Why he makes sense:
ning back or wide receiver, especially if most or all of the top eight picks are defensive players.
The Bengals need to put a big-time playmaker opposite A.J. Green, and while Williams may lack the top-end speed that would make him an ideal fit, he’s a big target who was nearly unstoppable in the red zone. The idea of trying to defend Green, Williams and Tyler Eifert inside the 20 will give defensive coordinators night sweats.
Why there’s a chance:
Even if there were a lot of teams ahead of the Bengals in need of a receiver, which there aren’t, the position has been a crap shoot of late. In the past five drafts there have been six receivers taken in the top 10, and for each Amari Cooper and Mike Evans there’s a Kevin White and Justin Blackmon. As good as Williams is, he doesn’t quite have the can’t-miss label that guys like Green and Julio Jones had when they went fourth and sixth, respectively, in 2011.
The Chargers pick seventh and have a glaring need at wide receiver. They have plenty of other holes as well, but there’s a definitive drop-off in talent after the first few wide receivers, where other positions are much deeper.
Why it won’t happen:
will cast enough doubt on his ability to transfer his skills to the next level that no one in the top eight will be willing to pull the trigger.
Only three times in the past 12 drafts have the Bengals grabbed an offensive skill-position player with their first pick ( Jermaine Gresham, 2010; A.J. Green, 2011; Tyler Eifert, 2013) and, unlike Davis, all three of them came from elite collegiate programs.
Why it won’t happen: Why he makes sense:
Jeremy Hill has struggled the last two seasons to match the success of his rookie campaign, and he’s heading into the final year of his contract. While offensive coordinator Ken Zampese said the team doesn’t put a premium on having contrasting styles, the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Fournette would be an ideal complement to the smaller, quicker Giovani Bernard when the Bengals likely move on from Hill after this season.
Teams know they can find a quality back later in the draft, and sometimes even after it. Fewer and fewer teams are willing to use a first-round pick on a running back, especially a topeight pick.
Why there’s a chance: Why it won’t happen:
Ezekiel Elliott, who went fourth to the Dallas Cowboys last year, ran for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns, which might be enough to lead teams like the Jaguars or Jets to spend an early pick on a guy like with the rare size/speed combo that Fournette possesses. voted all-league all three years.
Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett and Stanford’s Solomon Thomas are expected to go ahead of Barnett, and only twice in the past 18 drafts have three defensive ends gone in the top eight picks.
The Panthers, who pick one spot ahead of the Bengals at 8, addressed their biggest need with the addition of free-agent tackle Matt Kalil. Getting a top-tier pass rusher is next on their to-do list, and with Garrett and Thomas expected to be gone, their sights will be set squarely on Barnett.
Why there’s a chance: Why it won’t happen: Why he makes sense:
Like Barnett, Charlton would fill the Bengals biggest need and he’s another guy who put up consistent numbers in a Power Five conference.
Why there’s a chance:
At 6-6, he fits the long, rangy prototype of a Bengals defensive end.
Why it won’t happen:
Taking Charlton likely means Garrett, Thomas and Barnett are gone, and it would be hard for the Bengals to justify taking the fourth best player at his position with the No. 9 pick.
Why he makes sense:
There are still questions about whether 2015 first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi is the long-term answer at left tackle.
A number of scouts see Robinson as a better fit at guard, where the Bengals also have a need following the departure of five-year starter Kevin Zeitler to Cleveland.
Why there’s a chance: Why it won’t happen:
As beneficial as it is to be versatile, Robinson is not seen as the top tackle or guard in the draft, and the Bengals might view grabbing him at No. 9 as too much of a reach. ish and he goes so hard. He deserves a great year. He’s one of our best playmakers right now.”
Meyer even went as far as to call Campbell the Buckeyes’ current top wideout. A year ago, that might have seemed like more of an indictment of the group than praise for a particular player.
But with the emergence of Binjimen Victor, K.J. Hill and Terry McLaurin this spring, Campbell’s place at the top of the pecking order is no small feat.
“I’m overall somewhat impressed with where we’re at,” Meyer said of his wideouts.
It’s also worth noting that Campbell’s emergence of sorts has involved a slight position change.
After spending the first two years of his college career as a pure wideout, the 6-foot1, 208-pound Campbell has slid inside to H-back, filling the void left by Curtis Samuel at one of the premier positions in the OSU offense.
A high school running back, Campbell makes for a natural fit at the hybrid position Percy Harvin played during his time with Meyer at Florida.
While he’s listed as only 3 pounds heavier from last season’s playing weight — up from 205 to 208 — Campbell is noticeably thicker, an indication he could be in line for a bigger role in the Buckeyes’ run game.
“He’s dynamic,” Meyer said. “A big dude who can run and catch. He’s that guy right now.”
A year ago, Campbell totaled just 175 yards on 13 catches and four rushing attempts.
To put that in perspective, Samuel used 171 offensive touches to become the only player in college football to record 800 receiving yards and 700 rushing yards in 2016.
That’s a lofty standard to live up to, but Campbell’s spring is off to a promising start.
And if Tuesday was any indication, Winner-Loser day shouldn’t be the last time you hear his name consistently called in 2017.
“He’s just got all those skill sets,” Meyer said.
Browning to miss rest of spring practice:
At Ohio State pro day last week, former Buckeyes linebacker Raekwon McMillan indicated that the player who assumed his No. 5 jersey, early enrollee Baron Browning, had suffered a shoulder injury.
“Little Baron hurt his shoulder,” McMillan said. “But he’ll be all right.”
As it turns out, the NFL hopeful was breaking some news.
After Browning was noticeably absent during the Buckeyes’ Tuesday morning practice session, Meyer confirmed the 5-star linebacker had suffered a shoulder injury and would miss the remainder of spring practice.
Meyer declined to discuss Browning’s specific injury but said he underwent surgery Tuesday morning.
The top-ranked outside linebacker and No. 11 overall player in the 2017 class, Browning arrived in Columbus in January by way of Kennedale, Texas.
Although the Buckeyes’ starting trio of linebackers currently consists of veterans Chris Worley, Jerome Baker and Dante Booker, Browning was expected to provide depth and compete for playing time throughout the spring practice season.
Meyer said the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Browning would be 100 percent by June and ready for fall practice.
He also said based on how Browning had performed prior to his injury, he’ll play during his freshman season.