FanPost

Grading Matt Miller's 7 Round Mock Draft with Compensatory Picks (While Offering Who I Would Pick Instead According To Who Was Still On His Board)

***Matt Miller is clearly not a Bengals fan*** Some of his picks seem to be made so that other teams could get who they wanted instead of thinking about just the team who was picking and looked more at the teams ahead IMO

Round 1 - 21

The pick: Arik Armstead DT Oregon

Grade: C-

arik-armstead-ncaa-football-south-dakota-oregon1.0.jpg "The Cincinnati Bengals have added defensive linemen this offseason—they brought Michael Johnson home—but Marvin Lewis cannot resist big, strong, fast defensive linemen when they're on the board. Arik Armstead, Oregon's defensive tackle, fits the bill and is a great value at pick No. 21.

Armstead, lining up beside Geno Atkins, would give the Bengals the kind of defensive nightmare they hoped Margus Hunt would become but hasn't yet. With his agile moves, long arms and bulk against the run, Armstead gives the Bengals an impact now and a player they can build around for the future that can have an even greater impact.

-Matt Miller

Notable players passed on:

Defensive Tackle Malcom Brown, Texas

Defensive Tackle Eddie Goldman, Florida State

Tackle D.J. Humphries, Florida

Linebacker Eric Kendricks, UCLA

Offensive Lineman La'el Collins, LSU

Offensive Lineman Andrus Peat, Stanford

With all the defensive tackles left on the board and some of the best OT in the draft the Bengals go with the freakish athlete Arik Armstead from Oregon. Eddie Goldman and Malcom Brown may seem to be a better fit next to Geno right now but Arik has the POTENTIAL to become the most dominant DT out of this draft. At 6'8, 292 lbs there really isn't any DT like him in the NFL. He would be a n upgrade over Peko and could start from day 1. He's very powerful and does a great job of overpowering offensive lineman and pushing them into the backfield, he can also get off blocks quickly and his big frame allows him to have a bigger tackle radius. His biggest downfall while watching the film is his lack of effort. It'll really bother you because this guy can be so much better than he is right now, but that's something a locker room like the Bengals can fix. Dunlap, Geno, Armstead and Johnson is a huge and scary line that we need to put pressure on the QB and stop the run.

What would I do: Passing on more proven DTs like Brown and Goldman may be hard to do but Armstead's ceiling is high and athletes like him are rare. That being said his lack of effort and production scares the shit out of me the most and that's why I'm going with Malcom Brown instead. I've always liked this guy and overtime you watch film he's going to work. He doesn't take plays off and him next to Geno would be just as scary as any other DT combination in the league, the way he can move kind of reminds me of Aaron Donald who was very successful in his rookie season.

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Video: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=szz9UIFBIiQ

Round 2 - 53

The pick: Alex Carter CB Stanford

Grade: B-

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Alex Carter is a big CB out of Stanford, measuring 6 ft and weighing just under 200 pounds he looks the part. He tested pretty well at the combine running a 4.51 in the 40 and jumped 40 inches in the vertical. Carter is better when playing zone and he can see the play in front of him, he has quick reaction time and isn't afraid to tackle. When playing zone he's an above average CB but when he's man to man his he can give up to much separation if he doesn't get his hands on the receiver and lacks elite catch up speed.

Notable players passed on:

WR Phillip Dorsett, Miami

FS Gerod Holliman, Louisville

St. Louis—G A.J. Cann, South Carolina

TE Clive Walford, Miami (Fla.)

WR Sammie Coates, Auburn

FS Damarious Randall, Arizona State

The Bengals are in need of a cornerback with Terrance Newman leaving, Pacman getting older and Leon Hall not playing all that well, but I still don't think this is a good fit for the Bengals. Dennard and Kirkpatrick are better playing on the outside and that would leave carter in the slot where I don't think he'll excel. The Bengals also like to run a lot of man and unless he can play on the boundary I wouldn't necessarily call him a shutdown corner. Carter in the second round is still really good value and if they did pick him he would add depth and size to our CB group.

