Taking an Extended Look at the 2011 Cincinnati Bengals Draft Class
No team entering the 2011 NFL Draft needed to do well more than the Cincinnati Bengals.
In fact, one could make the argument that the immediate future of the franchise was dependent on this draft.
With their long-time franchise quarterback pledging to retire before he ever dons stripes again, their two starting receivers likely on the way out and their starting bell-cow running back and best defensive player entering free agency, the Bengals couldn't afford to have a poor draft.
The Bengals entered the Draft with eight picks- one in each of the first six rounds and two in the seventh- and they needed to make the most out of every single one of them.
For the most part, in very un-Bengal-like fashion, they did.
Moreover, it seems the Bengals are ready to turn the corner as a franchise. After the draft, it's quite clear they have made a wise decision to start fresh in the Queen City with new key pieces.
Perhaps they have realized it is in their best interest to move on from their frustrated franchise signal-caller, Carson Palmer, and part ways with their troubled long-time receiver, Chad Ochocinco.
Cincinnati has had great success in their quarterback and receiver play for nearly a decade but it hasn't translated into wins. In a matter of their first two picks, maybe the Bengals finally got it right.
Palmer could care less about ever playing football again if it means he will remain a Cincinnati Bengal and Ochocinco, along with controversial veteran wide receiver Terrell Owens last season, has arguably done more to hinder this offense recently than help it.
After the Bengals turned in the card for the 35th pick in the Draft on Friday night, their position regarding those situations were made perfectly clear.
Let's take an in-depth look at those two picks, as well as the six others, and what they could mean for the future of the franchise going forward.
Round One, Pick Number Four: Georgia WR A.J. Green
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The Cincinnati Bengals got started off on the right foot as soon as the fourth pick in the draft.
Cincinnati kept value in mind, remained true to their draft board and (wisely) elected not to reach for a quarterback at this point. Instead, they drafted the best offensive prospect in this draft.
Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green is a rare breed of receiver in the Randy Moss/Calvin Johnson mold that general managers may see once every decade or so. What better piece for new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden to implement his new offense around? Gruden certainly agreed as he likened the drafting of Green to a child opening his favorite Christmas present.
However, Green has a lot to live up to. Years from now, the overall success of this draft will rest in his large, sticky hands.
Why? Desperate for an additional playmaker, the Atlanta Falcons sent their first- and fourth-round picks in next year's draft and No's. 27, 59 and 124 in this year's draft to the Cleveland Browns for the sixth overall pick in the draft. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis revealed after selecting Green that the Bengals had spoken to Atlanta multiple times in the week leading up to the draft, presumably about a similar deal for the fourth pick.
Though there is no possible way to know that would have drafted Green at No. 4, my assumption is they didn't want to miss out on Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones, the other premiere play-making receiver in the draft, once Cincinnati snagged Green. Nevertheless, the Bengals turned down a very generous offer for Green. Whether that was a smart move or a mistake will depend largely on Green's success.
Nonetheless, Green has the ideal length, refined route-running skills, sure hands and plenty of big-play ability to become a perennial Pro-Bowler and one of the league's top players at the position.
Even with the quarterback situation up in the air in the Queen City, the eventual quarterback—no matter who it is—will need weapons to throw the ball to. The Bengals did the right thing by sticking to their draft board and acquiring the best offensive prospect in this draft, and most importantly not reaching for a quarterback who they didn't view to be worthy of the No. 4 spot.
Round Two, Pick No. 35: TCU QB Andy Dalton
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Just minutes into day two of the draft, it was overly apparent that the football gods were smiling down upon new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.
Texas Christian quarterback Andy Dalton has been kicked all over the draft boards over the past few months. Once viewed as a third- or fourth round project, Dalton climbed up many team's wish lists following his lethal effort in TCU's victory over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.
Because Dalton was a fifth-year senior at TCU, he is considered by many to be one of the most pro-ready quarterbacks in this draft, and his skill set makes him a prime candidate to conduct a West Coast offense.
Widely considered a second-round pick in the weeks precluding the draft, Dalton's popularity continued to rise. So much so, in fact, that before Thursday's draft, ProFootballTalk.com reported that one NFL general manager "guaranteed" Dalton would become a top-20 pick before the night's end.
It appeared to look that way when the Minnesota Vikings selected Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder with the 12th overall pick with Cam Newton, Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert already off the board. However, that ended Thursday night's run on quarterbacks. It was reported by ESPN that the Bengals tried to put together a package to trade with the Green Bay Packers for the last pick in the first round to ensure they got their quarterback. They were unsuccessful, however, and the Packers kept the pick to draft offensive lineman Derek Sherrod.
As day two got underway, the New England Patriots surprised many when they decided not conduct an Andy Dalton auction with the first pick in the second round with a multitude of quarterback-needy teams behind them.
Whether it was by luck or by genius, the Cincinnati Bengals decided to stay planted at the 35th pick and, astonishingly, snagged Dalton without having to trade away picks to move up.
Either way, Dalton is the quarterback Gruden liked the most and is the best fit for the new West Coast offense he plans to install in Cincinnati.
