Bengals Draft Analysis

The Cincinnati Bengals went into Thursday night’s first round of the draft with the 21st overall pick after trading Buffalo their 12th overall pick for starting OG Cordy Glenn and Buffalo’s first round pick (21). The Bengals had the lowest rated center in the NFL last season. The selection of Ohio State center Billy Price wasn’t surprising at all. Though Price injured his pectoral muscle at the combine, he seems to be an immediate starter at the position. Billy Price won multiple awards as the best center in college football last year, his first year at the position. Price is fierce and plays every down with that ferocity. I give the Bengals a grade of B on their first round draft pick and only because Price has an injury. His attendance and availability at training camp is essential as he will be a rookie starter at center and will need as many reps as possible with Andy Dalton and the returnees and newcomers on the offensive line. The second day, the Bengals had one second round selection and two third round selections. With their second round pick, the Bengals went with a safety. Jessie Bates from Wake Forest is a route sniffing safety and is also a very capable punt returner. With the departure (for now) of Adam Jones, the addition of a willing returner who can double as a defensive back was a very good pick. Bates, just a junior, will need to improve his catching ability as he dropped several would-be interceptions last year. Scouts are very pleased with his instincts. Bates’ film shows his ability to read the eyes of the quarterback. With the Bengals’ third round picks, they went with DE Sam Hubbard and LB Malik Jefferson in back to back selections. The Bengals’ most successful years have been when the team had significant depth at defensive line. At 6’5”, 270 pounds, Sam Hubbard is very quick and very skilled. Hubbard is also a local product from legendary Moeller High School. Malik Jefferson adds depth at linebacker which is much needed considering the team’s best linebacker will be missing the first four games of the season. Adding Jefferson, the co-defensive player of the year in the Big 12, to a linebacking corps of newly added Preston Brown, Vontaze Burfict, Vincent Rey, Jordan Evans and Carl Lawson gives the Bengals a variety of diverse skill sets at the position. I give the Bengals an A on day two. On Saturday, the Bengals had seven picks remaining. In the fourth, the Bengals added a former first round talent before injury at running back in Mark Walton from Miami. In the fifth round, they added depth at corner, a position the team holds high in priority with Devontae Harris (Illinois State) and Darius Phillips (Western Michigan). And they were able to snag a run sniffing DT in Andrew Brown from Virginia, adding more depth to that defensive line. And in the seventh, the Bengals added Franklin County (Ky) product, Logan Woodside who set school records at quarterback for Toledo. They added OG Rod Taylor from Ole Miss and waited until their last pick to take a wide receiver, Auden Tate from Florida State. I give the Bengals another A grade on their selections from Saturday. Overall, I am very pleased with the draft. The Bengals added three immediate starters. And you can make it four if you include the fact that the team traded their initial number 12 pick for Cordy Glenn. Billy Price will definitely be week 1 starter at center. Bates is a very capable starter at safety and in the return game. And Malik Jefferson seems to be a starter at linebacker especially with Burfict serving a four game suspension. The depth at defensive line and in the defensive backfield is very encouraging. If Rod Taylor comes into camp with effort and determination, he could also earn a starting spot on the offensive line, the team’s biggest weakness from last season. I give the Bengals an overall grade of A.