Marcus Hardison to Cincinnati Bengals: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

With the second of their two fourth-round picks in the 2015 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals once again took a stab at reloading the defense in future years with Arizona State defensive lineman Marcus Hardison at No. 135.

After grabbing linebacker Paul Dawson in the third round and USC defensive back Josh Shaw earlier in the fourth, coach Marvin Lewis and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther saw it fit to next address the trenches.

In short, Hardison is everything the team wants from its defensive linemen, as he can kick inside and man the interior or stick on the edge, depending on the situation.

Hardison's a freak athlete in every sense of the description, standing at 6'3" and 307 pounds. At his pro day, he ran an unofficial 4.84 40-yard dash. The athleticism translates to the field, as NFL.com's Gil Brandt illustrated back in mid-April when the Bengals showed a strong interest in the former Sun Devils standout:

After the predictable selection, defensive line coach Jay Hayes told the media that Hardison will function as a 3-technique tackle, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

Before comparing him to Henry Melton, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein spoke with one NFL scout who reveals Hardison blossomed this past season as a player.

"Really, really quick for a big man," the scout said. "If you would have told me in October that he would end up with all that production and showing out at Senior Bowl practices, I would have thought you were crazy. It just started click for him."

It's hard to imagine Hardison has reached his peak, or anything close to it. Now he joins a deep Cincinnati rotation under the guidance of a coaching staff renowned for its ability to squeak the most out of each player on the unit. 

Height	Weight	Hands	Arm Length	Bench Press (reps)
6'3"	307	10 3/8"	33 1/2"	27

Hardison's arrival puts an immense amount of pressure on Devon Still and Brandon Thompson, a pair of young players who have yet to show enough to suggest starter material. It also gives the Bengals another talented spell for Geno Atkins and eliminates any reliance on Domata Peko in passing situations.

Perhaps most important, though, Hardison solves a future contract dilemma when Wallace Gilberry becomes a free agent after next season. He fills the same role and at a cheaper cost, meaning the team can work elsewhere on extensions—which has been a theme of this draft class with the first two picks being offensive tackles.

There's starter potential with Hardison thanks to his strong burst off the snap and quickness to maneuver his way around plodding linemen. Barring injury, Guenther and Hayes won't need to use him in such a capacity, but the upside is certainly there.

For the time being, expect to see Hardison on occasion in a rotational capacity as a rookie. Like Shaw and the offensive tackles drafted, he might get a bit of a redshirt season to develop and take over a bigger role as a sophomore.

Regardless, Hardison is a great get for the Bengals near the end of the fourth round. There's no question he was the top player on their board and one the coaching staff wanted. Bigger names such as Ohio State's Michael Bennett were on the board, but Hardison is more in line with what the coaching staff wants.

In the end, that's versatility. An ability to fill multiple roles is the only major chance a rookie has of making this deep Bengals roster. Hardison has it in droves and won't have any issue sticking around, so Lewis and Co. once again hit one out of the park with a compensatory selection.

Grade: A 

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of May 2. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.