Time flies when you’re having fun and here we are just 9 days away from the 2016 NFL Draft. I can think of no better way to kick off the last full week before the Draft than by going with the BENGALS, as one of the more conservative, straight-down-the-middle teams in the League. They are still the only NFL team holding the exact Draft Picks that they held coming out of the 2015 season. There are no lack of positions that need shoring up for this team, so here we go,
Round 1, Pick 24 JOSH DOCTSON/WR/TCU 6’2/202
The team lost SANU/JONES to VFA this off-season. That will give the team an excuse to upgrade the talent level around AJ GREEN. And DOCTSON should compliment GREEN very nicely. DOCTSON caught 79 balls for TCU last fall, even though he played in only 11 games because of a wrist injury. He got into the end zone 14 times, which is just what the BENGALS need to add. He has excellent hands and locates the ball very well in the air. Those two skills more than compensate for his lack of blazing speed, 4.46/40. Like GREEN he is almost a sure thing when battling to high point the ball against defenders. He should see the field early and often this season. PP#22
Round 2, Pick 55 VONN BELL/S/OHIO STATE 5’11/199
The team also lost a couple of S to VFA in the past two months. Though not a crunching tackler BELL may be an even better athlete and cover-guy than the departed REGGIE NELSON. He topped out in 2014 as a ball hawk with 6 INT for the Buckeyes. He fell to 2 last season, but his ball skills are top notch. BELL needs to add a few pounds of muscle for the NFL game long term, and clean up his sometimes sloppy tackling technique. He won’t be expected to win a starting job coming out of Training Camp but will certainly be inserted into sub-packages right away. PP#53
Round 3, Pick 87 LeRAVEN CLARK/OT/TEXAS TECH 6’5/316
Like they do with most OL expect CLARK to see limited action as a Rookie, barring emergency needs. But he has the athleticism, length and physicality to be a long term starter in the NFL. Once he adapts to using a 3-point stance he could dominate, and might man the LT spot. He was at the Senior Bowl and wowed with his athleticism and potential. His upside says starter, with very little cause for concern about his ability to fulfill that potential. PP#84
Round 4, Pick 122 CHARLES TAPPER/DE/OLB/OKLAHOMA 6’3/271
The former Sooner is an intriguing athlete with exciting upside. Mobile on his feet, with quick & strong hand usage, he makes plays. Played DE most of the time in college, but was shifted inside at times to generate rush pressure on throwing downs. Is a big time play maker and seems to have a high FBI. With 4.59/40 speed, he may also have the potential to stand up and drop into coverage. He might get a look there since the BENGALS LB corps has shown some vulnerability in recent seasons. Showed very well at the Senior Bowl venue as a versatile, impact player. PP#122
Round 5, Pick 161 ERIC STRIKER/LB/OKLAHOMA 5’11/227
A player who flies around the field making plays. Should excel immediately on Special Teams, while the coaches figure out how to use him from scrimmage. He’s not fast enough to play SS, but might be used in-the-box on early downs. Could he lose a few pounds and convert to SS? Perhaps. He should also have great value as a blitzer off the edge, where he plays even faster than his timed 40 of 4.71. For Round 5 he presents multiple potential options and brings a winning attitude to the locker room. Considered a character in the locker room, but in a positive team morale way. PP#155
Round 6, Pick 199 KOLBY LISTENBEE/WR/TCU 6’0/197
In a year where the WR group of prospects clearly lacks blazing speed, his 4.34/40 at the Combine really stands out. And he plays that fast folks. Watching film you see him running past DB on a regular basis. He has dependable hands and some of us feel he didn’t catch more than 30 balls as a senior because of missed time, and the inability of his QB to throw a deep accurate ball consistently. A track All-American (twice) he needs time to develop better route running habits, but you can’t teach speed, which he has plenty of. Nice value pick here to help restock depth in that receiving corps. PP# 201
Round 7, Pick 245 RASHARD ROBINSON/CB/LSU 6’1/171
This stick figure looked like the next great CB at LSU, but then some issues developed and he ended up out of he football program. After some initial talk of coming back to school he ended up declaring for the Draft. He has natural cover skills despite lacking elite speed for the Corner. This is a high risk, high reward kind of player who MARVIN LEWIS seldom shies away from. Boom or bust, but it’s Round 7. PP# 247
Looks to me like a typical BENGALS Draft that will look better than first blush in a couple of seasons, when it produces 3-4 starters and just about everyone makes the roster. That’s just how they roll around Draft time in Cincinnati.
