NFL analyst Mike Renner has been one of the most popular football experts for Cincinnati Bengals fans over the past few years.
The former Bachelorette contestant turned Pro Football Focus analyst now works for CBS Sports, giving his expertise on everything draft-related. However, just like he didn’t find love on the popular dating show, he won’t find love from Bengals fans after his comments about the Bengals’ draft.
During CBS’s draft review and grades, Renner pulled no punches on how he felt about Cincinnati’s draft selections.
"This was to me the worst draft I saw in the NFL. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I gave them a D-plus. And one because I don't see those top three picks: Shamar Stewart, Demetrious Knight, Dylan Fairchild… I don't know if they make any impact year one. And you’re in a team now that needs a big turnaround, needs a change on the defensive side of the ball in particular, and you took the biggest project in the draft and the first round. And you took a 25-year linebacker, at a position where they have two linebackers, in the second round. So I'm not sure any of those guys make an impact."Mike Renner
Renner was just getting started. He would justify his comments on why Cincinnati had the worst draft by his standards.
"And then you took the lowest value, some of the lowest value positions in the NFL. You drafted two linebackers, you drafted two guards, you drafted a running back, and you drafted one project defensive end. You just didn't attack anything that can be saving you cap space when we're talking all offseason about how they're in a bad situation because of all the money they had to pay Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow. I just don't get the rationale for that reason. It's one of my least favorite drafts."Mike Renner
Bengals fans may not love the NFL Draft criticism
Bengals fans should not summarily dismiss criticism like this. An issue that plagues many franchises and fan bases post-draft is that we will twist and turn our way into justifying why we should give this draft an A-plus grade based on nothing other than our love for this team.
When we listen to the media covering the Bengals, we hear many of the same things about this most recent draft class. The overwhelming sentiment is that the organization “reached” for the players. However, once we get to know the players as individuals, we can't help but fall in love with them.
It is great to hear that we are drafting players who are great people with big hearts. Nevertheless, those of us who are not privy to the closed-door conversations that teams have with the players entering the NFL draft, the film, on-field performance, and production of the prospects are all we have to go on.
The more we like someone as an individual, the further we move away from the player evaluation, because all we want is for that person we like to succeed. National voices like Renner’s aren't there to criticize franchises, contrary to every fan base’s belief. However, such voices offer a more analytical and less biased evaluation based on what they know and see rather than whether they find the player to be a wonderful human.
Why should Bengals fans take it with a grain of salt?
Based on a not-so-quick perusal of fans' reactions to the Bengals' draft, most fans agree that the organization selected players they felt their favorite team could get several picks or even rounds later than where they were targeted. However, although Renner, a national voice, provides an overview of the Bengals' situation, he may overlook some of the organization's ongoing issues.
Renner says he does not know why the Bengals selected two linebackers in his draft without apparently realizing that the Bengals will likely move forward without the services of Germaine Pratt, whether via trade or release.
Furthermore, Renner argues that Cincinnati selected low-value picks like a linebacker and a sixth-round running back while praising the Philadelphia Eagles, who selected a linebacker in the first round, and giving the Raiders an A-minus after selecting Ashton Jeanty in the first round.
The Bengals are set at the “higher-value” positions. The positions with the highest value are quarterback, offensive tackle, edge rusher, and receiver. The Cincinnati Bengals already have their starters and decent depth at those positions. The team addressed a "high-value" position when they selected an edge rusher in the first round. Albeit with a "project."
Renner’s point about cap space is valid. However, the Bengals drafted the players they did because the coaches believe they can contribute immediately to the team, possibly saving cap space. They expect third-rounder Dylan Fairchild to win a starting guard position. The team hopes second-round linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. can replace Germaine Pratt in a move that could free up $5,850,000 in cap space.
And while no one expects first-rounder Shemar Stewart to lead the league in sacks in his rookie season, an impending face-off with Trey Hendrickson could lead to Cincinnati shedding $16M from the cap.
While it is the national talking heads’ job to give their opinion and entertain simultaneously, it is never fun to hear that your team had the worst draft of all the teams in the NFL. Something tells us this might not be the only time we see or hear something like this soon. All we can do is hope the players selected eventually turn into whatever the team’s vision of them is.