April 30, 2025 • 12 mins
Jordan Edwards is a Senior Scouting Analyst for Sports Info Solutions. He and his colleagues actually have a pretty high opinion of the Bengals draft class.
Jordan joined us on ESPN1530.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Jordan joined us on ESPN1530.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So yesterday we were reading all these draft grades and
a lot of middle of the pack grades, and I said,
I'm looking for people who either think the Bengals had
a really really good class or maybe folks who think
they had just a disastrous class. And somebody with Sports
Information Solutions reached out to me yesterday and said, we
(00:21):
actually think the Bengals draft class was third best. You've
heard us use talk about SIS before. I ranked the
Bengals with the third best class. So now I'm interested.
That piques my interest. Anybody can give them a CE.
I wanted to talk to somebody who thought that, well,
the Bengals did at least slightly better than a C.
So Jordan Edwards, senior scouting analyst from Sports Information Solutions,
(00:43):
has written and done a ton of scouting work for
that website, kind enough to join us this afternoon. It's
good to have you, Jordan.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
I'm doing good. I appreciate you having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I appreciate you doing this. You guys have the Bengals
with the third best draft class. We'll talk about some
of the individual players. You guys do not measure with
the consensus. Why are you guys higher on this class
than everybody else.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Yeah, so so our scouting operation is a little different.
We don't necessarily go off of round based you know,
round value grading, putting a specific round next to a player.
We do more role based grading, where we are trying
to emphasize what type of role some specific player is
going to be asked to do with the next level.
(01:28):
And so you know, we have it through a numerical
system seven to er or better our high level players,
players that we think are blue chip type of prospects,
players that you would think across any draft cycle are
going to be those top five type of prospects. But
then you know, down to the six nine to about
(01:48):
six four range across all positions, we view as guys
that are going to be high level to low levels
starting players. And when you get into that, you see
out of the six player that the BANG was drafted,
basically all but the last two players that they did
draft that we view as players by the day one
(02:09):
of their second year are going to be starting level players.
So both linebackers Demetrius Knight and Bart Carter we viewed
as players that maybe have you know, maybe not necessarily
true three down value as off ball linebackers, but both
their skills compliment each other well. Whereas Night can be
(02:29):
more of a run defender, play inside the box, be
a little bit more physical, but also has downhill explosion
with some range. And then Bear Carter is going to
be able to play a little bit more coverage play
out on the slot. Even asked to be able to
run and chase from the backside. Everyone's allowed to Dylan
Fairchild in the third round, we view with somebody that
could eventually be a solid starting level guard on the interior,
(02:52):
maybe more of one positional player, not somebody that's going
to start multiple positions.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
But then obviously at the top of the draft.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
With Samar Stewart, one of the more polarized as kind
of prospects throughout this cycle, with the limited production that
he had, but high, high level traits to be able
to track kind of try and see what he will
do at the next level. Can it be something that
he can achieve that our players with that type of
background that he has that are going to be that have,
(03:21):
you know, similar types of paths, but it always is
different for every player. It doesn't automatically mean just because
you're a top tier athlete that you're going to have
success at the next level. So that's why we kind
of viewed it as one of the top class. We
don't necessarily grade it on the value of which they get,
they of where they go in the draft, but just
where the value of we think of that specific player
(03:41):
rounding it all together, that's why we view the Bengals
having a little bit better than some of the rest
in the league.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
All right, that's that's well said. Let's talk specifically about
Shamar Stewart. What jumps off the page for a lot
of people are one and a half sacks last year.
I'm trying to focus on the fact that he had
thirty nine pressures and I combine that with his abundant
and obvious physical gifts. I think there's a disruptive player there.
(04:06):
When you watched him critically, what do you make of
the criticism of the pick that, well, yeah, he looks
the part, but he actually doesn't get to the quarterback,
doesn't finish plays.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Yeah, so as you said, there, he he did. He
did create pressure. You know, it wasn't that it wasn't
that he wasn't getting to the quarterback. He just wasn't
necessarily finishing at the level that you would want, especially
somebody with those types of gifts, especially somebody that you're
gonna take in the first round. But like you said,
you know, those physical gifts get him somewhere. You know,
Texas A and M asked him to do a few
(04:38):
different things. So that makes it a little bit difficult.