What I would do: This is a tricky spot since a lot of prospects (Paul Dawson, Ereck Flowers and Quinten Rollins to name a few) that I would easily take in the second were taken off the board. I narrowed it down to two Miami products in Phillip Dorset and Clive Walford. Clive is a great run blocker and hard to cover one on one. But Dorsett offers something our wide receivers lack which is elite speed. After Dorsett there aren't many WR I like where as their are some tight ends that I see filling the need. So we go with the burner from The U who offers value in the return game also. With Marvin Jones and Sanu finishing their rookie contracts we might need to pick between the both of them and Dorsett will make doing this easier. Plus I really liked James Wright who was clearly a mid round prospect who was just overshadowed by bigger names like ODB and Landry. Dorsett will keep teams honest and help out the others wide receivers, teams will have to really think twice when going man to man if you watch the FSU tape Dorsett had no problem burning former track star and possible round 1 prospect Ronald Darby.

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Round 3 - 85

The pick: Kwon Alexander LB LSU

Grade: B+

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Kwon Alexander is a linebacker out of LSU who is known for being fast. He ran a 4.55 in the 40, jumped 36, and put up 225 24 times. He's a sideline to sideline LB who loves to tackle. His biggest downfall according to NFL scouts is his size, he's 6'1 weighs 227lbs and has 30 inch arms. He also needs to improve on breaking down before on tackles since he likes to hit hard, and he needs to get better at reading offences. His speed is something our linebackers lacked last year and besides Lamur we couldn't really trust any of them to cover a tight end or running back. Kwon's speed allows him to stay on the field and cover tight ends and maybe even some wide receivers.

Notable players passed on:

CB Quandre Diggs, Texas

CB Senquez Golson, Ole Miss

SS Anthony Harris, Virginia

WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State

ILB Jordan Hicks, Texas

G Laken Tomlinson, Duke

The Bengals need more linebacker depth after having an injured group of LBs last year. Kwon Alexander offers something none of our backers have which is true speed and the ability to cover. His lack of ability to read offences contributes to his lack of awareness which can be coached up by the coaches and a veteran linebacking group.

What I would do: I'm sticking with this pick, I like Kwon Alexander. I think he could eventually end up starting on the outside. I had him in my previous mocks and was sure of him after watching some film. Similar to Telvin Smith who I wanted the Bengals to take last year, who ended up in the 5th round because of his small frame. He ended up starting 9 games, recording 104 tackles (72 of which were single), 2 sacks, 4 passes defended, 1 interception and 1 interception and all that was with a very poor defence around him. Kwon can also play special teams right away and take Taylor Mays' spot if he signs with someone else.

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Round 3 - 99

The pick: Jeff Heurman TE Ohio State

Grade: C

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Jeff Heuerman is a TE I'm assuming most of you are familiar with. He's a big TE standing at 6'5, his 34 inch vert makes him a red zone threat and a miss match for smaller linebackers and safeties. He didn't run at the combine but rand a 4.83 on his pro day which is good for a player his size. He has nice good hands and doesn't drop a lot of balls.

Notable players passed on:

CB Steven Nelson, Oregon State

G Donovan Smith, Penn State

CB D'Joun Smith, FAU

T Tyrus Thompson, Oklahoma

T Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State

FS Josh Shaw, USC

With Gresham having back surgery and most likely not coming back and since most of you for some reason hate him, TE is a need for the Bengals. Tyler Eiffert was under utilized his rookie year and had a freak injury the past year but we should still have high hopes for our former first round pick. I like Hewitt a lot and think he can play as a #2 TE but we may miss him as our fullback. Heuerman in my opinion is overhyped and is not a good blocker despite his impressive 26 reps at the combine. That reason for me is good enough to pass on him in the 3rd round. For those who really hated Gresham you'll really miss his ability to bully linebackers and smaller defensive ends. We need a TE who can block it's as simple as that.

What would I do: The Bengals need a TE and some depth on the offensive line, preferably at tackle. After this round the OT will start getting picked up and although we don't absolutely need one for this year it would be wise to take one. This is why I'm going with Daryl Williams the OT out of Oklahoma. It was between him, Ty Sambraillo and Tyrus Thompson. I chose Daryl Williams over the other two because he's more versatile and can come in and compete for the RG spot and work his way in becoming a starting tackle next year. Unlike his teammate Tyrus, Daryl plays with passion and is very aggressive, he would fit right in the locker room. He has played in both schemes at Oklahoma and he'll have a long and successful career in the NFL.

