I liked the Bengals draft personally...I thought they did a good job of addressing some needs and getting great value.

 

I really don't think they "missed" on any picks.

 

1 (9) - Keith Rivers, LB, USC - A solid, safe pick...Rivers, by all reports, is a high character guy, which is a must for Cincinnati right now.

 

2 (46) - Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina - They've taken some criticism over this one, but I like the pick. Simpson seems to have all the tools to develop into a very good NFL WR...size (6-2, 190), solid speed, long arms, and again, by all accounts, he's a high character guy. I think this was a good pick that will be validated down the road.

 

3 (77) - Pat Sims, DT, Auburn - Solid pick...good value and Sims has a good upside. He should be a solid player, but could be even more if he reaches his potential. In any case, it was a big need and fills a hole.

 

3 (97) - Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida - It's always risky to pick Florida WR's it seems. It also seems Caldwell has the tools to make it pay off...another good value pick at #97 and trying to address the WR position with the Chad Johnson situation is a smart move, IMO. They have to keep weapons around Carson.

 

4 (112) - Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas - I think this was a very good pick as well. Collins has good size and long arms, and only played one year of high school football, so he has a lot of room to grow, IMO. If he doesn't work out as a tackle, he should be able to be a guard...I think the Bengals got a future starter on the o-line.

 

5 (145) - Jason Shirley, DT, Fresno State - This pick seems to be the most questionable because of character concerns. But, that aside, Shirley is huge and if he flies straight, the Bengals should at least have themselves a guy who can eat up space and hold his ground at the point of attack. He may have potential to develop into big, run-stuffing DT in the mold of a Siragusa/Sam Adams/Ted Washington type.

 

6 (177) - Corey Lynch, FS, Appalachian State - Scouting report says he's a great athlete who should be able to contribute on special teams and potentially develop into a good safety. At #177, I think this was another good pick.

 

6 (207) - Matt Sherry, TE, Villanova - Don't know much about this guy...the Bengals are always weak at TE it seems, so hopefully Sherry can be a draft suprise.

 

7 (244) - Angelo Craig, DE, Cincinnati

7 (246) - Mario Urrutia, WR, Louisville - I group these two together because I think the Bengals took a couple of late flyers on "local" prospects. I don't know a lot about Craig, but it seems he's most likely to provide depth if anything. I like the Urrutia pick at the end...he's a big, big receiver who has some potential but he's raw and has a lot to learn. And, I can't help but think with his size, is it possible the Bengals could bulk him up some more and try to turn him into a TE. That close to the end of the draft, I think these guys were worth taking a shot at.

 

 

Overall, I'd give the Bengals a B-. There weren't any exceptional picks, but I didn't see any "What were they thinking?" picks either. I may have gone C+, but the fact that high character guys seemed to be a priority bumped them up to a B-. They addressed obvious needs and got good value with their picks, IMO. No complaints from me...

:thumb: Nice analysis. I don't think their is much to read about on Sherry, but all I keep hearing is that he has really good hands. Can't hurt :thumb:

 

Simpson had the longest standing broad jump at the combine, ran like a 4.4, and had a vertical somewhere around 44". The guy is athletic.

I don't like the Simpson pick simply because I feel like he would have lasted until round 3, and they could have gotten a better WR at that spot. Who knows though, he could turn out to be the next Chad Johnson...wait...maybe that isn't so good. He could turn out to be the next....Jerry Rice. :lol:

I don't like the Simpson pick simply because I feel like he would have lasted until round 3, and they could have gotten a better WR at that spot. Who knows though, he could turn out to be the next Chad Johnson...wait...maybe that isn't so good. He could turn out to be the next....Jerry Rice. :lol:

 

Four or five teams had his as their Best Available WR...

The Bengals wanted him, no way he would have been left...

I think you have to trust your scouting...if you grade a guy high and really like him, then you have to take him if you don't think he'll be there later. I think it was a good pick and I think he'll turn into a very good receiver for Cincinnati. Especiallly, if Chad comes back as I expect. He'll get a lot of one-on-one opportunities...

Keep fooling yourself into thinking that. The steelers were looking for a Big receiver and Sweed is over 2 inches taller than Simpson. He would have been there in the 3rd round.

 

Mark Cunutte from the Enquirer is reporting that. I trust his NFL sources.