Bengals send Zac Taylor to attend Ohio State pro day

As they do every year, the Bengals made the hour-and-a-half trek up 1-71 to see Ohio State’s pro day in present.

The consensus top prospect in this draft class is edge rusher Nick Bosa, and while he didn’t exactly dominate quite like his brother Joey before him in the scarlet and gray, the athleticism and traits are nearly identical to big brother. It would’ve been great to see Bosa start for a full year and achieve high quality production before he left Columbus, but it doesn’t seem like the NFL is too worried about that.

While he’s probably not going to be selected with the first-overall pick, quarterback Dwayne Haskins is very much in the running to be first quarterback off the board. For such a younger player, Haskins’ mental processing improved drastically as the 2018 season progressed, but there are still some legitimate concerns regarding his accuracy when he’s off his base and his general mobility in the pocket.

Just a one-year starter, like Kyler Murray, Haskins put together a prolific year leading Ohio State’s explosive offensive attack. 4,831 yards 50 touchdowns and a third place finish in the Heisman Trophy race later, Haskins seems to be a lock for the top 10 picks, despite the potential issues.

Haskins had plenty of worthy options to throw to, including receivers Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin. Both pass-catchers have tremendous speed and quickness, but win in different ways. Campbell projects more as the shift-slot type, while McLaurin poses more a threat in the vertical game. Both could be taken anywhere on the second day of the draft, and if they fall past that, it won’t be very far.

Interior defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones is the only other Buckeye with a decent chance of hearing his name called before the end of the third round. Early in the draft process, many analysts had Jones projected to go late in the first round, but a subpar combine performance likely hurt his stock, making him a safe bet to go in rounds two or three.

On day three, offensive lineman Michael Jordan and Isaiah Prince make for solid developmental prospects and running back Mike Weber could fill out a team’s depth chart.

After drafting a Buckeye with their first-round pick, the Bengals added two more alums of the Ohio State University before and after the conclusion of the 2018 NFL Draft. During the season, they even signed a Buckeye as a free agent. All four players currently remain on the roster, and 2019 could be a great year to add even more.