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Rd 4 - 120

The pick: Jake Ryan LB Michigan

Grade: B-

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Jake Ryan size is a 6'2 240lb linebacker who was a leader for the Michigan defence. He's a productive linebacker and is good at coming downhill. Is known for spending hours and hours in the film room and having great relationships with his coaches. He's very versatile and can play almost every linebacker position. Has good form when tackling but can get held on blocks for too long.

Notable players passed on:

CB/S Eric Rowe, Utah

CB Doran Grant, Ohio State

SS James Sample, Louisville

ILB Taiwan Jones, Michigan State

EDGE Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington

CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon

It's interesting that Matt Miller had us taking two linebackers in the first 4 rounds. It could be because of Burfict's injuries last year. Either way we resigned Maualuga and acquired A.J. Hawk and Burfict will be back. A.J. Hawk isn't the answer but he should do as a what I think would be a back up for now. And I have faith that Burfict will be back to 100 percent at least by week 5 or 6.

What I would do: Jake Ryan looks like a promising 4th round prospect who can eventually become a starter and can play on teams but I think we have bigger needs to address and we can still get some contributors and if you look at the notable players passed on I think you would agree we can get something much better there. This is why I'm picking Ifo Ekpre-Olomu out of Oregon. Before tearing his ACL he was easily considered a first round corner despite his 5'9 stature. Ifo has amazing hips and is very quick and can close on routes to attack the ball. He is good at both man and zone and was asked to cover the best receivers in the Pac-12. He's very physical at the line of scrimmage and like to come up and tackle. Like Aaron Colvin last year, Ifo tore his ACL which caused him to miss his senior season. Someone tearing their ACL is never anything to be happy about but it allows us to get great value in a position of need in the 4th round. I can see him starting in the slot when he gets fully recovered, there is no need to rush and he can take his time.

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Round 4 - 135

The pick: G John Miller, Louisville

Grade: B

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Miller started in 47 games for the Cardinals. He has a very strong upper body and once he starts blocking you he will most likely take you out of the play. His weaker and slower lower body is a concern when blocking faster DT and he will panic if he gets beat. He's an aggressive blocker and may try to reach instead of moving his feet. Relies on his upper body strength too much.

Notable players passed on:

LB Mike Hull, Penn State

WR Chris Conley, Georgia

C Reese Dismukes, Auburn

CB Imoan Claiborne, Northwestern State

TE Tyler Kroft, Rutgers

CB Ladarius Gunter, Miami (Fla.)

We signed Bolling but we didn't get to keep Pollack who did good for us last year. It's always good to have OL depth and John Miller does offer that. His 47 starts is impressive and there are no questions about his durability. But he relies on his upper body a lot more than he should.

What would I do: I'll pass on John Miller as I think Daryl Williams can play as a guard this year. Here is where we address the TE position and we get who I wanted if we were to use a pick on a TE. Tyler Kroft out of Rutgers is a big tight-end and stands tall at 6'5 weighing 246 pounds. Remember when some mocks had us taking Shilique Calhoun in round 1? Well Tyler Kroft BULLIED him when they played MSU. He's a great blocker and takes pride in it. He'll fill the void that I'm assuming Gresham will leave. He has the potential to be an above average tight end. He needs to work on his hands and catching outside of his body. Besides that I see him starting day 1 for some run plays or on the goal line.

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Video: http://draftbreakdown.com/video/tyler-kroft-vs-arkansas-2013/

Round 5 - 157

The pick: Jordan Richards SS Stanford

Grade: B

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Jordan Richards started for 3 years at Stanford and was a team captain. He has a nice build and can really help in run support. He lacks the range to be an elite safety but he is a ball hawk and will go make difficult interceptions if the ball is around him. Not good in man to man and uses his hands to much because he lacks top end speed.