Where some edgressers are just strictly asked to pin their
ears back and go, you know, on a straight line
to the quarterback. Sometimes he's playing more on the inside
eye of the tackle in a four I four tech
where he's having to defend the run and then if
he gets his his past three and then he's kind
of flares out and he and he's rushing the past
(05:00):
or so some of the things that he was asked
to do. He asked to play at a heavier weight.
You saw him come in a little bit smaller at
the combine, which is pretty good because that athleticism that
he displayed at the combine, he was still showing that
athleticism at that higher weight. So you know that that
athleticism is in a fluke whether he's playing at two
sixty or two ninety, and so I think he'll probably
(05:23):
play somewhere in the middle of there, just because he's
going to have to be able to defend the run
at that level that he did, but you just want
to be able to see that when he gets to
the professional level and he's really focusing on getting to
the quarterback and finishing. Can he develop more as a
passers to developed a little bit more moves.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
But he does have a.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Good baseline with the power and the link that he
has along with that first step explosion where he gains
ground fast and he closes ground fast, and you can
kind of see some of that against the run, and
if that can translate to the past, I think the
sky is really the limit for this type of player.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Jordan Edwards is with his senior scouting analyst Sports Info Solutions.
I sent out a link by the way to the
sis encapsulation, if you will, of the twenty twenty five
draft where they have the Bengals among the top three.
Demetrius Knight is interesting to me because a six year player,
it did kind of take him a while to get
on the fields as a starting player. Once he did,
(06:17):
he took off at Charlotte, had a good year at
South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I've seen people use his age against him.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
I kind of look at it like Bengals need guys
who could step in and play immediately.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
The dude is twenty five.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
He's got all the maturity boxes you could ever check,
And so I'm interested in this from a draft perspective.
I can't help but think that maybe they could have
traded down to get him, but they still did get him.
Talk about him critically for me.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Yeah, So, you know, the off ball linebacker position now
is one of the harder positions to kind of gauge
that jump from the college game to the NFL game,
because as much as there are similarities across, you know,
it is the same sport, the way the defenses is
played in the college to the NFL game are very
different and linebackers are asked to do a lot of
(07:06):
different things. And so yeah, like you said, you know,
maybe there was the value there to take him at
that specific spot.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
I think that's open for debate.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
You know, maybe he wouldn't who he wasn't up there, uh,
you know, on across other boards across the.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Uh the NFL.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
But you know, with a new defensive coordinator with Al
Golden coming in and maybe some uncercertainty with the guys
that are there in that in that room at the moment, uh,
you would have to think that maybe this type of
player was was somewhat hand picked. You don't necessarily want
to fit, you know, just just for need or anything
like that. But you know, when when you're prioritizing somebody
at that draft, you want to make sure that they
have the maturity that they like that you said, he
(07:45):
also has the athleticism and range and has a lot
of those things, and so I think if he fits
what the defense that al Golan is looking for and
being able to play a little bit more inside the box,
uh and be able to defend the run a little
bit better, I think that's good.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Obviously that it comes with a little bit more, you know,
the age concerns.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
You know, you don't you want to have those types
of players for as long as you can at a
position like that, but sometimes that maturity can kind of
be help them be a little bit more of an
impact player early on.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Maybe then so far down the road.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I think if you were to have pulled most Bengals
fans on Friday evening, they would have wanted Tate Ratleige
there at forty nine. They wait one more round to
get a guard. They get Tate Ratleige's teammate, it's Dylan Fairchild.
You referenced him before. How would you compare those two.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Yeah, both players really play with the type of intensity
that you would love to see for interior offensive linemen
meet They're both nasty. They play with that physical demeanor.
They want to finish people into the ground as much
as they can. Rat which was a little bit more athletic,
He's a little bit bigger too. I played with a
little bit more of a solid anchor and pass protection.
(08:58):
But still that that kind of the run blocking skill
that Fairchild had was something that we valued a little
bit more. Obviously he didn't have that type of athleticism
as compared to his teammate. I think most people would
have preferred Ratledge. I would have as well. But still
I think getting fair Child where they did it has
(09:19):
has still some pretty good value because the inside that
the interior of that offensive line of Cincinnati has has
has had its ups and downs over the past few years.
