Tag: Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals select Ole Miss S Daijahn Anthony in seventh round, 224th overall

The Bengals have made a pick in the final round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals used their first pick in the seventh round on Ole Miss safety Daijahn Anthony at No. 224 overall.

Cincinnati entered the draft with a serious need to upgrade safety depth, especially if Dax Hill truly moves to corner.

Anthony is an attempt at that. He’s a 6’0″, 195-pound senior who led his team with eight pass breakups last season and had three interceptions with 60-plus tackles.

He’ll arrive in Cincinnati and compete with the likes of Tycen Anderson for those limited backup safety spots.

The Bengals previously used one sixth-round pick on Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan, then followed that up later in the same round with Ole Miss edge rusher Cedric Johnson.

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Instant analysis of Bengals picking Cedric Johnson in the sixth round

Instant analysis after the Bengals make another pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The inevitable-feeling defensive end pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2024 NFL draft arrived late in the sixth round when they selected Ole Miss edge rusher Cedric Johnson.

Johnson might remind some fans of Jeff Gunter, another recent late-round pick by the Bengals who eventually broke onto the final 53-man roster.

A 6’3″, 260-pound edge, Johnson has impressive athletic testing numbers and had at least four sacks in each of his last three seasons.

The Atheltic’s Dane Brugler offered this summary (h/t Paul Dehner Jr.):

Still learning how to build an efficient rush sequence, but he has interesting athletic tools, and an NFL team should be able to coach more out of him. Although he might never reach three-down-starter status, he can develop into a serviceable subpackage rusher.

There’s a lot the Bengals like here: Big program, loads of experience, solid production and numbers, in addition to however interviews went.

This late in the draft, adding a Gunter-styled pressure creator who could scrap together a fight for a final roster while developing as a pro is nothing short of a good thing.

Overall, when the only blatantly ignored positions throughout the draft are interior offensive line and running back, it’s hard to complain — especially when pass-rushing is at such a premium in the league these days.

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Bengals select Ole Miss DE Cedric Johnson in sixth round, 214th overall

The Bengals have made another pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals used their second of two sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft on Ole Miss edge rusher Cedric Johnson.

It felt like only a matter of time before the Bengals attempted to upgrade the depth on the edges, and with Johnson, they get a 6’3″, 260-pound pressure creator who had 5.5 sacks and three pass breakups last year.

Johnson will join the likes of depth pieces such as Jeff Gunter in a scrap for a 53-man roster spot this summer while attempting to break into the rotation.

The Bengals used their first pick in the sixth round — at No. 194 — to draft Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan, the second player at that position they selected in the draft.

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Instant analysis of Bengals picking Tanner McLachlan in the sixth round

Instant analysis after the Bengals make a pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals reinforced the tight end depth chart again with the first of their two sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft.

At No. 194, they added Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan, who just came off career-highs in receptions (45), receiving yards (528) and touchdowns (4) last season.

While an older prospect, the Bengals clearly intend to have McLachlan contribute if those on the depth chart in front of him go down.

Here’s a quick evaluation from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

McLachlan is a slightly challenging evaluation, as his measurables and traits don’t really match the intangibles and effort he puts on tape. He plays with the spirit of an in-line tight end and flashes what it takes to execute blocks, but he’s missing the mass and play strength for one to confidently project him as a pro blocker at this point. While McLachlan has short arms and average speed, he still finds ways to go get the football outside his frame and does whatever it takes to add yards after catch. There are boxes that go unchecked, but his “whatever it takes” mentality is the kind of intangible that often turns prospects into pros.

This pick is a clear balancing of the scales at the position in the draft. Earlier on Day 3, they added Erick All out of Iowa, whose medicals make him a risk — but he boasts fantastic upside.

At this stage of his career, McLachlan doesn’t project to have a similar ceiling, but if the team can get a Tanner Hudson-style performance out of him every now and then, it’s a really good pick.

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Bengals select Arizona TE Tanner McLachlan in sixth round, 194th overall

The Bengals have made a pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals added another tight end in the 2024 NFL draft with Arizona’s Tanner McLachlan at No. 194.

McLachlan, 6’5″ and 244 pounds, caught 45 passes for 528 yards and four scores last season and was Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 Conference.

A strong blocker and capable weapon in the passing game, McLachlan is yet another answer at the tight end depth chart after adding Mike Gesicki, re-signing two others and losing depth like Mitchell Wilcox this offseason.

In the fourth round, the Bengals picked Iowa tight end Erick All, then followed that up in the fifth round by finding a pro-ready cornerback with TCU’s Josh Newton.

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Instant analysis of Bengals picking Josh Newton in the fifth round

Instant analysis after the Bengals make a pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals finally addressed the secondary in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft, adding TCU cornerback Josh Newton at No. 149.

Newton, a 5’11”, 190-pound defender, had Bengals pick written all over him. He had a First-team All-Big 12 Conference selection on his resume, played five seasons at a high level and has some positional versatility, too.

As NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein pointed out, Newton is the type of physical defender Lou Anarumo likes in his secondary:

A well-built cornerback with inside/outside versatility, Newton’s 2022 tape was slightly better than his 2023 film. He’s capable in press and is made for old-fashioned Cover 2 looks where he can redirect the release and sink into zone coverage. Newton plays tall in space, creating inconsistencies in transitioning to match routes and he will lose downfield to speedsters. He’s competitive and physical at the catch point and is willing to do his part in run support. He has good football makeup, but it seems like he’s more likely to be around an NFL receiver rather than actively making plays on the ball.

