Cincinnati Bengals Mock Draft: B/R Community Top 100 and 7-Round Results

The 2015 NFL draft is perhaps the most unpredictable surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals in recent memory, making each mock draft a fresh offering with interesting possibilities.

Bleacher Report recently held a league-wide community mock draft of the top 100 picks, where a Featured Columnist acted as the general manager of each team.

As the representative for the Bengals, I entered the fray with an open mind and made a point to mesh a best-player-available strategy with team need, all while reacting to the shifts and trends of the board as 32 writers with team-specific knowledge made their picks.

Within, let's examine the results. Keep in mind we mocked the first 100 picks together and then broke down Round 4 and beyond on our own.

Round 1

Round 1 Community Draft

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Buccaneers	Jameis Winston	QB	Florida State
2	Titans	Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon
3	Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr.	DE	Florida
4	Raiders	Leonard Williams	DT	USC
5	Redskins	Brandon Scherff	OL	Iowa
6	Jets	Vic Beasley	OLB	Clemson
7	Bears	Amari Cooper	WR	Alabama
8	Falcons	Bud Dupree	DE	Kentucky
9	Giants	Kevin White	WR	West Virginia
10	Rams	Andrus Peat	OT	Stanford
11	Vikings	Marcus Peters	CB	Washington
12	Browns	DeVante Parker	WR	Louisville
13	Saints	Shane Ray	DE	Missouri
14	Dolphins	La'el Collins	OL	LSU
15	49ers	Trae Waynes	CB	Michigan State
16	Texans	Breshad Perriman	WR	UCF
17	Chargers	Danny Shelton	DT	Washington
18	Chiefs	Randy Gregory	LB	Nebraska
19	Browns	Todd Gurley	RB	Georgia
20	Eagles	Jake Fisher	OL	Oregon
21	Bengals	Landon Collins	S	Alabama
22	Steelers	Kevin Johnson	CB	Wake Forest
23	Lions	Malcom Brown	DT	Texas
24	Cardinals	Cameron Erving	OC	Florida State
25	Panthers	Ereck Flowers	OT	Miami (FL)
26	Ravens	Jaelen Strong	WR	Arizona State
27	Cowboys	Byron Jones	CB	Connecticut
28	Broncos	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Pittsburgh
29	Colts	Arik Armstead	DE	Oregon
30	Packers	Owamagbe Odighizuwa	OLB	UCLA
31	Saints	Eric Kendricks	LB	UCLA
32	Patriots	Melvin Gordon	RB	Wisconsin

The Pick (No. 21): Landon Collins, S, Alabama

Curveball, right? 

Safety is far from the biggest need in Cincinnati, especially after George Iloka's breakout season last year and Shawn Williams waiting in the wings.

In a perfect world, I wanted to grab an offensive tackle to groom behind the team's two starters. There wasn't value there with Brandon Scherff, Andrus Peat, La'el Collins and Jake Fisher off the board.

An edge-rusher was also in consideration, but with even Randy Gregory off the board, I thought it wise to wait. Ditto for wideout—the Bengals could use a fourth receiver, and it didn't make sense to reach in the first round with the top four names off the board before No. 21.

It came down to Malcom Brown or Landon Collins, but I figure the front office is content at defensive tackle with Pat Sims back in the fold.

About Collins—he's considered by most the best safety in the class. He struggles as a center fielder but can hover in the linebacker-safety role the Bengals love as a run defender. He's a freak who ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at 6'0" and 228 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine.

In the first round, I wanted instant impact. Collins provides that in certain packages and will be a special teams centerpiece. I also wanted a long-term solution, which Collins provides given Reggie Nelson is going on 32 years old next season and Williams is far from a sure thing next to Iloka.

While far from what I expected going into the round, getting the best player at a position who walks the now-later tightrope well isn't upsetting in the least. 

