Cincinnati Bengals: Reviewing the Team Needs in 2012 NFL Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals did a solid job (one that is still ongoing) of filling roster holes in free agency. However, there are positions of need that are better to take care of via the draft.

Here are those areas of need and the players the Bengals may be eying to fill them.

Offensive Guard

Last year's starting right guard, Bobbie Williams, is an unrestricted free agent that the Bengals aren't likely to re-sign, and the rest of their depth at guard is shaky at best.

So it's likely the Bengals will be looking for a replacement—and possible starter—at the position this year. They did add Travelle Wharton via free agency, but depth and youth on the line is still a high priority.

The best bet for the Bengals to find a starting-caliber guard in this year's draft is to use one of their two first-round picks on the position. It's quite possible that the top guard of the draft class, Stanford's David DeCastro, could still be on the board by the time the Bengals pick 17th—if so, they should certainly go for him.

Another first-round option is the much-coveted Cordy Glenn. Troy's James Brown and Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler could also be in play for the Bengals with their second of two first-round picks, or in the second round.

Wide Receiver

The Bengals didn't make a move in free agency to pick up one of the top wide receivers on the market, which means the draft will be the likely source of a new target for quarterback Andy Dalton to throw to.

While it's not a foregone conclusion that the Bengals won't re-sign receiver Jerome Simpson, the fact that he's facing jail time and a four-game suspension for drug possession means the team will certainly have to add to their receiving corps even if Simpson gets a new deal.

Cincinnati fared just fine by making rookie receiver A.J. Green their No. 1 wideout—this year, they'll need to find a complement to Green, and the first round could be an option.

If so, Baylor's Kendall Wright, Notre Dame's Michael Floyd and Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill are all in play for the Bengals. Mohamed Sanu and Alshon Jeffery could also be good first-round pickups.

It's a deep draft class at receiver, so the Bengals could choose to bring one on in a later round, but I see that possibility as less likely than them doing so in Round 1. That's where the elite-level talent lies, which is just the kind of player the Bengals would benefit from putting on the field with Green.

Defensive End

Cincinnati lost two defensive ends to free agency this offseason, and though they've brought on a free agent—Derrick Harvey—they'll likely also add one, or perhaps two, defensive ends in this year's draft.

There's a good deal of depth when it comes to 4-3 defensive ends this year, so the Bengals should be able to make a quality acquisition at the position in the second or third rounds.

They may be able to get a top-flight talent like Clemson's Andre Branch or USC's Nick Perry in later rounds, depending on demand. Otherwise, Marshall's Vinny Curry, Virginia's Cam Johnson, Arkansas' Jake Bequette or Syracuse's Chandler Jones could be solid later additions.

Again, it's a deep class for defensive ends, so even if the Bengals pick one up in Rounds 4 or 5, they could still bring in a player with starting talent.

Cornerback

No, the Bengals aren't set at cornerback yet, though they have five currently on the roster. The team is still aggressively pursuing free agent Terence Newman, but if they don't land him, there's a strong possibility they grab one in the draft.

Most of the cornerback talent will be found in the first round or two of the draft, so if the Bengals want a more elite corner, they'll have to use one of their two first-round picks on the position.

Morris Claiborne is likely out of their reach, but South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore would be a perfect fit for the Bengals and should still be on the board by the time they pick.

Janoris Jenkins and Dre Kirkpatrick could drop far enough that the Bengals may be able to draft them in the second round, but character issues may force the team to look elsewhere.

Later-round options include Central Florida's Josh Robinson, Vanderbilt's Casey Hayward, Montana's Trumaine Johnson and Virginia's Chase Minnifield.

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