Cincinnati Bengals May Target These Five Senior Bowl Standouts in the 2024 NFL Draft
I had an absolute blast my first year at the Senior Bowl, and I’m sure it won’t be my last. It was eye-opening to be able to assess these athletes in real time, and for some, against considerably greater competition than they encountered in college. Even while it may not be indicative of their entire draft stock, finding the risers and fallers this week is still enjoyable.
The following five players, who the Bengals might consider selecting in the 2024 NFL Draft, caught my attention this week:
I have rated Haynes highly throughout the majority of the procedure. Despite his slight build (6 feet 2 inches, 318 pounds), he is a strong player that I expected to see demonstrate his anchoring skills and people-moving abilities in the run game this week. At the Senior Bowl, he accomplished all of those things and more.
His teammates picked him the team’s top offensive lineman. That ought to tell you everything there is to know about his appearance this week. I would still rank him as a “riser” even if he was already near the top of my board given what he demonstrated in what may have been the most significant offseason event.
I wasn’t too high on Fiske going into the Senior Bowl, but this week he proved to be a formidable opponent. Despite having shorter arms (31 inches), he was nevertheless able to frequently dominate one-on-one matches. He showed like a speed rusher on tape, so I knew he had good burst out of his stance. But this week, Fiske demonstrated his pro-level leverage manipulation, high level productivity against the run, and ability to translate speed into power as a rusher. Fiske is going to make someone very pleased, especially given the direction the NFL defensive line market is taking.
Suamataia’s top end athleticism showed up on film, but outside of that I worried about his fundamental development and discipline. After the last few days, he has impressed me with how far he has developed. He was playing much more under control and seemed to be more balanced as a run blocker. Outside of my questions, he showed a great ability to mirror in protection and his anchor has always flashed on film. I would say he was my biggest riser of the week.
