Major Needs
Cornerback: The Bengals have talent at corner, the problem is that the majority of it is over 30. Leon Hall, Terence Newman and Adam Jones are all on the wrong side of 30 and Hall is coming off of his second achilles injury. The Bengals could use another young, talented corner to pair with Dre Kirkpatrick for the future. He likely wouldn’t start this year barring injuries however, so the Bengals may choose to wait until the middle rounds.
Center: The Bengals have had problems at the center position for a few years now and they have gotten a little more dire with the release of Kyle Cook. The Bengals are strong at three of the other four spots with Andrew Whitworth, Andre Smith and Kevin Zeitler holding down the fort. The center position has long been the weakest spot on the line and making sure it is fixed would make this one of the best lines in the league.
Defensive End: The Bengals lost Michael Johnson to Tampa Bay this year in free agency and he was a huge loss. Not only was he good in the pass and run games, but he takes away from their depth and rotation that they like so much. They are now forced to depend on second year player Margus Hunt for him minutes and we have no idea if he is ready. Don’t be surprised to see the Bengals target a defensive end sometime on day one of two.
Quarterback: Everyone may not agree with this, but Andy Dalton hasn’t done enough to prove to me he is worth the 17 million or so he is wanting. Paying him that much to play like he does in the playoffs would set this team back years. The Bengals need to take a quarterback this year so that Dalton doesn’t have them over a barrel when this year is over. If Dalton plays well you have a backup and a trade piece, if he doesn’t you have a successor to him.
Day-One Targets
Kyle Fuller: Fuller is the best cornerback in the draft and could step in right away and play if needed. Fuller has good length and plays very physically. He is very smart with great anticipation and instincts. He has excellent ball skills that will translate to the NFL. Plays the run well, is tenacious getting off blocks and always looks to strip the ball and force a turnover.
Bradley Roby: Another corner here that the Bengals may go with if Fuller is already off the board. Roby had some rough times in 2013, especially against Wisconsin. However, Roby is a very good man-cover corner who has great athleticism. He has very fluid hips which allow him to flip and run with the receiver. He blankets receivers and has NFL ball skills. He does get burnt by double moves, but good coaching could help correct that.
Teddy Bridgewater: I’m not sold that Bridgewater is going to fall, but that is all you are hearing from the media lately. Bridgewater could come in and sit behind Dalton for a year and let him know that he better improve. Bridgewater is an extremely accurate quarterback who has elite pocket presence and can read defenses at a NFL level. He needs to work on his deep ball, but he is the best quarterback in this class. If Dalton doesn’t play as well as he needs to the Bengals can afford to let him walk. If he does, Bridgewater is an excellent backup and trading chip.
Day-Two Targets
Weston Richburg: The Bengals may look to help sure up the offensive line in the second round and center is the biggest need on it. Richburg is either first or second in most people’s center rankings. Richburg shows good athleticism when he was able to pull on sweeps and tosses, as well as screen passes. Extremely smart player, making all of the line calls for Colorado State. He could step in and play right away, giving the Bengals a talented center for 10 years.
Kareem Martin: Martin is exactly the type of defensive end the Bengals like to draft. Martin has the height and the weight that the Bengals like to see in their defensive ends, as well as the long arms that allow him to bat down passes at the line. Martin plays the run well and is also versatile enough to move inside on passing downs which the Bengals love to do. Martin has the strength to rip himself free from blocks and get to the quarterback.
Walt Aikens: If the Bengals don’t take a corner in the first two rounds, Aikens is a guy who they could look at. Aikens is a big, athletic corner with long arms that can make plays on the ball. Aikens has very fluid hips and can turn and run with receivers extremely well. He has played both press-man and off-man, excelling at both. He plays the run well and is aggressive after the ball carrier, fighting through blocks to make a play.
Day-Three Targets
Antone Exum: Exum would give the Bengals a player who is versatile enough to slide between corner and safety if needed. Exum is quick in his backpedal and shows the ability to turn quickly and run with receivers. Shows good coordination to knock the ball away from receivers and good leaping ability to go up with receivers and knock the ball away. He is a big athletic corner who will stick his nose into the run game.
Aaron Lynch: Lynch was a standout freshman at Notre Dame before transferring to Southern Florida. However, after getting there he just didn’t look to be the same player. Lynch has elite size and athleticism to play the defensive end position. He also has an amazing first step that makes him difficult to block. However, he doesn’t seem to try all the time and cuts plays short if they go away from him. His technique has really fallen off since he was at Notre Dame as well. He is the type of player that can be a star if he can get motivated, but he wasn’t at Southern Florida. Lynch would be a good risk for the Bengals at this point, who have gotten other players to buy in (Vontaze Burfict).
Logan Thomas: I honestly don’t think he will fall this far, but if he does he is the type of quarterback I think Mike Brown will go for. I’ve heard that Brown wanted Colin Kaepernick, but Jay Gruden and Marvin Lewis wanted Andy Dalton. I don’t think Brown will let Lewis overrule him this time. Thomas has an elite blend of size, athleticism and arm strength. He showed in 2011 that he was a first round talent, but he just didn’t seem to improve in 2012 or 2013. He needs to work on his footwork and pocket presence, but will have a year at least to sit behind Dalton.
Final Seven-Round Mock
1. (24) Zack Martin, Offensive Tackle/Offensive Guard, Notre Dame
2. (55) Weston Richburg, Center, Colorado State
3. (88) Walt Aikens, Liberty, Cornerback
4. (123) Isaiah Crowell, Runningback, Alabama State
5. (164) Aaron Lynch, Defensive End, Southern Florida
6. (199) Aaron Colvin, Cornerback, Oklahoma
6. (212) Tevin Reese, Wide Receiver, Baylor
7. (239) Seantrel Henderson, Offensive Tackle, Miami
7. (252) Jay Prosch, Full Back, Auburn