Newton is a fantastic value in the fifth round and arrives as an instant competition for that fourth cornerback slot against the likes of DJ Ivey.

What’s interesting is where Newton ends up over the long-term. He can play inside, but former first-rounder Dax Hill might end up as the replacement for Mike Hilton.

But boundary corner depth is interesting, too, because the team needed insurance behind Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner.

Realistically, no team is making it through a season without leaning notably on fourth and fifth corners. The fact Newton is more of a veteran college players vs. a guy with high upside says a lot about the team’s intent with the pick.

Also making this a quality pick is the fact the Bengals still have — as of this writing — four picks over the final two rounds, where they can address less-premier positions such as running back.

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Bengals select TCU CB Josh Newton in fifth round, 149th overall

The Bengals have made their pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected TCU cornerback Josh Newton in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The 149th overall pick, Newton is a 5’11” defender with positional versatility who hits on a big need on the depth chart.

While Dax Hill might make the shift to corner, the team needed further depth behind Mike Hilton, DJ Turner and Cam Taylor-Britt. Newton presents the pro-ready ability to help right away, if necessary.

To start Day 3 of the draft, the Bengals used a fourth-round pick on Iowa’s Erick All, a long-term selection for Joe Burrow’s offense at the critical tight end position.

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WATCH: Highlights of Bengals’ Erick All in college

Some highlights of the newest Bengals weapon.

The Cincinnati Bengals picked up another weapon for Joe Burrow’s offense with an extensive highlight reel in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Said weapon is Erick All, an explosive all-around tight end who, at least based on the highlights, looks like he could become a favorite target of Burrow in a hurry.

As noted in our breakdown of the pick, there are some medical concerns with All.

But based on the film and highlights, it is clear that if his body can hold up, the Bengals might have a steal of a value.

Here’s a look at some clips and highlights:

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Erick All selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2024 NFL draft

Tight End U! Erick All is a Cincinnati Bengal.

Tight End U adds another alumnus to its illustrious resume. Tight end Erick All is heading to the NFL, becoming the newest Cincinnati Bengal! The Bengals selected All with the 115th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

All enters the league after a short stint with the Iowa Hawkeyes in which he played seven games before missing the rest of the season with an ACL injury. H still managed to lead the Hawkeyes in receiving yards (299) and in receiving touchdowns (three).

All’s best year came in 2021 as a member of the Michigan Wolverines. He racked up 437 receiving yards and two touchdowns as the starting tight end.

Talent has never been the question for All. The 6-foot-4, 252 pound tight end boasts great size and receiving ability.

Staying on the field has been a struggle for the Fairfield, Ohio, native. He only played in three games with Michigan the year prior due to injury. He reportedly underwent “life-changing spinal surgery” in 2022, and most recently tore his ACL this past year.

All didn’t have to wait too long into Day 3 to hear his name called, going early in the fourth round. In a tight end class that was pretty questionable outside of Georgia‘s Brock Bowers, many viewed All as a high-upside sleeper. The injury history is certainly concerning, especially in a physical position, but the talent is undeniable.

The Bengals are searching for secondary receiving help to complement star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Tee Higgins is still there, but for how long? They’ve made some moves in recent years to try bringing in some receiving help, including drafting Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton this year and former Iowa receiver Charlie Jones last year in the fourth round.

At tight end, they brought in former Miami Dolphin and New England Patriot Mike Gesicki on a one-year deal. With help needed for the future, could Erick All work his way into a contributing role with the Cincinnati Bengals?

It’s an intriguing fit on a potential Super Bowl-caliber contender.

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Instant analysis of Bengals picking Erick All in the fourth round

Instant analysis after the Bengals make a notable pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals took one of their super-obvious targets in the 2024 NFL draft’s fourth round, adding Iowa’s Erick All at No. 115.

All was yet another top-30 visit for the Bengals, which so far has almost guaranteed that they select the prospect.

But All might be more interesting than any other pick in the class through four rounds. He’s a local Fairfield, Ohio, prospect at 6’4″ and 252 pounds who appears to have a very well-rounded game.

ESPN’s Steve Muench summed up All’s game in a way that the Bengals surely agreed with on their own reports:

All suffered season-ending injuries each of the past two years, but there’s a lot to like about his tape. He runs hard and can make the first defender miss after the catch. He tracks the ball well and has the speed to make plays down the seam. All is smooth getting in and out of breaks as a route runner. He has the ability to make contested catches over the middle. He gets good initial pop as a blocker in the run game.

The problem, though, is those injury woes, as noted by Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic:

The medical questions could mean All redshirts as a rookie while recovering. That meshes with the fact the team added Mike Gesicki in free agency and re-signed Tanner Hudson and Drew Sample, too.

One’s opinion on this pick will mostly come down to value vs. risk, then. It’s perhaps worth wondering if the team might have been able to get All a little later in the draft. But the counterpoint is that another player picked in the fourth round might not have seen the field much, either.

This is very much going to be one of those hindsight evaluations. In a few years’ time, All could very easily be the team’s top tight end and a legit threat on every down.

Right now, it’s a high-upside gamble just outside the top 100 and doesn’t necessarily stop the team from addressing the position again later.

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