Cincinnati Bengals Draft Review

1st Round, Pick #4: A.J Green (WR Georgia)

There was a lot of talk leading up to the draft that the Bengals might take Julio Jones over Green because he fits their offense better. Lets just say that the Bengals made the right choice. AJ Green is the best receiver prospect to come out since Calvin Johnson and one of the top 3 players in the draft. He gives the Bengals a new young #1 receiver that isn't a head case. Green can do it all. He has great hands, good speed, willingness to go over the middle, and a premier deep threat. The addition of Green, and the eventual departure of Chad Ochocinco and TO might be enough to try and convince Carson Palmer to stay.

Grade- A

2nd Round, Pick #35: Andy Dalton (QB TCU)

First off, let me start by saying that the way the Bengals franchise is handling the Carson Palmer situation, is just another indication of how clueless they are, and why they will not be a serious contender until there is a chance at the top. That being said, Carson Palmer will never be a Bengal again, so they need to groom a replacement. I personally think that Andy Dalton is very overrated, as I don't see him ever being a top notch quarterback. To me, he is just very average. He is not bad, but not the type of guy who can single handedly win games for your team, or carry a team. He is a Kyle Orton, Chad Pennington caliber, so while they filled a huge need at Quarterback, I'm not a big fan of Daltons.

Grade- C

3rd Round, Pick #66: Dontay Moch (DE/OLB Nevada)

I love Dontay Moch as a player, but I don't think this is a very good fit for him. I believe that Moch is strictly a 3-4 player, and would thrive in a 3-4 as a pass rusher. He is a fantastic athlete, but struggles mightily against the run, and in a 4-3, he will have to take on and shed blockers, make tackles, and do more work at the line of scrimmage, all of which are weaknesses of his. In a 3-4 his weaknesses could be better masked, but in a 4-3, he will have to get stronger and better, or he will fail. I'm hoping Moch works out, and if he does, he will be a great player, but he is very risky and there is a good chance of bust here.

Grade- C+

4th Round, Pick #101: Clint Boling (Guard/Tackle Georgia)

Clint Boling is a player I like a lot who gets over looked by most. He played basically every position on the offensive line in college with the exception of Center, and will bring that same versatility to the Bengals. He has above average athleticism, so he could play right tackle at the next level. But he also has good size, and works very well in tight spaces, so he could be a good Guard as well. I think the best scenario for Boling would be if he could put on another 10-15 pounds of Muscle, and stay inside at Guard, where he could be one of the more athletic guards in the league. Excellent value in the 4th round.

Grade- A

5th Round, Pick #134: Robert Sands (Safety West Virginia)

This was a huge steal by the Bengals, picking up Robert Sands here in round 5. Sands is a fantastic athlete, while standing 6-4 225 pounds, he runs a 4.5 40, so he has the speed and range to be good in coverage, and also the size and strength to be solid in run support. With some simple tweaks to things like his pad level, and technique he could immediately improve in coverage, as he is pretty raw at the moment, and will get burned sometimes. Sands is raw, but he has a ton of upside, and is a terrific value in the 5th round.

Grade- A+

6th Round, Pick #167: Ryan Whalen (WR Stanford)

After a few really nice picks, I don't know what Cincinnati was doing here by reaching for a receiver like Whalen here. Whalen is a very below average athlete, with poor speed, agility, and will have huge problems getting separation at the next level. He was a possession receiver in college, but he just is not athletic enough to be the Wes Welker, Devone Bess type player I think the Bengals are going for here. There were much better players on the board, and Whalen could easily have been picked up later.

Grade- F

7th Round, Pick #207: Korey Lindsey-Woods (CB Southern Illinois)

How Korey Lindsey-Woods (KLW) was not invited to the combine was beyond me, he was named to the FCS All American first team for the last 2 years, and the 2nd team 3 years ago. He is a great athlete, who has the potential to be a very good cornerback, but will obviously take some seasoning. He is raw, and won't be NFL ready for at least a couple seasons, but if he gets coached up right, he could develop into a very good player.

Grade- A

7th Round, Pick #246: Jay Finley (RB Baylor)

I don't expect Jay Finley to turn into a productive NFL player of any type. Essentially he is a outside the tacklers runner with average speed. He doesn't do well in tight spaces, and doesn't break many tackles. He is a pretty good receiver, but he can't create anything on his own, and unless given a ton of room, he won't make many plays.

Grade- D