2011 Cincinnati Bengals Draft Needs
Written by Steve Janus
The Cincinnati Bengals were a complete disappointment in 2010. The Bengals finished dead last in the AFC North at 4-12 just one season after winning the division with a 10-6 record. Cincinnati decided to stick with head coach Marvin Lewis, but quarterback Carson Palmer wants out of town, and is planning on retiring if the Bengals don’t find him a new team.
While the Bengals didn’t have the season everyone was expecting, they did get some nice production out of their 2010 draft class. Tight end Jermaine Gresham caught 52 passes for 471 yards, defensive end Carlos Dunlap set a rookie franchise record with 9.5 sacks, wide out Jordan Shipley led all rookies with 52 catches, and defensive tackle Geno Atkins had 3 sacks.
The Bengals figure to have a great shot at adding yet another talented young player with the No. 4 pick in the 2011 draft. The Bengals also must find help with their other six picks as they have needs all over the field. Here is a look at the five positions I feel the Bengals need to address in the draft this year. Find out who we have the Bengals taking in the first round in our 2011 NFL Mock draft.
Wide Receiver: The Bengals took a shot on bringing in Terrell Owens to team up with Chad Ochocinco, but it failed to live up to expectations. Owens is a free agent and will likely not be brought back this season. It also looks like Ochocinco’s days are numbered in Cincinnati. That leaves a huge hole at the wide receiver position. Luckily for the Bengals they will more than likely have a shot at taking Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green, who is poised to make an instant impact on whatever team takes him. While the Bengals could wait and take a shot on a wide out in the later rounds, getting Green might be what it takes to keep Palmer around.
Quarterback: With all the uncertainty that surrounds Palmer the Bengals could be in desperate need of a quarterback. If Cincinnati feels like they won’t be able to convince Palmer to stay, I think they have to consider Blaine Gabbert out of Missouri with the No. 4 pick, or possibly wait and see if Ryan Mallett falls to the second round at pick No. 35.
Offensive Line: Head coach Marvin Lewis has made it clear that the offensive line needs to be improved if the Bengals are going to compete in 2011. I have a hard time seeing the Bengals taking a tackle with the No. 4 pick with no real player worth taking at that spot. Cincinnati is more likely to wait and address this need in the second or third round. Look for them to consider tackle Marcus Cannon of TCU in the second or Florida tackle Marcus Gilbert in the third. The Bengals also need help at guard, but likely won’t fill this need until the later rounds.
Defensive Tackle: Dunlap and Michael Johnson are expected to continue to make improvements at defensive end, but there are some big question marks surrounding the two defensive tackle spots. There’s a chance the Bengals could come up at No. 4 with either Marcell Dareus of Alabama or Nick Fairley of Auburn still up for grabs. Both of these players are expected to be elite defensive tackles, and appear to be two of the safest picks in the top 10.
Running Back: Starter Cedric Benson will be an unrestricted free agent, and even if he does come back they need to start thinking about the future at this position. However, I don’t expect the Bengals to take a shot on someone until later in the draft. Kendall Hunter of Oklahoma State and Daniel Thomas of Kansas State will likely still be on the board when the Bengals make their third round pick.
Individual NFL Team Mock Drafts
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