But Fairchild, it was somebody that was reliable, uh you know,
in past protection. And then he still has that run,
that run blockability, that mentality he gets to the second
level really well. He's lying on his feet as well,
(09:41):
and so, uh, the value I think was there. I
think maybe maybe the ratlege was somebody that they thought
that they could get early in the draft, but maybe
have some value on guys like Night uh and and
uh in other places like that. But I think Fairchild
is more than better than just a kind of a
consolation prize. I think he's somebody that can still be
(10:01):
a solid anchor in the interior for Joe Burrow.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
So there are the players the Bengals took.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I think here there's a lot of focus on the
position that I think a lot of us thought they
would address at least at some point in this draft.
So from your perspective, what do you make of the
the complaint, if you will, that they didn't draft the
defensive tackle.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Yeah, it is puzzling, just because, you know, with with
our scouting operation here, we see every we see all
these people. We don't necessarily see all the specific uh
you know, conferences overall.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
But when we get together and we go through all.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
These specific players and we're ranking our big boards and
kind of in parsing all those things out, you know,
the biggest takeaway was Will that, Yeah, the defensive tackle
class was really deep, got lots of different body type,
skill sets, athletic profiles, and we kind of all you
know together in some of our meetings that if you
don't come away with the defensive tackle in this draft,
(11:00):
with how loaded that it is, it seems like a mistake.
Even if you have the type of room that that
thinks that you don't necessarily have to improve that upon.
I don't know if it's necessarily know if the Bengals
fall into that category. I do like some of the
pieces that they have, but I think maybe of adding
somebody with a little bit more quick twitch athleticism, a
little bit more explosion, would have helped that room a
little bit more. You know, you got you have bj Hill,
(11:22):
who's still a really reliable three tech TD Slaton is
somebody that's going to be a good nose and run plugger.
But having guys behind them, somebody with a little bit
more twitch athleticism vertical explosion, I think.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Would have been a little bit better to have.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
You know, maybe that that came at the expense of
doubling up on off ball linebackers or something like that too.
Maybe the guys just that they wanted went away a
little too quickly for them. But yeah, it was a
little bit puzzling to come away and see that they
didn't walk away, uh with with somebody with that type
of athleticism on the interior. But I think all teams
across the league we could use, not just since Nattie
(12:00):
loved himselves well said.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
I appreciate the time, man, great stuff, Thanks so much.
So yesterday we were reading all these draft grades and
a lot of middle of the pack grades, and I said,
I'm looking for people who either think the Bengals had
a really really good class or maybe folks who think
they had just a disastrous class. And somebody with Sports
Information Solutions reached out to me yesterday and said, we
(00:21):
actually think the Bengals draft class was third best. You've
heard us use talk about SIS before. I ranked the
Bengals with the third best class. So now I'm interested.
That piques my interest. Anybody can give them a CE.
I wanted to talk to somebody who thought that, well,
the Bengals did at least slightly better than a C.
So Jordan Edwards, senior scouting analyst from Sports Information Solutions,
(00:43):
has written and done a ton of scouting work for
that website, kind enough to join us this afternoon. It's
good to have you, Jordan.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
I'm doing good. I appreciate you having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I appreciate you doing this. You guys have the Bengals
with the third best draft class. We'll talk about some
of the individual players. You guys do not measure with
the consensus. Why are you guys higher on this class
than everybody else.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Yeah, so so our scouting operation is a little different.
We don't necessarily go off of round based you know,
round value grading, putting a specific round next to a player.
We do more role based grading, where we are trying
to emphasize what type of role some specific player is
going to be asked to do with the next level.
(01:28):
And so you know, we have it through a numerical
system seven to er or better our high level players,
players that we think are blue chip type of prospects,
players that you would think across any draft cycle are
going to be those top five type of prospects. But
then you know, down to the six nine to about
(01:48):
six four range across all positions, we view as guys
that are going to be high level to low levels
starting players. And when you get into that, you see
out of the six player that the BANG was drafted,
basically all but the last two players that they did
draft that we view as players by the day one
(02:09):
of their second year are going to be starting level players.
