf and ankle, which could create enough concern that he might not be as durable as originally thought. Crocker's ankle injury caused him to miss the final three games of the season before returning against the Jets for the Wild Card game.

I believe Todd McShay may have done something that Kiper seems to have forgotten. Research. McShay's thinking that the Bengals should draft Mays with their first pick would provide depth at safety. One of the bigger safeties in the draft at 230 pounds, Taylor Mays was the fastest defensive back at this year's combine timed at 4.47 seconds in the 40. His size could lend him to be a big hitter with the speed to cover deep. At 6 foot 3 inches, his size is more of a linebacker then a defensive back.

I know I should not take literal what a draft nix such as Kiper says with his only claim to fame being his big hair and hyperbolic chatter. McShay could also be put in the discussion, but it seems to me that he is able to recognize what a team needs and who best fits that need. Kiper, I believe, has gotten some bad advice from a researcher (his hairness can't be bothered with real work) and thinks sticking a low end player in that spot where the team could use other help, would be the team's best course of action. I am grateful that those in charge in the Bengals warroom will have enough sense to steer away from such lunacy and do what is best for the team, and that would be taking Taylor Mays.

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Here's the problem with going defense...

Love Mays, but our defense is already leaps and bounds ahead of the offense. Save the Bryant for Coles swap, we’d basically be returning the same offense that had trouble scoring against the likes of the Browns, Lions, Chiefs, and Raiders. Puts nearly all hopes of improvement in Brat’s hands, who’ll have to find a way to score a lot more points with the same cast of characters. Anyone feel the slightest bit comfortable with those prospects?

We can still be a top 10 defense with Crocker, Williams, and Chinny, but we’re looking at another bottom 10 offense without more help. Maybe you find a starting guard or TE in the 2nd round, but I’d be hesitant to bank on it. Give Palmer all the help he needs. We’re not going to see 2005 Carson again, so we really need to overcompensate in surrounding him with talent.

by bodacio zk on Mar 24, 2010 8:20 PM EDT reply actions

I am liking mays more and more. Depth is the big word this year. we need it at the safety spot. Same with the offense, if we get depth it will be a lot better. we got our #2 WR now lets build depth. Unless its a TE in round one, i think and hope we go D witha safety or LB. Then pick up a WR in round four because more then likely he will be no better then the fourth or fifth if he makes it. Focus on depth and the best player available, not a certain side of the ball or position.

by BigJungle on Mar 24, 2010 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions

the problem with that is

we thought the same way years ago about our offense and look where that landed us.

it needs to be balanced, but in the first 2 rounds, we have to take BPA.

RIP Slim.

by brandone on Mar 24, 2010 11:09 PM EDT up reply actions

You’re right in the sense that the offense needs more help than the defense. But with the signing of Bryant, I don’t see the need to draft a WR in the first round. And quite frankly, it seems like the tight ends who are possible first rounders are all pass-catchers without the necessary blocking skills.

As mentioned above, we could use help at safety, and I think Mays would be an absolute monster if he gets coached up by Zimmer. I think the ideal situation would be to re-sign Bobbie Williams, draft Mays in the first round, and then grab Gilyard or a decent blocking tight end in the second round.

by Whokebe on Mar 25, 2010 8:10 AM EDT up reply actions

re: top 10 defense... i disagree...

what if crocker, williams get hurt again? chinny is ok but he’s suspect when we have to rely on him in coverage. tom nelson is good special teams, good for 4 or 5 plays, but he’s not someone i’m dying to see on the field. you’re saying that if we have the chance to pick up a stud safety in the first rd we shouldn’t do it? hmmm…

we cannot be in the top 10 unless we add defensive line depth and DB depth. our schedule is not as easy as it was last year. i think we’re fine at receiver and we don’t need to reach for anybody in the first or second rd.

in my best case scenario, we go defense in the first rd, o-line or defense in the second, if we take two defensive players in rd 1 and 2, then o-line in the 3rd.

then worry about offensive skill players (wr, te) in the remainder of the draft. there will be plenty and we’re good at scooping up sleeper talent late.

Running out to frontyard laughing! -Fat Vegas Alan

by GrooveLeg on Mar 25, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions

I think we’re making this a bit too complicated. Our defense wasn’t responsible for the tank job down the stretch. Clearly the offense was at fault. Yeah, what if Palmer goes down? Do we draft Claussen in the first round as an insurance policy? Anyone can get hurt, but you go into the season assuming your best players on the field. BPA? What if it’s a RB or a RT? Do we draft a backup for Cedric Benson or Andre Smith? No, because the wouldn’t address any of the real problems.

