Cincinnati Bengals Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
Welcome to Bleacher Report's coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2015 NFL draft.
This year's draft is more critical to team owner Mike Brown and newly extended coach Marvin Lewis than most realize. While the Bengals don't tout a ton of immediate needs, A.J. Green, Leon Hall, Andre Smith, Andrew Whitworth and Marvin Jones are just a sampling of the names headed to free agency after next season.
In other words, the Bengals approached the draft with an eye on the present, but perhaps an even bigger glance toward the future.
The front office did just that in the first and second rounds. At No. 21 the Bengals selected offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi out of Texas A&M, then grabbed another talented prospect at the position with Oregon's Jake Fisher at No. 53.
After, the team mixed offense and defense and stuck to its best-player approach while filling needs at wideout and at all three levels of the defense.
This slideshow was updated with a new slide each time the Bengals made a pick. Each slide include a breakdown of the pick, what it means and what to expect—along with a grade of the selection.
Full Breakdown of Bengals' Picks
1 of 10Here's a look at the full results for Cincinnati, which will update as picks roll in over the course of the draft's three days.
Round 1, Pick No. 21: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
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The Cincinnati Bengals hit one of the roster's most pertinent needs in Thursday's first round by selecting Texas A&M offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi.
This draft wasn't about the present for coach Marvin Lewis and the front office—thank years of solid drafting for that, capped off by the addition of Ogbuehi.
He fits well in the Queen City as a high-upside prospect who can take time in his recovery from a knee injury last season, while Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith still man left and right tackle, respectively.
The thing is, both Whitworth and Smith are heading to free agency after this season. Whitworth (33) is aging, and Smith enters 2015 off a season-ending injury, so Ogbuehi is the personification of Cincinnati's shoring up the position down the road.
At 6'5" and 306 pounds, Ogbuehi's elite athleticism suggests he can play on either side of the line once he's healthy, and best of all, he gets a pressure-free year to learn and heal.
Grade: A+
Round 2, Pick No. 53: Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon
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Well, nobody can ever say the Cincinnati Bengals don't stick to their draft board, as the team selected Oregon offensive tackle Jake Fisher at No. 53 Friday.
Fisher makes it two offensive tackles with the Bengals' first two picks in the draft, an approach clearly meant to both follow their board no matter what and to prepare for a future without Andre Smith and Andrew Whitworth—both become free agents after next season.
A mauler at 6'6" and 306 pounds, Fisher's an ideal backup right out of the gates who can take over on the edges once a starting position opens up. He's athletic and smart enough to bulldoze as a right tackle or drop back as a pass protector on the left side.
This is all about giving the Bengals options now and into the future. Now, because if there's a weakness such as Russell Bodine at center, the team has the personnel to shuffle and improve. Later, because Cincinnati doesn't have to fork over major cash for departing veterans and sacrifice elsewhere.
It's not a flashy pick, but it's hard to argue with the value and strategy.
Grade: B
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Round 3, Pick No. 85: Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers
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The Cincinnati Bengals kept things on the offensive side of the football in Round 3 Friday with Rutgers tight end Tyler Kroft at No. 85.
Kroft, who comes in at 6'5" and 246 pounds, is a lean big-play threat who can create mismatches all over the field and move the chains. He's great in Cincinnati's offense as a piece quarterback Andy Dalton can move around, but it's even better because he holds up well as a blocker.
In total, Kroft caught just 70 passes for 901 yards and five scores over three years with Rutgers while dealing with iffy quarterback play. His selection is more about upside, though, and with the Bengals losing Jermaine Gresham this offseason, he makes sense as a backup behind Tyler Eifert.
Still, the issue with Kroft is the value at No. 85. There's a reason the NFL.com link above grades him as a fifth-round prospect. Not everyone agrees, and clearly the Bengals don't, but the team perhaps could have found better value.
Kroft has a role in Cincinnati as a rookie, but he might have been on the board a tad longer.
Grade: C+
Round 3, Pick No. 99: Paul Dawson, LB, TCU
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The Cincinnati Bengals swung for the fences with one of their two compensatory selections this year, selecting TCU linebacker Paul Dawson at No. 99 to end the third round.
Dawson's an elite prospect on film, standing at 6'0" and 235 pounds. A blurb from NFL Network's Mike Mayock, via radio broadcaster Dan Hoard, says quite a lot:
"Mike Mayock on #Bengals third round pick Paul Dawson: "He'a the most instinctive linebacker I saw on tape this year."
— Dan Hoard (@Dan_Hoard) May 2, 2015"
The issues with Dawson come in the character department, as the linked NFL.com report above notes. His personality drove him down the board, but this wouldn't be the first time coach Marvin Lewis and the Bengals gambled on a polarizing linebacker with all the upside in the world.
