Updating Cincinnati Bengals' 1st-Round Big Board Post-Combine
Presumably, the Cincinnati Bengals personnel in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine over the past few days had a pretty cut-and-dry job.
Cincinnati once again finds itself in a luxurious position with few glaring needs to address. Even better, the top few needs just so happen to be some of the deeper areas in this year's draft—chiefly help in the trenches on both sides of the football.
The Bengals figure to address the fact the defense registered a putrid 20 sacks over the course of last season, as well as reinforce the interior and perhaps build for the future at offensive tackle. Things such as grabbing a fourth wide receiver are likely to wait until the mid-rounds.
Within, let's take a look at a brief post-combine Bengals big board based strictly on need and value at No. 21 overall. This means high-profile names such as USC's Leonard Williams, Nebraska's Randy Gregory, Clemson's Vic Beasley and more will not make an appearance.
Such are the negatives of picking in the early 20s in any draft.
10. T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh's T.J. Clemmings is a fringe first-round pick at best, but he's worth consideration in the Queen City because he's a project most teams would love to invest in if afforded the time.
The Bengals have that time so long as Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith remain healthy.
Clemmings is a freak of an athlete at 6'5" and 309 pounds who also put together a 5.14 40-yard dash, an eye-popping 32.5-inch vertical and one of the best 20-yard shuttle numbers at 4.54.
The knock on Clemmings is that he is quite raw. If there is one situation where he can learn from an experienced staff while veterans exemplify the technique necessary to succeed at the pro level, it's in Cincinnati.
9. Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Fla.)
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Now is a good time to throw another offensive lineman on the board, especially considering Ereck Flowers is one of the last few names worth a first-round pick.
Flowers is a mammoth at 6'6" and 329 pounds and offers the Bengals a sense of versatility behind their starters as he prepares to one day take over a spot on the starting five.
It's hard to say which spot that will turn out to be, though, as NFL Network's Brian Billick summarizes:
"Miami's OT Ereck Flowers looks like he'd get exposed quickly on edge. I'd move him inside as ROG and he could contribute from day 1 there.
— Brian Billick (@CoachBillick) February 20, 2015"
Alas, Flowers isn't a horrible usage of the team's pick if the staff leans in the direction of need and building for the future.
8. Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
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The Carl Davis hype train really began at the Senior Bowl and has yet to slow.
Davis hit the combine at a compact 6'5" and 320 pounds, using the bevy of drills to showcase his explosiveness and strong hand usage.
The knocks on Davis are motor and consistency as a rusher—the latter perhaps brought into question more based on what Iowa asked him to do as opposed to actual ability.
Regardless, Davis will be on the board when the Bengals walk to the podium, and the staff could do much worse if the team is on the hunt for an immediate-impact rookie in the opening round for the first time in a while.
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7. Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
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If Cincinnati wants to get as big as possible at nose tackle, Florida State's Eddie Goldman is the guy.
Goldman checked in at a hefty 6'4" and 336 pounds at the combine, a notable increase from his collegiate listing of 320 pounds.
While he's an inconsistent pass-rusher, it should go without saying that Goldman consumes blockers and dictates the progression of a rushing play, making the lives of linebackers behind him easier.
Even better, Goldman's inconsistency as a rusher may evaporate as well, provided he joins a line with Geno Atkins next to him and rushers such as Carlos Dunlap on the outside.
6. Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA
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Health concerns can only push a prospect so far down the board before his immense talent evens things out.
This may be the case at No. 21 for Cincinnati with UCLA product Owamagbe Odighizuwa, whose only red flag is a pair of hip injuries.
Everything else certainly checks out. He's 6'3" and 267 pounds, ran a 4.62 40-yard dash and clearly has elite lower-body explosion, given his 39-inch vertical and 127-inch broad jump.
Odighizuwa is a defensive end in the purest sense whose strength comes against the run, not as a rusher. While not exactly what the Bengals need per se, a strong rotational contributor to eventually replace veteran Robert Geathers is not a horrific expenditure of the pick.
5. Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
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Jordan Phillips is one of the biggest winners of this year's combine.
Cincinnati likely kept a close eye on him too.
The year of the defensive tackle cannot prohibit someone such as Phillips from falling to No. 21. He's 6'5" and 329 pounds; those numbers are even more impressive when one realizes he ran a 5.17 40-yard dash and put up 28 reps on the bench press.
The one problem with Phillips to this point is motor, as an AFC North scout told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com: "He has the body type and length to play in a 3-4 or 4-3 front, but there is no reason to move him from the nose. If he gets that motor going, he could be a dominant pro."
If that alleged issue doesn't scare off the Bengals, and there isn't a better value on the board, Phillips is a dark horse to start next to Geno Atkins next year.
4. Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
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The Bengals could also go the upside route and grab a rotational rusher who can impact games right away thanks to his explosive first step.
Eli Harold out of Virginia is one of the first names who come to mind given where the Bengals sit in the order.
From at least one standpoint, he measures with the best of the best, as captured by Yahoo's Sports' Rand Getlin:
"QB in the league gotta be terrified looking at these times. Eli Harold ran 4.53?! Hunter and Gregory sub 4.6? Lawd. pic.twitter.com/b0Z6cAl7yz
— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) February 22, 2015"
Harold only measures in at 6'3" and 247 pounds—again, not traditional Bengals size—but his ability to move in space and keep offenses guessing would add an additional wrinkle to a Cincinnati defense that is hard enough to prepare for each week.
3. La'el Collins, OT, LSU
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Truthfully, La'el Collins continues to be one of the more polarizing players in the 2015 class.
Before the combine, many wondered if his best fit at the pro level was on the interior, which obviously dilutes his first-round value quite a bit.
Collins looked to squash those questions and put on a show at a lean 6'4" and 305 pounds with somewhat surprising agility measurements. He's certainly a better tackle candidate than before the combine, although those numbers are a small facet of the overall package.
The offensive line overall is a mixed bag this year, but questions surrounding Collins could cause him to fall. Offensive line coach Paul Alexander and the rest of the staff wouldn't mind another LSU product in the trenches, especially if he doesn't need to start right away and can take the time to develop.
2. Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
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Marvin Lewis and his staff are also strong contenders to grab an edge defender.
Shane Ray fits the bill, especially with Dante Fowler Jr., Vic Beasley, Randy Gregory and Alvin Dupree surely off the board by No. 21.
It is important to note that Ray is not a typical Bengals selection. At the combine, he weighed in at 6'3' and 245 pounds, whereas Lewis tends to prefer his ends in the 270-pound range.
Still, Ray is the sort of explosive, versatile athlete the staff would have a hard time passing on, especially because he played right end in a 4-3 in college and kicked inside to 3-technique on passing downs.
In some ways, he's the anti-Bengals pick. In other ways, he's perfect.
1. Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
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Cincinnati needs to upgrade in the defensive trenches next to Geno Atkins and at the same time perhaps prepare for a reality in which he never returns to pre-ACL injury form.
It's a harsh reality, yes, but one Texas' Malcom Brown could help to make much easier.
At No. 21 overall, Leonard Williams and Danny Shelton figure to be off the board, but Brown is one heck of a consolation prize.
At the combine, Brown weighed in at 6'2" and 319 pounds while showing solid speed with a 5.05 mark in the 40-yard dash, among other impressive numbers.
Brown can rush the passer thanks to his great use of leverage or help shift a running play to his will, making him a great value if the Bengals retain their pick.
Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of February 24 at 9 p.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.
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