Can’t be top 10 without more depth? I think we did finish top 10 last year with a lot of backups forced into action. Very little evidence to support your hypothesis.

Gang, if you’re comfortable rolling with virtually the same offense, more power to you. Either you weren’t watching last year or you have unwarranted faith in Brat to perform miracles. Doing the exact same thing while expecting different results is the definition of what?

by bodacio zk on Mar 25, 2010 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions

I hope they take the best player available and if Zimmer thinks Mays is the guy then they should take him.

by redberkey on Mar 24, 2010 9:01 PM EDT reply actions

Graham then??

If we don’t draft Graham round one and get a badass safety We’ve got two 3rd round picks and two 4th round picks to pick up a pretty decent TE and WR. Why not Hernandez or Shipley if their still hanging around. Somebody is bound to be left in that 3rd and 4th rounds that can contribute.

by Davey Boi Sully on Mar 24, 2010 9:08 PM EDT reply actions

we have 6 picks in the first 4 rounds

that could be 6 contributors for next season. now lets think of what positions we could us some help.

TE
WR
G
DT
S
DE

thats 6 spots. I dont care what order we take those positions. as long as we get the BPA at those picks

www.fantasydaddy.com

by Joe Goodberry on Mar 24, 2010 9:36 PM EDT reply actions

+1

by Mr. X on Mar 24, 2010 10:01 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

by 80%OFTHETIMEIMRIGHTEVERYTIME on Mar 24, 2010 10:37 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

Though I would not mind a guy that can play SLB and DE like Pollack.

by jim0ijk on Mar 25, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions

This is like 2009 all over again

Please don’t draft a WR in the first round. Especially not Benn. Seriously, what the hell is Kiper smoking? I think Mays or Iupati are the two most likely picks.

Slim 15, you will be missed. RIP Chris Henry

by Danimal, Destroyer of Worlds on Mar 24, 2010 11:08 PM EDT reply actions

Agree 100% Danimal

If Mays or Lupati are there, we should take one of them.. This makes sense if we’re looking for the “best athlete available” especially with all the picks we have. Mays isn’t Eric Berry, but he’d be the next best thing.

by laibach on Mar 25, 2010 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

I’m no draft guru by any means, but I can clearly see Carson needs better passing protection, and also that as much as I like Roy, I can’t help but recall pre-RW defense vs post-RW defense. Mediocrity at safety is a bad thing. We need a head-hunter bad-ass in there to strike fear into anyone looking to catch balls over the middle. Nelson ain’t that guy.

Be smart, Mays or Lupati, unless for some reason someone huge falls to us.

by UpStateMike on Mar 25, 2010 4:03 AM EDT up reply actions

LUPATI DOES NOT EXIST..

Its a freaking capital i..

as in: Iupati

by 80%OFTHETIMEIMRIGHTEVERYTIME on Mar 25, 2010 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions

This

Slim 15, you will be missed. RIP Chris Henry

by Danimal, Destroyer of Worlds on Mar 25, 2010 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Draft wide

Jeff Cumberland late. WR and Tight End

by LAMPOST on Mar 25, 2010 12:54 AM EDT reply actions

What if Earl Thomas,,,

Who do you take between Earl Thomas and Taylor Mays??? Coverage issues come to mind.

by DonMegga on Mar 25, 2010 3:39 AM EDT reply actions

I'm with the Kipper on this

Benn had a down year but so did Illinois as a whole. He also missed some time with injuries also this season. He’s a fantastic receiver. With Chadly getting up there in age and a volatile Bryant coming in. They need a big horse of a receiver. The post above mentions Decker…He won’t be around in the 3rd much less the 4th rd…Dream on

I can’t argue with the safety choice.. But your argument of fast but sloppy in the combine fits Mays to the tee. Talk about doing some research. He looked like hell in all coverage workouts.. Read up on this guy ..could not get at of breaks at all and appeared lazy in general.

Don’t be surprised if we see an edge guy on defense with the uncertainty of Odom and the decline of Geathers this past season… With 6 picks in 4 rds they look to fill most holes. Possibly with the expenditures they’ve made they take the least expensive position wise first which may be guard. Does that cover it all..

Benn is not a bad choice. I’ve seen more than one “guru” call him the safest WR pick in the draft… Mays is a reach.. runstopper maybe… he’ll give up the longball to often though..Ouch!

by olbuzz on Mar 25, 2010 5:19 AM EDT reply actions

Still like....

….Mardy Gilyard.