Though backup quarterback Jordan Palmer, Carson's brother, plans to challenge him for the starting position, head coach Marvin Lewis believes Dalton will be prepared to start on opening day—September 11, 2011, against the Cleveland Browns.
Round Three, Pick No. 66: Nevada DE/LB Dontay Moch
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Reportedly, the Bengals had Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas targeted in the third round of the NFL Draft.
They weren't alone. The Miami Dolphins were eying him all along as well and traded up to get him in the second round.
Instead, the Bengals filled another need and opted for a pass rush specialist in Nevada defensive end/linebacker Dontay Moch.
Moch was the fastest linebacker in the NFL Draft, clocking an insane 4.4 40-yard-dash with his 6' 1", 248 lb. frame. Throw in his 42-inch vertical jump, and this kid's athletic ability is off the charts.
Now the Bengals can only hope that defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer can mold Moch into Cincinnati's answer to opposing AFC North head-hunting, pass-rushing linebackers such as Baltimore's Terrell Suggs and Pittsburgh's James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley.
It may take some time though. Playing at defensive end with his hand in the dirt during his career at Nevada, Moch is raw in his transition to linebacker.
Zimmer specializes in putting together a multitude of diverse packages to create pressure for opposing quarterbacks, and I assume he had that in mind when he pounded the table for Moch on Friday night.
If Zimmer can maximize his potential though, which he is certainly capable of, Moch's upside is unlimited.
Also, drafting an outside linebacker seems to indicate that Zimmer feels Rey Maualuga is now mature enough to make the move to his natural position of middle linebacker. Should Maualuga make the transition, it could signal the end of Dhani Jones' tenure in Cincinnati. Jones is a pending unrestricted free agent.
Moch will likely compete with last year's fourth-rounder, Rodderick Muckelroy, and possibly defensive end/ linebacker hybrid Michael Johnson for time at SAM linebacker. Along with former first-rounder Keith Rivers and the serviceable Brandon Johnson, slowly but surely, Cincinnati is building a respectable linebacker corps.
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Round Four, Pick No. 101: Georgia OL Clint Boling
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Versatility.
That's what the Cincinnati Bengals got when they drafted Georgia offensive lineman Clint Boling in the fourth round.
Cincinnati needs help and quality depth at every spot on its offensive line—especially at guard.
There has been a revolving door at left guard for a couple of seasons now with Nate Livings and Evan Mathis, and neither seem to be the long-term answer. Right guard Bobbie Williams has been an anchor on the offensive line and a mainstay at right guard for several seasons now, but he is 34-years-old and entering the final year of his deal.
The Bengals also got great value with Boling, who many pegged with a second-round grade.
The 6' 5", 308-pounder was an All-SEC lineman last year despite starting six games at left tackle, four at right guard and two at right tackle.
He was also selected as a member of the Georgia Bulldogs' All-Decade Team and the only active player to ever be selected to the prestigious squad, according to Bengals.com.
The immediate thought is that Boling will challenge incumbent starting left guard Nate Livings for his position.
Round Five, Pick No. 132: WVU S Robert Sands
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Safety is a position the Bengals have desperately needed to address for quite some time.
Injuries have completely decimated this group for years, and the Bengals finally placed a long-term investment into the position.
Roy Williams is past his prime, injury-prone and is a liability in pass coverage. Chris Crocker provided a spark for the team when they picked him up off the street in 2008, but is also fragile. Chinedum Ndukwe was a good find in the seventh round of the 2007 draft and is a regular contributor on special teams, but notoriously gives up big plays.
Gibril Wilson was signed to provide depth in the off-season, but injured his ACL and MCL in his left knee in a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bengals sent cornerback David Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars for former first-round pick Reggie Nelson last off-season, but Nelson is neither a great tackler nor the team’s long-term solution at the safety position.
Cincinnati attempted to move up in the second round of the draft last year to select USC safety Taylor Mays, but it’s probably a good thing they were unsuccessful because they got Carlos Dunlap in the second round instead. Even as late as the seventh round, the Bengals could have gotten great value in Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman, who was later picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles, but they opted for offensive lineman Reggie Stephens instead. Apparently, no other safeties in the draft last year impressed the Bengals enough after whiffing on Mays.
However, the Bengals finally addressed a gaping hole in their needs when they grabbed West Virginia safety Robert Sands in the fifth round.
Sands is an intimidating presence at the safety position at 6' 5" and 217 lbs, is excellent against the run and can cover much of the field.
Cincinnati believe Sands can play both free safety and strong safety. There's no doubt that Sands will make an immediate contribution at such a weak position, and it wouldn't surprise me if he was a starter by the end of the season.
Round Six, Pick No. 167: Stanford WR Ryan Whalen
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Usually, in a Cincinnati Bengals draft, Bengals fans are left scratching their heads after multiple picks.
There was only one such pick in the Bengals' 2011 draft class that left me scratching my head, and it was this one.
I would argue that Cincinnati could have addressed much more pressing needs than wide receiver at this point in the draft, such as bulking up in the trenches or adding to the secondary.
