Author: Zachary Links

Second Round – Tyler Boyd, WR (Pittsburgh, No. 55 overall)

If not for the “double whammy” losses in the secondary, perhaps the Bengals would have used their first round selection to take a wide receiver. All signs pointed to Cincinnati going that route, especially after they lost valuable A.J. Green wingman Marvin Jones in free agency. Jones accounted for 65 receptions, including thirteen for twenty yards or longer, but scored just four times. The team also saw Mohamed Sanu bolt out the door into the free agent market, but felt they could afford to lose a player that failed to score last year and averaged 9.9 yards on 33 grabs. The problem is, take those two away from the equation, along with Green’s performance, and the rest of the wide receiver unit accounted for three catches and 74 yards last season.

Cincinnati had an effective, yet ho-hum passing attack that ranked No. 15 in the nation with an average of 245.2 yards per game, but Andy Dalton kept mistakes to a minimum, as only three teams in the league threw more interceptions than the Bengals (nine). If a receiver was their first round target, the war room had to let out a few “growls” as they saw three receivers go back-to-back-to-back right in front of them before selecting Jackson instead with the 24th choice. The Texans took the speedy William Fuller out of Notre Dame at No. 21, followed by the Redskins snatching up Josh Doctson at No. 22. Then, the Vikings decided to take a physical pass catcher in Laquon Treadwell at No. 23 rather than the safety that they needed.

Perhaps it is fitting that for a team looking for a tough as nails receiver, they found one in a Steel City, where the Pitt’s Tyler Boyd had not only rewritten all the school career receiving records by Larry Fitzgerald, but has often been compared to that city’s other “favorite son,” Hines Ward. Boyd was the best receiver that the ACC featured during the last two seasons, even though he did not exactly set the field ablaze, as most of his receptions were under ten yards. Perhaps his average yards gained after the catch was the result of overuse in 2015. Boyd was suspended for the season opener, but still pulled in 91 passes for a 10.2-yard average and six scores. But he also had 40 carries for an 8.7 yard average, returned eight punts and averaged 23.4 yards on eleven kickoff returns.

Boyd has a knack for catching waist-high passes without breaking stride. He does a good job of tracking the ball downfield and can haul in over-the- shoulder catches with ease. He times his jumps fairly well and shows above-average body control in the air, extending his arms properly to snatch the ball out of the air when going up for jump balls. He explodes off the line and has the second gear to run past cornerbacks when he doesn’t get slowed down at the line of scrimmage.

The former Pitt wide-out is not a sudden mover (1.63 in the 10-yard dash), but shows good change of direction, body control and the ability to adjust on the move, thanks to above average hand/eye coordination. He is the type of player who can fool a scouting analysis, as he normally outplays his ability. He lacks explosion, but runs with a long, fluid stride and has the change-of- direction agility to become a threat with the ball in his hands. He won’t win a track meet, but his stride generates decent quickness that compensates for a lack of blazing speed. He is a physical athlete with good strength for this position and is a very dangerous producer turning the corner on reverses out of the backfield.

Route running is what Boyd does best. He is a savvy performer with the lateral agility to take slants or crosses and generate separation, especially when he sinks his hips. He has a much better lateral burst working in the short area, but can get caught from behind. He does a nice job of sticking his feet in the ground and dropping his weight to get in and out of his cuts, but can’t be considered a special open field runner. He runs good routes and looks polished, as he can leverage, plant and cut, but could stand to improve his separation burst.

Third Round – Nick Vigil, LB (Utah State, No. 87)

Folks in Cincinnati, you are going to fall in love with this kid, but bring a fire extinguisher to the game – as he plays under that old adage – like his hair is on fire. The coaches also know they might have gotten the steal of the draft and the best part about his game is, he can play anywhere in the second level. The signing of Cleveland castoff Karlos Dansby to replace 2015 starter Emmanuel Lamur might be a one-and-done deal in 2016. First, the former Brown is more suited for the inside, and might face a challenge from Vincent Rey for strong-side outside duties. 

Middle linebacker Rey Maualuga has had an up-and-down career, but he’s on the books for two more years at $5MM per, leaving Rey and Nick Vigil to battle for playing time when the former USC star needs a breather. At least, that is the current game plan. When you see that their other starter, Vontaze Burfict is one step closer to getting the commissioner to come down on him for his dirty play tactics, it is wise to have a versatile player like Vigil ready to step into any situation.

Vigil has above average agility, body control and balance. He shows very good explosion (4.62 in the 40-yard dash) and acceleration, quick feet and fluid change of direction skills. He is very flexible, displaying ease of movement working his way down the line. He has excellent field instincts and despite playing in three different defensive schemes during his time at Utah State, he quickly absorbed each playbook. He is capable of making all the calls and adjustments up front and is very aware of each of his teammates’ assignments.

Needless to say and evident by his college numbers, Vigil is an aggressive tackler who uses his lower body strength to drive through ball carriers. He will face up, drag down and wrap up in pursuit. He won’t punish his opponent due to a lack of playing strength, but is very effective making tackles that the ball carrier will not slip off of. He shows very good body control in the move and takes good angles to seal off the corners. With his high amount of tackles behind the line of scrimmage, he is a verified “hammer” type that will simply explode and punish the ball carrier.

Fourth Round – Andrew Billings, DT (Baylor, No. 122 overall)

Lightning may have struck the Bengals twice at the nose guard position. Back in 2010, a stout interior defender was not regarded as highly by general managers as their scouts. As luck would have it, the Bengals took a chance in the fourth round that year and found Geno Atkins. Now, six years later, they might have found the player who could replace Domata Peko at nose tackle, perhaps as early as next year. If Billings proves to be starter material in training camp, the front office might be comfortable with letting Peko go elsewhere after this season.

Peko is unsigned past 2017, drawing in $4.5MM, but he’s north of age-40 and has played for a decade. Atkins still has four years left on a five-year, $53MM deal, so he is expected to keep up his frenzied sack pace from 2015. But, behind those two, Billings sees a great opportunity for playing time.

For a player of his size, Billings shows an incredible burst and quickness off the snap. Not only is he sudden in his movements, but he is also fluid. He displays excellent balance and body control working down the line and is a constant disruptive force with the suddenness he generates getting off the ball to penetrate. His speed allows him to make lots of tackles on the move, but he was really misused in the Baylor system, as they relied upon him more to use his strength to overpower and take on double teams often rather than utilize his explosive initial step to pressure the pocket and impact the action in the backfield.

Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.