So both linebackers Demetrius Knight and Bart Carter we viewed
as players that maybe have you know, maybe not necessarily
true three down value as off ball linebackers, but both
their skills compliment each other well. Whereas Night can be
(02:29):
more of a run defender, play inside the box, be
a little bit more physical, but also has downhill explosion
with some range. And then Bear Carter is going to
be able to play a little bit more coverage play
out on the slot. Even asked to be able to
run and chase from the backside. Everyone's allowed to Dylan
Fairchild in the third round, we view with somebody that
could eventually be a solid starting level guard on the interior,
(02:52):
maybe more of one positional player, not somebody that's going
to start multiple positions.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
But then obviously at the top of the draft.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
With Samar Stewart, one of the more polarized as kind
of prospects throughout this cycle, with the limited production that
he had, but high, high level traits to be able
to track kind of try and see what he will
do at the next level. Can it be something that
he can achieve that our players with that type of
background that he has that are going to be that have,
(03:21):
you know, similar types of paths, but it always is
different for every player. It doesn't automatically mean just because
you're a top tier athlete that you're going to have
success at the next level. So that's why we kind
of viewed it as one of the top class. We
don't necessarily grade it on the value of which they get,
they of where they go in the draft, but just
where the value of we think of that specific player
(03:41):
rounding it all together, that's why we view the Bengals
having a little bit better than some of the rest
in the league.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
All right, that's that's well said. Let's talk specifically about
Shamar Stewart. What jumps off the page for a lot
of people are one and a half sacks last year.
I'm trying to focus on the fact that he had
thirty nine pressures and I combine that with his abundant
and obvious physical gifts. I think there's a disruptive player there.
(04:06):
When you watched him critically, what do you make of
the criticism of the pick that, well, yeah, he looks
the part, but he actually doesn't get to the quarterback,
doesn't finish plays.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Yeah, so as you said, there, he he did. He
did create pressure. You know, it wasn't that it wasn't
that he wasn't getting to the quarterback. He just wasn't
necessarily finishing at the level that you would want, especially
somebody with those types of gifts, especially somebody that you're
gonna take in the first round. But like you said,
you know, those physical gifts get him somewhere. You know,
Texas A and M asked him to do a few
(04:38):
different things. So that makes it a little bit difficult.
Where some edgressers are just strictly asked to pin their
ears back and go, you know, on a straight line
to the quarterback. Sometimes he's playing more on the inside
eye of the tackle in a four I four tech
where he's having to defend the run and then if
he gets his his past three and then he's kind
of flares out and he and he's rushing the past
(05:00):
or so some of the things that he was asked
to do. He asked to play at a heavier weight.
You saw him come in a little bit smaller at
the combine, which is pretty good because that athleticism that
he displayed at the combine, he was still showing that
athleticism at that higher weight. So you know that that
athleticism is in a fluke whether he's playing at two
sixty or two ninety, and so I think he'll probably
(05:23):
play somewhere in the middle of there, just because he's
going to have to be able to defend the run
at that level that he did, but you just want
to be able to see that when he gets to
the professional level and he's really focusing on getting to
the quarterback and finishing. Can he develop more as a
passers to developed a little bit more moves.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
But he does have a.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Good baseline with the power and the link that he
has along with that first step explosion where he gains
ground fast and he closes ground fast, and you can
kind of see some of that against the run, and
if that can translate to the past, I think the
sky is really the limit for this type of player.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Jordan Edwards is with his senior scouting analyst Sports Info Solutions.
I sent out a link by the way to the
sis encapsulation, if you will, of the twenty twenty five
draft where they have the Bengals among the top three.
Demetrius Knight is interesting to me because a six year player,
it did kind of take him a while to get
on the fields as a starting player. Once he did,
(06:17):
he took off at Charlotte, had a good year at
South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I've seen people use his age against him.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
I kind of look at it like Bengals need guys
who could step in and play immediately.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
The dude is twenty five.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
He's got all the maturity boxes you could ever check,
And so I'm interested in this from a draft perspective.
I can't help but think that maybe they could have
traded down to get him, but they still did get him.
