Bengals Draft Depot

1. Carolina Panthers- Nick Fairley,DT,Auburn

The Panthers could go a few different way here and that could shake up the first 5 pickfs of this draft. I think they'll go with the best player on the board that is a position of need for them. Fairley dominated this past season and will be a difference maker for someone's defense. He's the total package for a DT, someone that stuffs the run, rushes the passer, and commands double teams.

2. Denver Broncos- DaQuan Bowers,DE,Clemson

John Fox is now the head coach in Denver. He had JuliusPeppers in Carolina for years and will look to go after that elite pass rusher. Bowers isn't quite on Peppers level, but Denver already has Dumerville and he and Bowers will be a lethal pass rushing duo.

3. Buffalo Bills- Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina

Even though Quinn was suspended for the 2010 season, he has the skill set and athleticism to be a number 1 overall pick. Aaron Maybin is a bust and not a fit for the 3-4 the Bills are trying to install. Quinn will be a perfect fit coming off the edge in that system.

4. Cincinnati Bengals- AJ Green, WR, Georgia

It's amazing how much better Carson Palmer played when Chad and TO were out and Simpson and Caldwell stepped in. If I'm running the Bengals Chad and TO are gone next year, they simply aren't team players and you can consistently win with them. Having them gone and the young WR's playing will allow Carson to finally be a true leader with WR's that will listen to him and run to the correct spots, not just do their own thing out there.

Green has been a stud at Georgia his entire college career even though after Stafford left the QB play at Georgia was less than mediocre. Green was a man amongst boys in the SEC which is remarkable. He has the complete package to be an elite WR in the NFL. He's good a great size speed combo with excellent hands and his route running is already very advanced for someone that young. He can stretch the field vertically and go up and get the ball over defenders. He can make the acrobatic catches. He had a one handed catch last season that was one of the best i've seen college or pro.

Getting Green would give the Bengals a true number 1 WR for years to come. Put him with Simpson who came on strong the last few games last season. With Shipley in the slot who looks like he's going to be one of the best slot WR's in the NFL very soon and Gresham at TE the Bengals will have an elite combo of guys that can catch the ball for years to come. Gresham is a mis match on every play, Green will command double teams and Simpson has the athleticism to as well. With all of those guys it will be about impossible to defend the Bengals passing game. I know the Bengals need to build up both lines and my philosophy is to draft lineman on both sides of the ball early and often, but Green may be the best WR to come out since Calvin Johnson and I simply wouldn't pass on him, especially if i'm getting rid of Chad and TO.

5. Arizona Cardinals- Blaine Gabbert,QB,Missouri

Gabbert is flying up people's big boards big time. The Cardinals currently have no viable options at QB and if they don't go get a FA veteran QB then they have to draft one and here they are in position to get the top rated QB in this draft.

6. Cleveland Browns- Marcell Dareus,DE/DT,Alabama

The Browns have been running a 3-4, but now that there's a coaching change I don't know which direction they're going to go on defense. Dareus is the most versatile lineman in this draft and can play inside in a 4-3 or DE in a 3-4.

7. San Francisco 49ers- Patrick Peterson,CB,LSU

The Niners need a QB, but I don't think Harbaugh will reach for one at this point in the draft. In the NFL you need a top notch QB to win or have a dominant defense. The Niners have a good defense but are a little weak in the secondary, getting a lock down CB like Peterson could vault them into a top 5 defense.

8. Tennessee Titans- Stephen Paea,DT,Oregon State

The Titans have lost quite a few good players on the line the past couple years. Even though they drafted Pierre-Paul last year they still need someone on the interior of that D line. Paea is freakishly strong and will likely command double teams, freeing up JPP off the edge.

9. Dallas Cowboys- Gabe Carimi,OT,Wisconsin

The Cowboys O line play wasn't very good for the most part of 2010 getting their QB flattened. Carimi is the top OT in this draft class and is about as close as you can get to a safe pick at RT.

10. Washington Redskins- Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

The Redskins best playmaker is Santana Moss at WR. That's not saying very much, they definitely need an upgrade at the position.

11. Houston Texans- Prince Amukamara,CB,Nebraska

There are two elite CB's in this draft class. If Amukamara is still on the board this pick should be a no brainer, the secondary in Houston was terrible last season and when y ou have to play Peyton Manning twice a year you need cover guys.

12. Minnesota Vikings- Cameron Newton,QB,Auburn

Newton is a winner and someone is going to fall for his skill set and why not. I've heard alot of Vince Young comparisons, but Newton is a much better passer than Vince Young is.

