2011 Cincinnati Bengals NFL Draft Needs
The Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock with the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Let’s take a look at their biggest needs and how they might address those needs on draft day
1. Quarterback: With Carson Palmer saying he will retire if he isn’t moved, the quarterback position becomes Cincinnati’s top priority. The Bengals could still take Cam Newton with their top pick if Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert is already off the board. Gabbert rates higher as a more polished passer but Newton has plenty of physical tools worth drooling over. Cincy may be the ideal team to draft the Heisman Trophy winner given the way they handled Palmer in 2003. Then first-year head coach Marvin Lewis made the decision to let Carson Palmer learn from the sidelines his entire rookie season. I think Newton could benefit from a similar leaning period. I’m personally not completely sold on Newton. It’s hard to tell at this point if he will be a Michael Vick-Donovan McNabb type or a JaMarcus Russell-Vince Young type. In other words, I think taking Newton could be a risk. However, it was a risk for Atlanta to take Matt Ryan with the third pick a few years ago and that risk is paying off nicely. If the Bengals pass on a QB in the first round, they could go with a guy like Arkansas’ Ryan Mallet in round two.
2. Wide Receiver: The Bengals have a major need at the wide receiver position all of a sudden with Terrell Owens gone and Chad Ochocinco likely right behind him. The duo combined for 139 grabs and 13 touchdowns last season. That’s a lot of production needing to be replaced. The Bengals once had one of the deepest and most explosive wide receiver units in the league but that is no longer the case for a number of reasons. Rather than taking Newton, the Bengals have an opportunity to get stud wide receiver A.J. Green here. Taking a wide receiver this early isn’t always a smart decision, but I believe Green will prove to be worth the hype. While plenty of wideouts have wowed scouts with similar combinations of size and speed, few have also entered the draft as finely tuned as a route runner and blocker.
3. Defensive Tackle: The Bengals could stand to improve the interior of their defensive line, as is the case with so many of the teams that struggled in 2010. Alabama’s Marcell Dareus would be a fantastic fit if he were to fall into the Bengals’ lap. It is more likely, however, that Cincinnati will address this need in the second round. A guy like Oregon State’s Stephen Paea or USC’s Jurrell Casey would make sense at that stage of the game.
4. Offensive Tackle: Coach Lewis has said he wants to beef up the offensive line, but it likely doesn’t make sense for the Bengals to reach for a player unworthy of being drafted with the fourth overall pick. The Bengals will be hoping to find a diamond in the rough later on. Maybe a guy like Pittsburgh’s Jason Pinkston.
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