Notable players passed on:

WR Tony Lippett, Michigan State

C Andy Gallik, Boston College

CB Damian Swann, Georgia

C Shaq Mason, Georgia Tech

CB Bobby McCain, Memphis

SS Kyshoen Jarrett, Virginia Tech

Both Iloka and Nelson have been great for us and always seem to be the most reliable position group on the team. Both of their contracts will be up next year. I would like to keep both of them but that's unlikely, and I see Nelson leaving because of his age. Ilona is a rare breed of safeties and he gets better every year. As a backup we have Shawn Williams, who I can't wait to see on the field, he has a killer attitude and is pretty well rounded. We do need depth but right here and now we could get someone else.

What I would do: The draft is getting a little slim in round 5 but this is where good

teams find value. That's why I'm going to go with Kyshoen Jarrett out of Virginia Tech. I'm

staying with safety because there is a possibility we lose both our starters next year. I like

Kyshoen instead of Richards because I think he offers more, like Richards he offers run

support but he seems to be around the ball more. He's also a ferocious hitter and forces a

lot of dropped balls.Virginia asked him to play a lot of man coverage in the slot and teams

picked on him but he gets better as the game goes on. Can contribute on teams right

away and is a very good blitzer. I don't know what his future holds for him but he does

have potential.Theres something about him. (Just read that Taylor Mays is gone so he can

try to play that role for us.)

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Round 6 -196

The pick: Cedric Reed DE Texas

Grade: N\A

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Very big defensive end. He stands tall at 6'5 and weighs 269 pounds. He never lived up to his hype from high school and scouts don't have a lot of good things to say about him besides the fact that the last few games he played were his best. His size may also intrigue teams to take a shot on him.

Notable players passed on: (Notable players in the 6th round?!)

T Corey Robinson, South Carolina

C Max Garcia, Florida

FS Durell Eskridge, Syracuse

QB Brandon Bridge, South Alabama

WR Darren Waller, Georgia Tech

CB Cam Thomas, Western Kentucky

The Bengals acquired Michael Johnson back from free agency so the starting positions for both ends are locked up. Marcus Hunt and Will Clarke a second and third round product respectively have yet to shown any promise and it may be too early to tell. I lied, Hunt looked good in preseason. This guy isn't worth taking in the sixth round and there are some notable players still on the board.

What would I do: I'm not taking this guy (Cedric Reed). Now we have some intriguing prospects on the board and it's really hard for me to pass on a 6'6 wide receiver who runs a 4.46 but I will. I'm going with Cam Thomas the cornerback out of Western Kentucky. I'm surprised he's still on the board here but we double dip on cornerbacks. I think Pacman and Hall could have 1-2 years left and it's a whole new backfield. Cam made a name for himself in 2013 and recorded 15 passes defended and 5 interceptions, because of this QBs stayed away from him. He's 6 feet tall and weighs 197 pounds.Does well in man but is very smart in zone coverages and doesn't bite on garbage routes. Needs to work on breaking on the ball faster and learn to trust his speed.

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Round 7 - 238

The pick: Doniel Gambrell T Notre Dame College

Grade: N\A

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He's a division 2 prospect and I don't know anything about him besides what I read from the following article http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2014/10/married_with_children_and_an_n.html have a look he seems like a good guy and he has D1 size but I won't say anything else.

Video: N\A

Notable players passed on:

DE Corey Crawford, Clemson

WR Mario Alford, West Virginia

QB Bryan Bennett, SE Louisiana

LB Damien Wilson, Minnesota

LB Jeff Luc, Cincinnati

DL Joey Mbu, Houston

The Bengals still need line depth but I don't know anything about this guy when it comes to his on the field ability. Most 7 rounders disappear but sometimes you can get a guy like James Wright.

What I would do: Although it's our last pick of the draft I still put thought into it and I decided to go with Bryan Bennett the former QB for the Oregon Ducks who transferred to Southeastern Louisiana for his last season where he was a star. I actually did watch some tape on him and he's exciting to watch could be a solid 3rd string and maybe even compete with McCarron for the back up spot who knows. Here's an article with Bryan Bennett being interviewed http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24704041/meet-the-prospect-se-louisiana-qb-bryan-bennett enjoy!

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This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan, which is as important as the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors.