One Man's Take on the Bengals Draft

Generally, I avoid trying to use the first person but since draft day provides many different opinions, I can't speak for the rest of WDR.  Given that... 

What I liked:

-Drafting an Offensive Tackle in the 1st round: Protection for Carson Palmer was needed.  There was a point where I thought Aaron Curry would fall and was actually rooting against it because if Carson Palmer doesn't have time to throw, the Bengals have no chance.  Curry would have been a justifiable deviation from the Offensive Tackle plan that I just didn't want.  I also don't mind the selection of Andre Smith.  Smith was the #1 projection for almost a full calendar year and it really all came apart on one day.  I'm still trying to figure out his "character concerns" that people seem to blow out of proportion.  While Eugene Monroe was there, uncertainty exists for him as well as he dislocated a knee cap in college.  I like the Andre Smith pick.

-REY MAUALUGA!!!: A moment of shear panic consumed me when this guy was available for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  That's all the Bengals need...two crazy Polynesian dudes running all over the place wreaking havoc on our offense.  Instead, he fell and the Bengals pounced on him.  While I would have been fine with Center Max Unger or Maualuga, I think the right choice was made.  The defense now has swagger and a little bit of crazy.  Point taken from Comrade Jenkins...Marvin and Zimmer will have to coach him up and keep him disciplined but if you watched a USC college football game last year, you should be excited about this pick.  If we weren't on boycott, I'd consider a Maualuga jersey.  But we are on boycott and are not coming off of it so it looks like I'll be relegated to P Dub at least until the Bengals make the playoffs.

What I didn't like:

The draft just wouldn't be complete without a selection like this: Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian.  Here's his Scouts Inc.'s character profile (Scouts Inc.'s gave him a 5, the lowest possible character score):

2008: Finishing 18 month of probation for giving false information to a police officer during a traffic stop. 2005: Central Arkansas dismisses Scott from the team for striking a coach who was trying to break up a fight during a spring practice. 2002: High School dismisses him from team before senior season for involvement in an off-campus fight.

What more can be said at this point?  Jason Shirley last year and Bernard Scott this year.  Disgusting.

-Maybe they tried but the Bengals should have coupled some of their later round picks or even next year's mid-round picks considering how many compensatory picks we get every year to attempt to snag one of the top 3 Centers in addition to Maualuga...but the Bengals simply don't make trades on draft day and continue to stay put rather than jumping up to effectively fill needs.  While we continue to see good teams make deals on draft day to get the players that they want and need (i.e. Baltimore Ravens), the Bengals just won't do it.  Then again...the Center that the Bengals did draft could prove me wrong...

What the jury is still out on:

Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech and Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas.  After the Bengals didn't get one of the top 3 Centers, I thought the third round selection would be Antoine Caldwell, the Center from Alabama instead of DT, Michael Johnson.  Instead the Bengals waited another round and drafted Center Jonathan Luigs from Arkansas. That being said, who am I to judge if one is better than the other?  But what I do wonder is if the Bengals waited a bit too long on Center.  Michael Johnson certainly looked like a freakshow in his highlight film and you gotta love his speed and size.  On the other hand, he's said to have motivational problems and be an underachiever.  Again, this is another instance where Marvin Lewis and Mike Zimmer will be crucial.  If we can get something out of him and improve the pass rush, it's obviously a good pick.  If it's not, comparisons should certainly be made between Luigs and Caldwell in the next few years.  Center was such a huge need for the Bengals going into the draft and one of my only concerns is whether this wasn't addressed soon enough.  After all, I definitely can think of another Center drafted in the fourth round.  His name is Eric Ghiaciuc.

-Kevin Huber: If Kyle Larson is still the punter of this football team, it makes no sense.  I'd like to think there's no way that happens but Larson somehow has managed to stick around year after year.  If Huber takes over and is effective, the 5th round selection on a punter is justified.

In sum, the Andre Smith and Rey Maualuga picks are as good as one can hope for on the first day.  With the second day picks in particular (and as always with all draft picks), only time will tell.  It's a little disconcerting that a 4th round pick or Dan Santucci or Kyle Cook (combined NFL starts: 0) will be manning that position next year, particularly with Carson Palmer getting the crap kicked out of him last year and Crazy Legs Fitzpatrick running for his life. 

Comments

[Sly Vramavomovich]

But Dan Santucci and Kyle Cook were "ready" to start last year.

[matt]

I love the micheal johnson drafting early in the year he was even projected a top 5 pick if they can get him motivated he has hall of fame potential not often you get a 6 foot 8 guy who can run a 4.50 40 time he is a physical specimen

[jdarts85]

Usually I like some of your posts but this one is a bit flawed and amateurish for a guy giving his take on the draft. 1) Michael Johnson is a DE, not a DT. 2) The Bearcat punter that was drafted by the Bengals goes by the name of Kevin, not Mike. If you're gonna post your impressions of the draft at least give the appearance you actually followed it. Thanks

[votasi]

has jason shirley or scott been arrested this past year or under suspicion for firing a gun at someone or killing someone with their car or carrying a unregistered and loaded weapon into a club and having it go off only to injure themselves? no. but, choir boys leon hall and marvin harrison can say yes to some of those. veteran personalities like stalworth and burress can say yes to the others. every player is different. every case is unique. we don't get banned from drafting talent just because some guys in the past made more decisions. what we need on this team are high talent guys that take their opportunity and deliver all they've got. what we need life is less crime and more personal responsibility. i think every person can always change to deliver both.

[votasi]

made 'poor' decisions, my apologies.

[Marco Antonio Romero Anaya]

Desde Mexico City
Considero que fue un Draft muy balanceado sin sorpresas nocivas o inesperadas.
Sin embargo hace falta entrenarlos y verlos jugar en la NFL pero me agrada la selección de Andre Smith y Rey Maualuga, el primero porque fortalecera la linea ofensiva que le dara la protección a Palmer y el segundo para fortalecer el cuerpo de LB que seguramente acompañara a Jeanty y a Rivers.Se atendieron las necesidades principales que el equipo tiene.

Buen Draft¡¡¡

[themask]

I like Luigs; he had a bit of a down season last year but the kid can play. I actually expect him to start if he increases his strength over the summer; he's big, smart and aggressive (though we suck at center so that doesn't mean he's all that good). I'm happy with that pick, personally. Johnson is a project, sure, but here's the thing--if you're going to select a project, you could do a whole hell of a lot worse than a guy who was projected as a first-rounder a couple of months ago, with ideal size and ability to rush the passer. If they had to take a risk there, I'm totally fine with him being the risk.

If anything, this draft shows me that they want to be much more aggressive next year on defense. They have a rotation of guys now on the defensive line and at linebacker should they decide to blitz more often.

Scott is wholly indefensible, though--that might be their worst character pick ever, which means a lot.

[Who Dey NYC]

Corrected JDarts...sorry about that. Trying to get a post up too quickly just after the draft. The analysis remains the same.

[josh]

this website is losing my support a little more with every post. complain about the bengals not having a gm/mike brown, dont try to tell the bengals what to do and find something wrong with every move they do make. and get your shit right, its kevin huber not mike.

[Who Dey NYC]

Additionally, I am indeed an amateur as I am a lawyer and this is a blog.

[T]

I agree. Give credit where credit is due. They got three projected first rounders in three rounds. And those were not reaches. That TE is going to be nasty, as will Johnson. The Scott thing is, as stated above, indefensible. But generally, guys in those late 6-7 round are reaches that likely end up on the practice squad or cut.

[P.O.U.M.]

there's nothing to defend. it's a 6th round pick. a late 6th round pick. who cares if the guy had problems in the past. we should start lining up every lawyer that's had a d.u.i and disbar them. and this kid hasn't had a d.u.i. and to hear it told, he's not been convicted of anything that won't be expunged. get over yourselves. if he makes the team, stays clean, and pops an okey-doke, then why the hell not?

to comment on my boy john clayton's tasty tidbit of a rumor: could it be that buffalo is holding out for a levi johnson trade? could it be that they also drafted a guard in later rounds? could it be that they'd jump at levi and our center and possibly a pick next year for wood (certainly an upgrade and also a hometown kid)? if not, i'm not going to complain about this center and certainly not our draft.

[glove]

I'm not happy about the character on Scott, but man, the dude produced. He put up crazy numbers and can't be worse than Chris Perry. We just need to keep Chris henry away from him and see if he can make the team. Also, kind of intrigued by Fui from BYU. I'm hoping he can replace jeremi johnson.

[T]

Marco,
Gracias por tus observasiones. Fue un draft completo y pienso que estos jugadores van a advansar nuestra causa. Buena suerte en Mexico City quidate contra el flu.
Cheers!

[BengalAnthony13]

Incredible draft, period. Maualuga and Johnson gives the Bengals big pieces and depth on a defense that needs more size and swagger in the smashmouth AFC North. Smith may be more of a gamble than Monroe, but he also has way more upside--he's growing on me. I love the Coffman pick. We can finally get rid of Coats and now have a larger, quicker Dallas Clark for Carson. Luigs isn't the Center that Unger, Mack or Wood are, but the dude won the Rimington award in 2007 when he blocked for McFadden and Felix Jones. He's a bit smallish but will be an upgrade from Ghiacuic. As for Bernard Scott, yeah I'm not a fan of that pick especially when Rashad Jennings from Liberty was on the board, but dude can play and it was a sixth round pick after all. The Patriots used a third round pick on Tate, the WR from North Carolina who tested positive for Marijuana at the combine and no one said a word (yes, I know the Bengals past). The Bengals needed a great draft and came through huge.

[AJ]

Bernard Scott - goes t a christian school and has a rap sheet - nice. I will say that it is nice that Mike Brown and Co. waiting until the 6th round to pick up a character issue guy. Picking one up earlier (2nd, like Odell and 3rd, like Henry) would be a waste of a pick, but when you have tons of picks, and you wait very late - well, not that bad. Not perfect, mind you, but with this team it can always be worse.