NFL Draft Countdown Bengals draft review

[akiliMVP]

To call the Cincinnati Bengals a team in limbo would be an understatement. Years of taking big risks on prospects with character concerns have finally caught up with Cincinnati and while they were once the most exciting young team in the league and seemingly on the cusp of greatness they are now teetering on the edge of oblivion. Guys like Chris Henry and Odell Thurman are gone once and for all but the Chad Johnson situation will only get uglier as the season approaches and at this point there are probably more questions than answers with the Bengals. Needless to say this was a big draft for Cincy and they needed to not only address a number of key needs on both sides of the ball but also bring in the type of players and people who can help save this franchise from what appears to be a downward spiral.

It was no secret that the Bengals were targeting Sedrick Ellis and Derrick Harvey with their first round pick but they were beaten to the punch by two more aggressive teams, New Orleans and Jacksonville respectively, who traded up and snagged the defensive lineman at #7 and #8 overall. With that being the case Cincy turned their attention to USC linebacker Keith Rivers, who may not be such a bad consolation prize. There is no question that Cincinnati needed help at linebacker after being decimated by injuries last year and suffering some losses at the position this offseason so from a need perspective Rivers was certainly a good choice. Rivers was the consensus top linebacker in this draft and a legitimate Top 25-20 overall pick but would he have gone #9 overall most years? Probably not. Still, Rivers is a great athlete with above average speed who can play inside or outside in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 scheme and that versatility will be a major advantage in Mike Zimmer's new defense. Rivers is also a high-character prospect and team leader, a factor that can't be overlooked because if any team needs more guys like that it's the Bengals. Rivers should be an instant starter and a building block for an improving young defense. In round two the Bengals began to rebuild their receiving corps when they chose Coastal Carolina's Jerome Simpson, who casual observers may not have known a lot about but was a legitimate 2nd or 3rd round pick. One of the top sleeper prospects available, Simpson isn't a burner but he ran better than expected at the Scouting Combine and has very good size, massive hands, good leaping ability and terrific ball skills. With Chris Henry gone and Chad Johnson's situation up in the air the Bengals needed to bring in some help at wideout and even though Simpson didn't play against top competition in college guys like Marques Colston have shown that doesn't necessarily mean you can't be an impact pass catcher in the NFL. Assuming Johnson is still around Simpson will battle for the #3 job in 2008 but he should make an immediate impact in the redzone and the opportunity is definitely there for him to see plenty of action right away as a rookie.

With the first of two picks in round three the Bengals may finally have landed the impact defensive tackle they were looking for in Auburn's Pat Sims. After underachieving his first couple of years in college the light finally seemed to come on for Sims last year and he opted to strike while the iron was hot and come out after his junior season. There are plenty of question marks with Sims, ranging from his character to his conditioning, but there is no denying his pure talent and if he can maximize his potential the Bengals could have a steal. Sims will probably be brought along slowly to start with but he should eventually compete for the starting job alongside to Domata Peko, if not in 2008 then 2009 for sure. With their next pick Cincinnati chose another wide receiver and may have gotten a great value with Florida's Andre Caldwell late in round three. The Gator's all-time leading receiver, Caldwell has excellent straight-line speed and could have easily come off the board as early as the second round. Look for Caldwell to compete with fellow rookie Jerome Simpson for playing time in 2008 and don't be surprised if he replaces Chris Henry as the Bengals vertical threat.

In round four Cincinnati took a flyer on a talented young offensive tackle when they chose Anthony Collins of Kansas. At 6-5 and 317 lbs. with above average athleticism Collins certainly has the physical tools you look for and had he gone back for his senior year he might have been selected much earlier. The Bengals coaches will have to work with Collins to help him maximize his potential but with the proper development he can be a starter in the NFL. As a rookie Collins will provide depth behind Levi Jones and Willie Anderson but with both of those guys getting up there in years he could be groomed as their long-term successor. In round five the Bengals made one of the most shocking selections in the 2008 NFL Draft when they chose Fresno St. defensive tackle Jason Shirley. On sheer talent alone Shirley was probably a 3rd or 4th round value but he has some major character issues that most felt would push him into the very late rounds and off a lot of draft boards all together. Leave it to Cincinnati to ignore character though and after all of the problems they've had it looks like they still haven't learned their lesson. If Shirley can stay out of trouble he can play in the league but that is a huge "If" at this point and most feel he's an off-the-field incident waiting to happen. Needless to say Shirley is a "Boom or Bust" pick but based on his actions in the last year he's a guy that most teams just weren't willing to even take a chance on, certainly not in the fifth round. In round six the Bengals added some depth at safety when they chose Corey Lynch of Appalachian St. An extremely productive player at the Division I-AA level, Lynch doesn't have elite speed or athleticism but he's a playmaker in the secondary who gets high marks in the intangibles department. Look for Lynch to compete for a backup job but he could make his mark on special teams, an area he excelled at in college.

Later in round six the Bengals chose Villanova tight end Matt Sherry, an undersized H-Back type with good speed and athleticism. Reggie Kelly and Ben Utecht have the top two spots on the depth chart locked up but Sherry could compete with Daniel Coats for the #3 job or worst-case be a candidate for the practice squad. Cincinnati had two selections in the seventh round and opted to use the first on University of Cincinnati defensive end Angelo Craig. An undersized pass rusher, Craig is a bit of a 'tweener but he's coming off a nice senior campaign and could play end in a 4-3 scheme or outside linebacker in a 3-4. An underrated prospect, Craig has his work cut out for him as he attempts to win a roster spot but I believe he could be a late round steal. With their final pick the Bengals brought in one more wide receiver when they chose Louisville's Mario Urrutia. An intriguing physical specimen at 6-5 and 232 lbs., Urrutia doesn't have great timed speed (4.61) but he has demonstrated the ability to get deep. It looked like Urrutia had the makings of an early round prospect early in his college career but he came out after a very disappointing junior season and will now have his work cut out for him just to make an NFL roster. At best Urrutia will compete for the #5 or #6 job in Cincy this year and with two other rookie wideouts already all but guaranteed roster spots Urrutia could very well end up being the odd man out.

The 2008 season is still a long way off but what type of team the Bengals will trot onto the field this fall is a major question mark. In fact, they could be a playoff team or they could be picking in the Top 10 again next year. It is obvious that Cincinnati's two main goals with this draft were to continue upgrading their defense and to begin rebuilding the wide receiver position and on those fronts their effort looks to be a success. For all their issues Cincy does still have a talented young team and while they may have to take a step back in 2008 the future does indeed look bright and this class of rookies offers a lot of promise.

[size=4][b]GRADE: B[/b][/size]

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