But I don’t think they should take him in the first round. He’d be a solid 3rd receiver, and actually WANTS to play for the Bengals. The fact that his first choice (if he’s given a choice) would be the Bengals indicates to me that if he’s drafted by them he’ll work his butt off.

As far as round 1, I’d go with OLine or TE, with a Safety as my 3rd choice if there isn’t a good option at those 2 positions available.

by Chris N on Mar 25, 2010 5:44 AM EDT reply actions

I agree

with the Gilyard thing, don’t draft him in the first round, but if he is still there in the second, there is your number three receiver, he wants to be here, has a great attitude, and would be an instant fan favorite

by whodeydoc on Mar 25, 2010 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions

We have a #3

Andre Caldwell. He will be great in the slot. He’s quick and sneaks into the open spots when he has guys on the outside drawing attention away from him (ala the first half of last year when we had Henry and Chad)

by The Dealio on Mar 25, 2010 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Caldwell is not the answer in the slot IMO

He is fast but not that quick. He is not elusive. He only has passable hands and marginal ball security. He is good enough to do OK but OK will not get us to the SB. Caldwell has very good downfield speed but does otf get off the line clean enough to get free open quickly. Good #3 wideout but average in the slot..

"Coincidence is God's way of staying anonymous"

by JUNGLEJOHN on Mar 26, 2010 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions

WRs are a a bigger crapshoot than most positions

Which is why the Bengals should draft WRs every year, but not necessarily in the first couple rounds.

I’m all about the best player available. If its a WR, so be it—but don’t force it.

by goffchile on Mar 25, 2010 9:22 AM EDT reply actions

no great wr's early

my guess is that other than Dez, there are limited immediate impact WR’s avaialble early. The second best will probably be a sleeper or a guy someone takes a gamble on. You got to go w Mays or Iuputi, who could be our chance to redeem the loss of Steinbach, who was a huge loss.

by quickslant on Mar 25, 2010 10:22 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

WR & TIGHT END

Look at Jeff Cumberland from Illinois in later rounds. Played TE first two years then swiched to WR. 6’5", 255, Has speed and size. From Columbus, Ohio. This deserves a look see.
Also to get Gilyard trade one third and fourth to get a high second and there might be a better chance.
Both of these guys could help special teams.

by LAMPOST on Mar 25, 2010 1:02 PM EDT reply actions

I have to disagree with any trade that carries a net loss in picks for us. Having six picks in the first four rounds is exactly where we want to be right now.

by Todd G on Mar 25, 2010 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Todd, silly perspective.

If you could have Rey for sure last year in exchange for a third and forth you wouldn’t have taken him? I would take a first and two seconds anytime in exchange for a third and fourth especially when I have two thirds going. Loss is a fourth and the gain is to move up to quality.

by LAMPOST on Mar 25, 2010 8:12 PM EDT reply actions

I am in favor of trading up for the first time in a long time under the right circumstances.

We do not need a lot of players. We need a few good players. We have 6 picks in the first 4 rounds. If we can use the rest of the picks to trade up and get one of those 3rds or 4ths in the 2nd I would be all for it. We have a pretty solid team with just 2 maybe 3 positions that we could gain big benefits from upgrading.

We need to get Shipley for the slot. Caldwell is not and does not have the skills to be a great slot receiver. He is fast but not quick. His hands and ball security are suspect. He will do OK but OK won’t get us in the SB. We need to change our mind set as the team grows.

If we get Shiplet I will buy everyone on the board a beer. That is one beer for everyone to share.
OK a case – 1st come 1st served.

"Coincidence is God's way of staying anonymous"

by JUNGLEJOHN on Mar 26, 2010 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Ok, maybe I overgeneralized. However, I am still not in favor of losing picks to trade up for a WR. If Gilyard falls, sure, by all means grab him. But I don’t see WR as a big priority anymore, unless one is BPA.

by Todd G on Mar 26, 2010 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions

While our offense needs big upgrades, I do not see the value in the 1st. Iupati is a mauling G very similar to Williams, great against the run but a liability in pass protection.

Dez Bryant likely won’t be there but if he is he has to be the pick. Damaryius Thomas is a huge question mark and I would prefer to not take him round 1.

1st round value is on the defensive side of the ball. With guys like Mays, Price, E Thomas (a guy can dream right). There will be WR’s in the 2nd like Damian Williams and Mardy Gilyard. TE’s like Anthony McCoy could be in the 3rd and he is what we need at TE. A guy who can block but get down the seam. Give me defense round 1 like a S, then WR, G, TE with our next 3 picks

by ochocinco4pres on Mar 26, 2010 12:40 PM EDT reply actions