Nonetheless, the Bengals opted for one of Andrew Luck's favorite targets at Stanford, Ryan Whalen.
Whalen plainly lacks the physical tools that will allow him to be an effective receiver at the next level.
If Cincinnati was adamant about drafting a wide receiver here, a better option for the West Coast offense that Jay Gruden plans to install would be a player who went nine picks later to the Dallas Cowboys: Dwayne Harris.
A speedster from East Carolina, Harris is tough and works the middle of the field very well. Also he does a great job of securing the ball in traffic.
However, the Bengals saw something in Whalen.
Despite what seems to be their only wasted pick in the draft to me, Whalen will compete for one of the final spots at receiver once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached and the offseason gets underway.
Round Seven, Pick No. 207: Southern Illinois CB Korey Lindsey
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Lindsey did not appear at the Combine and has been hampered by lingering hamstring injuries, so scouts did not get to see much of him.
However, Lindsey stablished himself as one of the elite shutdown cornerbacks in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. According to Bengals.com, in the 36 games Lindsey started at right cornerback, only 26.34% of passes thrown his way were competed (64 out of 243).
Some scouts placed a third-round grade on Lindsey when healthy.
Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer stands by his mantra- you can't have enough cornerbacks.
Even with the pending free agency of Jonathan Joseph, perhaps Cincinnati's best defensive player, it was a good idea for the Bengals to stockpile at the position anyway. Even if he does choose to re-sign, Joseph’s health is a major concern. Only two of Joseph’s five seasons with the Bengals have been injury-free.
Third cornerback Adam Jones was picked up by the Bengals last offseason and showed flashes of why he was selected sixth overall in 2005 by the Tennessee Titans: a rare combination of speed and skills that made him one of the top slot corners in the league.
Unfortunately, he was placed on injured reserve with a herniated disc following a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in October. Jones has just one year remaining on his contract and would like the opportunity to eventually become a starter.
Fourth cornerback Morgan Trent also hit IR late in the year with a knee injury. Last year's third-round selection, Brandon Ghee, showed promise but couldn't stay healthy. Lack of depth toward the end of the season forced the team to sign journeymen such as Jonathan Wade to fill starting roles.
The Bengals could definitely use some depth at the position.
Round Seven, Pick No. 246: Baylor RB Jay Finley
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Aside from the selection of Stanford wide receiver Ryan Whalen, the only other complaint I have with the Bengals' draft was waiting so long to select a running back.
As I mentioned earlier, the Bengals had former Kansas State runner Daniel Thomas pegged in the third round but was unable to land him.
Consequently, it seems the Bengals were forced to settle with their final pick in the seventh round when they took Jay Finley out of Baylor.
This now makes resigning free agent running back Cedric Benson priority number one in free agency.
Re-signing Benson would be a great idea anyway, especially with what seems to be a rookie starting at quarterback on opening day this year.
Following a phenomenal 2009 season, no other Bengal, aside from Carson Palmer, had more of a roller-coaster 2010 season than Benson.
Benson was not pleased that the Bengals decided to trash the run-heavy playbook that led them to the 2009 AFC North title and their first playoff appearance since 2005 once Terrell Owens was brought in at the start of training camp.
However, Benson seemed ecstatic when the Bengals showed Bob Bratkowski, their long-time offensive coordinator, the door and brought in Jay Gruden as his replacement.
It is likely that Benson will want to remain a Bengal. Remember—the Bengals were the only team willing to take a chance on him after he was released by the Chicago Bears in 2008 following his second alcohol-related arrest in five weeks.
However, should Benson not return for some reason, the Bengals gave themselves another option at the position by drafting Finley.
Finley is widely considered an outside runner, is not great between the tackles and a suspect blocker.
Without Benson, there isn't another every-down back on the roster, and no team can survive in the AFC North without a strong running attack. While Bernard Scott is an excellent change-of-pace back, he doesn’t have the durability to carry the load by himself. Brian Leonard, who is set to become a free agent as well, is primarily a third-and-fourth-down back and a receiving threat out of the backfield.
Cincinnati Bengals: Class of 2011 Reaction
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This draft class seemed to fit the bill for the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals entered the draft with needs at a number of key positions and nailed most of them, particularly the two biggest ones with their first two picks.
Cincinnati left the draft with the best offensive prospect—possibly even the greatest overall player—in the draft in A.J. Green, and a smart, accurate and more-than-capable signal-caller who is a prime candidate to lead new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden's West Coast offense in Andy Dalton.
Throw in a new versatile weapon for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in Dontay Moch and the great value they received in offensive lineman Clint Boling and safety Robert Sands, and this draft is loaded with players who can either make an immediate contribution, if not start immediately.
This is, by far, one of the best drafts in recent memory for the team, and I commend the Bengals for making long-term decisions for the betterment of the franchise that will provide an excellent foundation for this team to continue to build—and ultimately become competitive againgoing forward.
Paxton Boyd is an intern and Contributor for B/R. Follow him on Twitter: @paxtonboyd.
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