Matt's Take

With the Reds season becoming a disaster in the making, the NFL Draft provided a few days of relief for the Cincinnati faithful fans. With an overall draft grade of a B+ given by Pro Football Network, the Bengals certainly improved the secondary and line of scrimmage.

After many years of having early first round picks, it was the first time that I can remember being relaxed watching the draft, as we have such a solid young core. After going to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, the Bengals offseason and draft has given some signs on their plan going forward and have given no reason for fans to doubt that the front office is “all-in” on trying to win right now.

New to the Stripes

The new faces that will be wearing the stripes this year include Dax Hill (Safety), Cam Taylor-Britt (CB), Zachary Carter (DT), Cordell Volson (G), Tycen Anderson (DB), and Jeffrey Gunter (Edge).

The 31st pick of the NFL draft, the Bengals drafted Hill out of Michigan. The Former Gatorade Player of the Year and five-star prospect had a stellar three-year career at Michigan and shows very impressive stats when being in slot coverage. Taylor-Britt was a surprising pick to some, but truly shows the Bengals do not plan on paying Jessie Bates the money that he is hoping to get. The Nebraska star ran a 4.38 40 yard dash and showed great athleticism. His six interceptions and his length played a huge factor in Cincinnati picking him with their 2nd pick.

Catastrophe

Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy watching Reds baseball. This Reds season has been painful to endure and the “breakthrough” that we all were hoping for still hasn’t presented itself. After losing 10-1 to the Rockies and managing to get swept in Colorado, the Reds have a league worst record and currently sit at 3-19.

I can’t remember a time where the Reds were 11.5 games back and the month of May just began. They are tied for the 2nd worst record in Modern-Era history with the worst record through 22 games. Injuries, front office fumbles, low morale, and inexperience have all played into the catastrophe happening in Cincinnati. I didn’t expect a winning season from this roster, but I know this team is better than what they have shown.

This team more than anything needs to get healthy. Players like Stephenson, India, Greene, Lodolo, Barrero, and other young athletes need as much experience as they can get this year. As much as this season has been like a “horror film” in the making, peaking through the fingers that cover my eyes would be much more enjoyable if this team could get healthy. The future lies in the hands of this young core and hopefully we see a huge improvement in the months ahead. With over 100 games still left for this ball club, the NFL Draft provided some joy to those who care about Cincinnati sports.

Maybe by this time next week, the Reds will have shown signs of improvement and prove they can compete in their division, but I am beginning to hope I wake up to the NFL preseason…