There always seems to be that one prospect an NFL team should avoid in an upcoming draft.
There are a few viable candidates in this area for the Cincinnati Bengals, though Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay just nailed perhaps the most important one.
Writing up each team’s must-avoid prospect, Kay says the one to highlight is tight end Luke Musgrave out of Oregon State:
Musgrave may have the build and athleticism to succeed in the pros, but he’s been limited to just 20 games during his four seasons at Oregon State. His best season was in 2021, when he participated in 10 contests and caught 22 passes for 304 yards and one of his two career touchdowns.
Musgrave is exactly the prospect we would pick too. He’s firmly in the second-round conversation because some of the upside based on his traits and limited film suggest a high ceiling.
But a lack of productivity and — more importantly — availability is a big red flag. This is a critical immediate and long-term draft for the Bengals and risking a top-100 pick on a player who hasn’t been on the field often might not be worth the gamble.
That doesn’t mean the Bengals won’t like Musgrave and totally avoid him if the board falls a certain way, but highlighting him as the must-avoid pick makes a ton of sense.