Dawson's worth the risk. He's an every-down linebacker who can play right away. He can cover well enough thanks to his high football IQ and is a great spell to Rey Maualuga and A.J. Hawk as run-defenders.
If it doesn't work out, all the team used was an extra pick. From Cincinnati's luxurious position, this was the best way it could have gone to reinforce the linebacking corps.
Grade: A
Round 4, Pick No. 120: Josh Shaw, S, USC
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With the first of two picks in the fourth round Saturday afternoon, the Cincinnati Bengals decided to shore things up in the defensive backfield with USC defensive back Josh Shaw.
Shaw created headlines in the last year for a strange off-field incident, but on the field, he's a great value for the Bengals at No. 120.
Cincinnati needs a corner to pad depth with Leon Hall and Adam Jones aging. The good news is he's versatile enough to play the slot and can also man safety, giving the team a potential impact player out of the gates when the staff wants to bring an extra defensive back onto the field.
Shaw needs work, but he's a great value and doesn't need to see the field right away. It's the latest example of the Bengals taking a bit of a character gamble on an immense talent, and even better, he figured to be the front office's top-rated player.
Versatility is the name of the game in this range, and Cincinnati finds droves of it with Shaw.
Grade: B
Round 4, Pick 135: Marcus Hardison, DL, Arizona State
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The Cincinnati Bengals stuck with defense for their second of two fourth-round picks Saturday and grabbed Arizona State defensive lineman Marcus Hardison at No. 135.
Hardison is exactly what the Bengals love from their defensive linemen—versatile. The team also showed serious interest in him during the predraft process, so this wasn't hard to see coming. NFL.com's Gil Brandt shared the skinny:
"ASU DL Marcus Hardison visiting #Bengals today. Getting A LOT of attention as draft nears. Had 10 sacks, 6 forced turnovers in 2014.
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) April 20, 2015"
At 6'3" and 307 pounds, Hardison can kick inside as a tackle and rush the passer or play on the edge. With the Bengals, he figures to give Devon Still and Brandon Thompson a serious roster push in the middle, while also capable of helping on the outside if Wallace Gilberry or Margus Hunt struggle.
Near the end of the fourth round, Hardison's a great value because he figures to have no issues making the team, and he should be able to contribute right away if necessary.
Grade: A
Round 5, No. 157: C.J. Uzomah, TE, Auburn
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After three consecutive picks on defense, the Cincinnati Bengals turned back to the offensive side of things in Round 5 with Auburn tight end C.J. Uzomah at No. 157.
It's a bit of a head-scratching selection in a couple of ways. For one, the team already selected Tyler Kroft at No. 85. Two, Uzomah's a bit of an unknown with a "priority free agent" designation at NFL.com.
There, he stands at 6'5" and 264 pounds. Uzomah didn't do much in the way of production with the Tigers, but as a former wide receiver he oozes potential as a weapon an offense can move all over the field.
Make no mistake—Uzomah isn't an in-line tight end the Bengals will use as a blocker. He's a project held back by a run-first Auburn offense who could one day contribute.
That said, the Bengals could have waited another round, if not longer.
Grade: C
Round 6, No. 197: Derron Smith, S, Fresno State
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Cincinnati grabbed a versatile defensive back with Josh Shaw at No. 120 but couldn't pass on Fresno State safety Derron Smith at No. 197.
Smith offers decent size at 5'10" and 200 pounds, but what sticks out is his nose for the football and modern safety ability—meaning he's able to play at the line of scrimmage or drop and play center field against the pass.
It's odd Smith fell this far, but a down year last season on a horrific defense didn't help things.
Cincinnati sees the light, though. Smith was a four-year starter and his film screams "elite," as does his 13 interceptions over the course of his past two seasons. He's an outstanding value at the slot and sure to put up a serious fight for a roster spot, if not much more in the coming years.
Grade: A
Round 7, Pick No. 238: Mario Alford, WR, West Virginia
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With their final pick of the 2015 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals did what many seemed to be waiting for and took a wideout with West Virginia's Mario Alford.
Alford's little in stature at 5'8" and 180 pounds, but he fills a major need for the Bengals as an elite kick-returning prospect and someone who can stretch defenses in a vertical manner, even at the pro level.
Not only did Alford catch 65 passes for 945 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, he took two kick returns back for scores, too.
It's an excellent value for the Bengals, as the sixth receiver on the roster usually contributes little except on special teams. But Alford is Andrew Hawkins with track speed and even better on returns, meaning he's got a serious shot to push others off the roster in a hurry this summer.
Grade: A+
Stats and info courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise specified. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
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