Bump!
It seems the IE GM's have been fooled by the smokescreens. After a puzzling and yet fortuitous slide...
With the 11th pick in the 2019 IE Mock Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select:
KYLER MURRAY, QB, OKLAHOMA
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Unsure of why the Cardinals and Kliff Kingsbury would pass on the prototype QB to run Kingsbury's air raid, and why no other teams tried to trade up to grab him, the Bengals are thrilled to get Zac Taylor a new QB to build around.
Taylor can have Murray run a wide-open offense like the one his old boss in LA called for Jared Goff, and he's got weapons to work with during a transition/rookie season that will see growing pains. AJ Green, Tyler Boyd, Tyler Eifert and Joe Mixon are a tremendous supporting cast for a rookie QB, provided everyone stays healthy.
Murray's mobility is an added bonus, as he can move on designed rollouts and buy himself time as the Bengals retool the OL over the next year.
Andy Dalton can stay as an insurance plan, or the Bengals can put him on the trading block and take the best OL or LB that gets offered.
I could see Murray sliding based on group-think among the old school NFL GM's (Arizona passes, then no one trades up to get him, so everyone starts passing), but I don't think it will happen.
I think Baker Mayfield's success last season will have finally broken down that "need to be super tall" barrier that has existed.
But I would love it if Either of Murray or Haskins fell to 11 for Cincinnati. If you're going to rebuild, start with a QB that has elite traits and go from there.
I'll take Baltimore if no one else wants em.
Biggest needs: ILB, WR, edge, CB, S
The front seven on defense and the wide receiver corps should be weighing most heavily on the minds of the Steelers' decision makers heading into the draft. Inside 'backer has been a need since Ryan Shazier suffered a spinal injury in 2017, and it's time to add competition off the edge, with Bud Dupree producing just 20 sacks in four seasons. JuJu Smith-Schuster may indeed be ready for WR1 duty, but the departure of Antonio Brown looms large over a weakened receiving corps that added Donte Moncrief. In the secondary, Joe Haden and Sean Davis are a year away from free agency. The offensive line, specifically right tackle, should be a consideration here, too.
Pittsburgh on the clock.
(arrowryan has not logged in today.)