Round 2

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Round 2 Community Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
33	Titans	Jalen Collins	CB	LSU
34	Buccaneers	Ty Sambrailo	OL	Colorado State
35	Raiders	Nelson Agholor	WR	USC
36	Jaguars	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Oklahoma
37	Jets	Laken Tomlinson	OG	Duke
38	Redskins	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Nebraska
39	Bears	Eli Harold	OLB	Virginia
40	Giants	Damarious Randall	S	Arizona State
41	Rams	D.J. Humphries	OL	Florida
42	Falcons	Eric Rowe	S	Utah
43	Browns	Donovan Smith	OT	Penn State
44	Saints	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Miami (FL)
45	Vikings	Stephone Anthony	LB	Clemson
46	49ers	Preston Smith	DE	Mississippi State
47	Dolphins	Devin Funchess	WR/TE	Michigan
48	Chargers	Tevin Coleman	RB	Indiana
49	Chiefs	Eddie Goldman	DL	Florida State
50	Bills	A.J. Cann	OG	South Carolina
51	Texans	Benardrick McKinney	OLB	Mississippi State
52	Eagles	Devin Smith	WR	Ohio State
53	Bengals	Maxx Williams	TE	Minnesota
54	Lions	Duke Johnson	RB	Miami (FL)
55	Cardinals	Ronald Darby	CB	Florida State
56	Steelers	Nate Orchard	DE/LB	Utah
57	Panthers	Jay Ajayi	RB	Boise State
58	Ravens	Clive Walford	TE	Miami (FL)
59	Broncos	Grady Jarrett	DT	Clemson
60	Cowboys	TJ Yeldon	RB	Alabama
61	Colts	Paul Dawson	LB	TCU
62	Packers	P.J. Williams	CB	Florida State
63	Seahawks	Carl Davis	DL	Iowa
64	Patriots	Tre' Jackson	OG	Florida State

The Pick (No. 53): Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota 

Again, not exactly what I had in mind going into the round. 

The run on offensive linemen continued, with Ty Sambrailo, D.J. Humphries and even Donovan Smith coming off the board. The top guards—A.J. Cann and Laken Tomlinson—came off, too.

On defense, a few sneaky edge-rushers came off the board, as did an interior enforcer such as Eddie Goldman. I thought it best to wait another round, especially with Michael Johnson back in the fold and Margus Hunt healthy.

Instead, I turned to offense, where a number of receivers I targeted came off the board before No. 53, including Miami's Phillip Dorsett and Ohio State's Devin Smith. I didn't want to reach on a Rashad Greene or Sammie Coates, so I turned to tight end.

Of course, there was the class' top player at the position, Maxx Williams. As a sophomore, he inhaled 36 passes for 569 yards and eight touchdowns on a run-first offense, and NFL.com compares him to Jeremy Shockey.

An alleged attitude in the NFL.com report seems to hurt Williams' stock, but in a time of smokescreens and speculation, I'm not going to pass on a guy at No. 53 who was formerly considered a first-round pick because someone thinks he's arrogant.

Williams is a special player who is both pro-ready and touts room to grow. He's another consistent target Andy Dalton needs, and he gives the staff flexibility as to where Tyler Eifert lines up each down, not to mention insurance if Eifert suffers another injury.

Again, I'm not upset about the best player at a position at great value, let alone one who can make a positive impact right away.

Round 3

David Stephenson/Associated Press

Round 3 Community Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
65	Buccaneers	Rashad Greene	WR	Florida State
66	Titans	Cedric Ogbuehi	OT	Texas A&M
67	Jaguars	Jeremy Langford	RB	Michigan State
68	Raiders	Ali Marpet	OG	Hobart College
69	Redskins	Danielle Hunter	DE	LSU
70	Jets	Tre McBride	WR	William & Mary
71	Bears	Jaquiski Tartt	S	Samford
72	Rams	Sammie Coates	WR	Auburn
73	Falcons	Mitch Morse	OG	Missouri
74	Giants	Rob Havenstein	OT	Wisconsin
75	Saints	D'Joun Smith	CB	Florida Atlantic
76	Vikings	Shaq Thompson	OLB	Washington
77	Browns	Jordan Phillips	DT	Oklahoma
78	Saints	John Miller	OG	Louisville
79	49ers	Denzel Perryman	ILB	Miami (FL)
80	Chiefs	Tyler Lockett	WR	Kansas State
81	Bills	Bryce Petty	QB	Baylor
82	Texans	Doran Grant	CB	Ohio State
83	Chargers	Hau'oli Kikaha	OLB	Washington
84	Eagles	Quinten Rollins	CB	Miami (OH)
85	Bengals	Za'Darius Smith	DE	Kentucky
86	Cardinals	David Cobb	RB	Minnesota
87	Steelers	Jeff Heuerman	TE	Ohio State
88	Lions	Josh Shaw	CB	USC
89	Panthers	Michael Bennett	DT	Ohio State
90	Ravens	Derron Smith	SS	Fresno State
91	Cowboys	Trey Flowers	DE	Arkansas
92	Broncos	Henry Anderson	DE	Stanford
93	Colts	Mike Davis	RB	South Carolina
94	Packers	Brett Hundley	QB	UCLA
95	Seahawks	Alex Carter	CB	Stanford
96	Patriots	Kenny Bell	WR	Nebraska
97	Patriots	Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	CB	Oregon
98	Chiefs	Senquez Golson	CB	Ole Miss
99	Bengals	Steven Nelson	CB	Oregon State
*100	Titans	Nick O'Leary	TE	Florida State

*First pick of Round 4.

