Bengals' 2015 Draft: Aggregating Report Card Grades from Around the Web
By most accounts, the Cincinnati Bengals performed well in the 2015 NFL draft.
With the understanding coach Marvin Lewis and the front office wanted to build a foundation for the future, most seem to give the Bengals a pass for taking two offensive tackles with their first selections and not grabbing any instant-impact players.
Draft grades from experts are a good way to field a comprehensive understanding of the how and why behind Cincinnati's thinking.
While draft grades need to be reassessed every few years for accuracy, initial grades reflect current team needs, prospect stock, how the board fell and other timely bits of info.
Let's take a look at how experts in the media landscape grade the Bengals' 2015 draft class.
ESPN
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ESPN.com's Mel Kiper hits right along the general line of thinking with his grade, citing the fact Cedric Ogbuehi won't be able to play right out of the gate but Jake Fisher and Paul Dawson as great values.
Kiper especially likes the risks the front office was willing to take:
"A couple picks that could become a lot more useful than the slot indicates: one is Paul Dawson, a player his own coaches describe as a "knucklehead" -- not in a criminal way but in a "get focused" kind of way -- but who is also a really instinctive player who I think could rise quickly on the depth chart; the second one is Josh Shaw, who fell on character concerns following his bizarre suspension from USC last year but has the kind of talent you'd expect of a top-60 pick.
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The only major knock Kiper gives the class is the fact the team didn't do much to upgrade a miserable pass rush from a year ago, nor did the team add a high-upside receiver.
It's a fair point, but at the same time, Cincinnati seems to be banking on the health of young players this year such as Marvin Jones. On defense, it brought back Michael Johnson, Margus Hunt will be healthy, and Will Clarke might take the next step as a rusher.
NFL.com
2 of 6Now there's a very high mark for the Cincinnati Bengals after the 2015 draft.
NFL.com's Bryan Fischer seems to appreciate Cincinnati's forward-looking approach with the two offensive tackles. Like Mel Kiper, though, he dials in on Marvin Lewis' willingness to take gambles at great value:
"Dawson might be the Bengals' biggest steal, though. He has the best tape of any linebacker and should have a tremendous career in the league if he learns from the other reclamation projects the Bengals have turned around. Shaw is great value in the fourth round, and his versatility will allow him to be a special teams maven in addition to playing corner and safety.
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Paul Dawson and Josh Shaw have bright futures, to say the least. Dawson might push for a starting role as a rookie, perhaps as a weak-side 'backer or in the middle. Shaw will see snaps on special teams and can help replace Reggie Nelson or act as an extra corner in future years.
Fischer doesn't hold back with his grade, and it's hard to argue with the analysis.
CBS Sports
3 of 6Like the first two experts, CBSSports.com's Rob Rang makes a point to focus on the low-key selections of Paul Dawson and Josh Shaw. He also claims Marcus Hardison could be a "surprise" as a mid-round pick.
He offers extensive detail into his agreement with the offensive tackle combo:
"Tackles Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith are each entering the final year of their respective contracts, which gives the club time to let Cedric Ogbuehi -- a top 10 talent -- heal from the torn ACL that ended his 2014 season prematurely. The Bengals assured that tackle wouldn't be an issue with Jake Fisher in the second round, a prospect many clubs viewed as a first-round talent.
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Rang's analysis is on the money and really shows the value of the team's first two picks. Cincinnati just landed two first-round-graded tackles in a single class, something most teams don't do in years.
Left tackle is one of the most difficult positions to fill well in the NFL. Cincinnati just scored two players who offer the upside to do it, and best of all, they get to learn from one of the best in the league in Andrew Whitworth.
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Sports Illustrated
4 of 6The experts at Sports Illustrated waste no time pointing out how the Cincinnati Bengals love to keep their own, so they admit drafting two tackles makes sense. They also note, however, Cincinnati might have better spent one of its first two picks.
Here's the rest of the analysis, which hits home on the value drafting:
"Cincinnati addressed a handful of needs from there, starting with TE Tyler Kroft in Round 3. He and fifth-rounder C.J. Uzomah could see tons of snaps if Tyler Eifert is not 100%. LB Paul Dawson, DT Marcus Hardison and S Derron Smith were all relative values where they were selected—Dawson (No. 99) once had Round 1 buzz; Smith (No. 197) was our second-ranked safety. CB/S Josh Shaw might pay off as a value selection, too.
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Chris Burke and Doug Farrar are the first to really highlight the Derron Smith pick, which is worth a closer look.
Smith was all over the place in predraft rankings, but it's important experts such as Burke and Farrar hit him with such a high grade. He's got every-down-starter material and is sure to remind some of the late-round-pick journey traveled by current starter George Iloka.
Like the rest, the experts assign a high grade.
Local 12 WKRC in Cincinnati
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Even local Cincinnati media find it difficult to knock the Bengals too much. This includes Richard Skinner, who admits the draft isn't the most entertaining from a fan's perspective but a necessary evil to keep things churning along.
Skinner also dives into an important point about the team's seventh-round pick, Mario Alford: "The Bengals were hoping to add a speedy receiver who could take the top off defenses and/or provide a shifty option in space out of the slot and they may have landed that player in Alford. He also should provide a dimension in the kick return game that Brandon Tate simply doesn't."
Alford can score from anywhere on the field and at the very least will make the final roster as a returner. He's as explosive as it gets in the capacity, so the fact the Bengals found him in the seventh round makes Skinner's grade all the more agreeable.
Final Grades
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| Outlet | Grade |
| ESPN | B+ |
| NFL.com | A+ |
| CBS Sports | B |
| Sports Illustrated | B+ |
| Local 12 | A- |
| B/R | A |
As the aggregated grades show, Bleacher Report's "A" grade for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2015 NFL draft is right in line with the opinions of experts from across the media landscape.
While taking two offensive tackles isn't the most exciting thing in the world, the Bengals did so at great value. Jake Fisher can start right away if the team wants to mix things up, and both can start the year after if talent leaves.
The staff also brought on two high-upside tight ends. While not at great value for either, poor college offenses masked their potential. As everyone seems to agree, Paul Dawson was the best pick of the class and can start right away. In the same vein, Josh Shaw's a similar great value and character fit.
Even the final two picks look great right now. Derron Smith could be the team's starting safety as soon as 2016, and Mario Alford is the best returner the team has had in years and might even fill an Andrew Hawkins role on the offense as a rookie.
From a team-building standpoint, the Bengals deserve all the praise. It's hard to argue with the results so far after years and years of draft classes with similar initial grades.
Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of May 3. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
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