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Depth Perception: Predicting Bengals' 9 picks in 2015 draft


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Depth Perception: Predicting Bengals' 9 picks in 2015 draft

 

By Frank Cooney | NFLDraftScout.com

 

April 17, 2015 6:18 pm ET

 

 

The Cincinnati Bengals have nine picks in the 2015 NFL Draft, beginning with the No. 21 selection in the first round April 30 in Chicago.

The Bengals have had arguably their best run through the draft in franchise history as team president Mike Brown continues to step further away and put more trust in the personnel department, including coach Marvin Lewis.

The Bengals found great value in a trio of fourth-round picks -- Geno Atkins (2010), Clint Boling (2011), Russell Bodine (2014) -- but the second- and third-rounders have been hit or miss. Carlos Dunlap (2010), Andy Dalton (2011), Giovani Bernard (2013) and Jeremy Hill (2014) have delivered, while Jordan Shipley (2010), Dontay Moch (2011), Devon Still (2012) and Margus Hunt (2013) have not met expectations.

Here is a look at the Bengals' recent draft history with roster tallies reflecting totals as of the end of the 2014 season. Below that are the team's current needs heading into this draft and our projection for all their 2015 picks.

 

Bengals Last Five Drafts:
                2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Total picks	9	8	10	10	8
Starters	3	3	5	1	2
Backups	        0	0	2	8	5
Other teams	2	1	2	0	0
Out of league	4	4	1	1	1

TOP THREE BENGALS NEEDS IN 2015 DRAFT

Defensive line: A unit that has been the foundation of the defense lacked depth and consistent impact in 2014. Take your pick of any position, the Bengals need to regenerate quickly. They were last in the NFL in sacks with 20, producing a sack on just 3.29 percent of pass plays. End Carlos Dunlap had eight sacks. Tackle Geno Atkins had three. No one else had as many as two. Lewis will tell you sacks are an overrated stat, that they don't tell the whole story when it comes to getting quarterback pressure. He's right, but it's hard to ignore sack totals that dropped from 45 in 2011, 51 in 2012 and 43 in 2013 to 20 and say it doesn't matter. The Bengals have brought back end Michael Johnson and tackle Pat Sims as unrestricted free agents but draft picks from previous years -- Brandon Thompson/Devon Still (2012), Margus Hunt (2013) and Will Clarke (2014) -- need to prove their worth. The Bengals can't sit still in this area.

Offensive tackle: Left tackle Andrew Whitworth and right tackle Andre Smith are entering the final seasons of their contracts. Compound that with the fact that Smith missed seven games due to injury in 2014 and one of the players who started games in his place, Marshall Newhouse, signed as a free agent with the Giants. They did re-sign Eric Winston, who was a late-season pickup last year, as insurance on Smith's health but the future is coming fast and the Bengals need to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to replenishing the offensive line.

Linebacker: The re-signing of Rey Maualuga and the signing of former Packers first-rounder A.J. Hawk doesn't change the fact the Bengals have to upgrade their linebacker group. WILL linebacker Vontaze Burfict played in just five games last season with various head, neck and knee injuries. Seven different players, including Nico Johnson who was signed off the Kansas City practice squad last October, started at least one game at linebacker for the Bengals in 2014 as injuries hit the position hard. The Bengals have had better luck with undrafted linebackers than they have drafting them the past five years.

 

MAKE ALL THE BENGALS' 2015 PICKS

Below is a list of all nine Bengals picks in this draft, with players suggested by NFLDraftScout.com. Who would you take?

1/21: Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
2/53: Daniele Hunter, DE, LSU
3/85: Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas
3/99: Paul Dawson, ILB, TCU
4/120: Rob Haventstein, OT, Wisconsin
4/135: Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn
5/157: Mike Hull, OLB, Penn State
6/197: Derrick Lott, DT, Chattanoga
7/238: C. J. Uzomah, TE, Auburn

 
 
 
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1/21: Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
2/53: Daniele Hunter, DE, LSU
3/85: Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas

3/99: Paul Dawson, ILB, TCU
4/120: Rob Haventstein, OT, Wisconsin
4/135: Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn
5/157: Mike Hull, OLB, Penn State
6/197: Derrick Lott, DT, Chattanoga
7/238: C. J. Uzomah, TE, Auburn

 

4 out of the first 5 are on my Wish List (bolded) ... so I'd be ok with it ... though I don't see why they'd take DE's back to back like that. :boese035:

 

http://forum.go-bengals.com/index.php?/topic/74828-the-2015-draft-blackjesus-wish-list/

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I like some of the players, but what are we going to do with 4 D Linemen?

 

We already have 10 guys in Dunlap, MJ, Atkins, Peko, Gilberry, Thompson, Clarke, Hunt, Sims and Still. Those guys aren't all going to make it as is. Add 4 draft picks and we're talking about cutting 5 of those guys and I just don't see the Bengals giving up on guys like Thompson, Clarke and Hunt yet. And playing less snaps, I think Gilberry and Peko still have roles. There's room for another DT and another DE, but not two of each.

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And he has us drafting no WRs at all...this is one of those examples of a guy who clearly doesn't know the Bengals roster very well and doesn't really understand the needs anywhere near well enough to put together a respectable 7 round Bengals mock draft. It's tough if you're not somebody who follows the Bengals closely, but that's not really an excuse if you're getting paid to do something like this. The Bengals have made it pretty damn obvious over and over again that they plan on grabbing a WR and/or punt returner.

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I hate labelling a player like Shipley as not meeting expectations. Injuries happen. He could have been a Bengal great if his didn't. He still had a great rookie season. We need to pray we get his equivalent in the draft.

 

 

I really liked Jordan

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