The Pick (No. 85): Za'Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky

I took a value gamble in the second round hoping injured offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi would make it to No. 85. I also held out hope wideouts Tyler Lockett and Sammie Coates would take a fall and present better value than in the second round.

Instead, I found an edge force in Kentucky's Za'Darius Smith.

Folks in the know understand Smith isn't the most explosive pass-rusher around and his strength comes against the running game. I figured it wasn't a bad idea to grab such a player, though, especially with Robert Geathers gone.

Smith might be able to contribute on a rotational basis as a rookie, and it's not as if we haven't seen the depth and scheme of the unit in Cincinnati make a "run defender" into a pretty solid contributor from a pass-rushing standpoint, either.

A bit of a project, Smith caught my eye at No. 85 and wouldn't let go.

The Pick (No. 99): Steven Nelson, CB, Oregon State

With an extra pick to work with in the third round, I decided to reinforce one of the most important positions in football these days.

Steven Nelson is impossible to ignore at No. 99, especially when NFL.com's Lance Zierlein writes, "An aggressive, physical player in run support who can also limit yards after catch underneath, Nelson does his best work in off coverage. As long as he can keep everything in front of him, Nelson should be able to compete for a starting spot in the league."

Nelson was productive in the Pac-12, and slot corners are just as important as any. Cincinnati looks set on the outside for a long time with Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard, but keep in mind Adam Jones is also going into his age-32 season. It's better to prepare for the future now with an extra pick than to get caught reacting in future years.

Round 4

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

The Pick (No. 120): Bobby Richardson, DT, Indiana

Free of the shackles of a live mock draft, we can use the rest of the available players to address positions of need for the Cincinnati Bengals, so long as the value is right. 

One of the question marks despite Pat Sims' return is the productivity of those behind Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. It's something solvable through competition, which is what the Bengals add at No. 120 with Bobby Richardson. 

At 6'3" and 283 pounds, Richardson is an elite athlete with high upside who can one day become a starter at the pro level in the right scheme. Cincinnati's rotational attack plays to his strengths.

The Pick (No. 135): Austin Shepherd, OT, Alabama

Based on the value, adding a coachable player with moderate upside at offensive tackle makes sense now. 

They don't come more coachable than from the Nick Saban factory, so Austin Shepherd is a sound fit. Shepherd has the look and size of an NFL player, and with a year of guidance from Andrew Whitworth and others, he might just develop into a starter.

Round 5

AJ Mast/Associated Press

The Pick (No. 157): Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland

Yes, at some point the Cincinnati Bengals need to grab a weapon in this mock. With the way the board fell, though, it seemed best to wait until the later rounds and grab a high-upside fourth receiver who can double as a returner on special teams. 

Stefon Diggs passes the requirements test with flying colors. He's a three-year starter out of Maryland who caught 62 passes for 792 yards and five scores last year. He's also the owner of two kickoff-return touchdowns.

Many love what Diggs brings to the table, including NFL Network's Mike Mayock, as RosterWatch captures:

"

Mayock on Stefon Diggs - Special with the ball in his hands, probably going in 4th or 5th round. We think he goes sooner.

— RosterWatch (@RosterWatch) April 23, 2015"

Diggs will contribute right away as a returner and has the sheer talent to step in and produce if asked.

Round 6

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The Pick (No. 196): Jake Ryan, OLB, Michigan

It's not a secret the Cincinnati Bengals could use more linebacker depth after the vast number of injuries last season.

While developing names such as Marquis Flowers and Sean Porter are still around, it never hurts to grab a guy like Jake Ryan.

The Michigan product can man the "Sam" position with further development, and in the meantime, he at least provides another strong presence on special teams.

Round 7

Butch Dill/Associated Press

The Pick (No. 238): Corey Grant, RB, Auburn

There's no such thing as too many running backs in the NFL. 

The Cincinnati Bengals look good with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard leading the charge, not to mention the budding Rex Burkhead as a versatile asset.

Still, competition on the back end to push Cedric Peerman and James Wilder Jr. makes sense, and Auburn's Corey Grant should be on the board.

Grant was hardly used at Auburn, carrying the ball just 135 times, but still scored nine touchdowns and averaged north of six yards per carry every season he carried it more than 10 times.

He's also the guy who blazed unofficial times of 4.25 and 4.27 in the 40-yard dash, meaning he's a big-play threat every time he touches the football. Perhaps a return asset and situational player, Grant seems like a late-round gamble worth taking.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of April 26 at 9 p.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.