Talk about him critically for me.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Yeah, So, you know, the off ball linebacker position now
is one of the harder positions to kind of gauge
that jump from the college game to the NFL game,
because as much as there are similarities across, you know,
it is the same sport, the way the defenses is
played in the college to the NFL game are very
different and linebackers are asked to do a lot of
(07:06):
different things. And so yeah, like you said, you know,
maybe there was the value there to take him at
that specific spot.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
I think that's open for debate.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
You know, maybe he wouldn't who he wasn't up there, uh,
you know, on across other boards across the.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Uh the NFL.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
But you know, with a new defensive coordinator with Al
Golden coming in and maybe some uncercertainty with the guys
that are there in that in that room at the moment, uh,
you would have to think that maybe this type of
player was was somewhat hand picked. You don't necessarily want
to fit, you know, just just for need or anything
like that. But you know, when when you're prioritizing somebody
at that draft, you want to make sure that they
have the maturity that they like that you said, he
(07:45):
also has the athleticism and range and has a lot
of those things, and so I think if he fits
what the defense that al Golan is looking for and
being able to play a little bit more inside the box,
uh and be able to defend the run a little
bit better, I think that's good.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Obviously that it comes with a little bit more, you know,
the age concerns.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
You know, you don't you want to have those types
of players for as long as you can at a
position like that, but sometimes that maturity can kind of
be help them be a little bit more of an
impact player early on.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Maybe then so far down the road.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I think if you were to have pulled most Bengals
fans on Friday evening, they would have wanted Tate Ratleige
there at forty nine. They wait one more round to
get a guard. They get Tate Ratleige's teammate, it's Dylan Fairchild.
You referenced him before. How would you compare those two.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Yeah, both players really play with the type of intensity
that you would love to see for interior offensive linemen
meet They're both nasty. They play with that physical demeanor.
They want to finish people into the ground as much
as they can. Rat which was a little bit more athletic,
He's a little bit bigger too. I played with a
little bit more of a solid anchor and pass protection.
(08:58):
But still that that kind of the run blocking skill
that Fairchild had was something that we valued a little
bit more. Obviously he didn't have that type of athleticism
as compared to his teammate. I think most people would
have preferred Ratledge. I would have as well. But still
I think getting fair Child where they did it has
(09:19):
has still some pretty good value because the inside that
the interior of that offensive line of Cincinnati has has
has had its ups and downs over the past few years.
But Fairchild, it was somebody that was reliable, uh you know,
in past protection. And then he still has that run,
that run blockability, that mentality he gets to the second
level really well. He's lying on his feet as well,
(09:41):
and so, uh, the value I think was there. I
think maybe maybe the ratlege was somebody that they thought
that they could get early in the draft, but maybe
have some value on guys like Night uh and and
uh in other places like that. But I think Fairchild
is more than better than just a kind of a
consolation prize. I think he's somebody that can still be
(10:01):
a solid anchor in the interior for Joe Burrow.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
So there are the players the Bengals took.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I think here there's a lot of focus on the
position that I think a lot of us thought they
would address at least at some point in this draft.
So from your perspective, what do you make of the
the complaint, if you will, that they didn't draft the
defensive tackle.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Yeah, it is puzzling, just because, you know, with with
our scouting operation here, we see every we see all
these people. We don't necessarily see all the specific uh
you know, conferences overall.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
But when we get together and we go through all.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
These specific players and we're ranking our big boards and
kind of in parsing all those things out, you know,
the biggest takeaway was Will that, Yeah, the defensive tackle
class was really deep, got lots of different body type,
skill sets, athletic profiles, and we kind of all you
know together in some of our meetings that if you
don't come away with the defensive tackle in this draft,
(11:00):
with how loaded that it is, it seems like a mistake.
Even if you have the type of room that that
thinks that you don't necessarily have to improve that upon.
I don't know if it's necessarily know if the Bengals
fall into that category. I do like some of the
pieces that they have, but I think maybe of adding
somebody with a little bit more quick twitch athleticism, a
little bit more explosion, would have helped that room a
little bit more. You know, you got you have bj Hill,
(11:22):
who's still a really reliable three tech TD Slaton is
somebody that's going to be a good nose and run plugger.
But having guys behind them, somebody with a little bit
more twitch athleticism vertical explosion, I think.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Would have been a little bit better to have.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
You know, maybe that that came at the expense of
doubling up on off ball linebackers or something like that too.
Maybe the guys just that they wanted went away a
little too quickly for them. But yeah, it was a
little bit puzzling to come away and see that they
didn't walk away, uh with with somebody with that type
of athleticism on the interior. But I think all teams
across the league we could use, not just since Nattie
(12:00):
loved himselves well said.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
I appreciate the time, man, great stuff, Thanks so much.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!