13. Detroit Lions- Nate Solder,OT,Colorado

The Lions can't keep Stafford healthy, they need to upgrade most of their offensive line. Solder is the most athletic tackle in this class and projects to be a good LT, why not beef up your o line when you have a number 1 pick QB that is supposed to be the face of your franchise.

14. St. Louis Rams- Jonathon Baldwin,WR,Pittsburgh

Baldwin has all the tools to be a true number 1 WR in the NFL. While he did have a down year this past season the QB play at Pitt was not very good. Since Blackmon and Micheal Floyd are going back to school the top WR's are limited and St. Louis should jump on the only WR left with a 1st round grade.

15. Miami Dolphins- Mark Ingram,RB,Alabama

I don't think Ronnie Brown is going to be back in Miami next season and Ricky Williams is getting old. The Dolphins love to run the football and Ingram is built to handle the entire workload for a season.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars- Adrian Clayborn,DE,Iowa

The Jags signed Aaron Kampman last off season and he blew out his knee before the season even started. When you play Manning and Schaub for 4 of your games a season you need players that can get after the QB.

17. New England Patriots- Von Miller,OLB,Texas A&M (from Oakland)

Miller will be a perfect fit in the Patriots 3-4 defense. He can play the run, rush the passer, and is excellent in coverage for an OLB.

18. San Diego Chargers- Ryan Kerrigan,DE/OLB,Purdue

The Chargers haven't had a good pass rusher since Shawn Merriman had to stop taking steroids. Kerrigan was a sack machine at Purdue and the Chargers have had success getting another player from Purdue that they let go to the Saints and he won a Super Bowl.

19. New York Giants- Akeem Ayers,OLB,UCLA

The Giants worst position group was by far their LB's. Ayers is the top 4-3 LB in this draft class and will be an instant upgrade at OLB.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Brandon Harris,CB,Miami

Ronde Barber is getting old and should be moved to nickel CB where he doesn't have to be on the field every play. Talib is a solid CB, but the Bucs could use a young CB to play across from him, especially when the top 2 teams in their division love to throw the ball.

21. Kansas City Chiefs- Tyron Smith,OT,USC

Matt Cassel was constantly under pressure in the Chiefs playoff game against the Ravens. If they hope to take the next step they need to get him some time to throw the ball. This will also allow Albert to move inside to Guard where he will be more effective.

22. Indianapolis Colts- Mike Pouncey,OC/OG,Florida

The Colts biggest weakness was their interior offensive line. Pouncey is a beast that will help the Colts with their annemic running game as well as help give Peyton Manning more time to throw. He can play Guard for now until Saturday retires. If you have Manning you keep your O line stocked with talent and depth and he'll win you Super Bowls.

23. Philadelphia Eagles- Anthony Costanzo,OT,Boston College

The Eagles gave up a ton of sacks this year which is suprising since they have Vick who may be the hardest QB to catch up with and sack. Their offense could be scarry good if they get Vick some protection up front.

24. New Orleans Saints- Allen Bailey,DE,Miami

Bailey is a good fit as a DE in a 4-3. The Saints could use someone across from Will Smith and since they play with the lead often, teams will be forced to throw on them. They should follow the Colts formula of having pass rushers to protect that lead.

25. Seattle Seahawks- Jake Locker,QB,Washington

This will be a popular pick in Seattle. Locker has the tools to be a very good NFL QB, even though he did have a down year last season at Washinton. They still have Hasselback and Whitehurst which will allow Locker some time to develop and gain back his confidence.

26. Baltimore Ravens- Cameron Heyward,DE/DT,Ohio State

Ozzie Newsome likes to take the best player on the board. In this case it could very well be Heyward who would be a good fit at DE in the Ravens 3-4.

27. Atlanta Falcons- JJ Watt,DE,Wisconsin

Jamaal Anderson has been a bust and the Falcons could use someone at DE that can get after the QB, in particular Drew Brees the Falcons main competition for the NFC South.

28. New England Patriots- Cameron Jordan,DE/DT,California

Jordan would be a great fit at DE in the Pats 3-4. They have needed an upgrade there since they traded Richard Seymour to the Raiders. Adding Jordan and Von Miller with their two first round picks could take their D from average to very good and make them the favorites to win it all next year.

29. New York Jets- Justin Houston,DE/OLB,Georgia

The Jets weren't as effective getting after the QB this season as they were last year. Look for Rex Ryan to go get himself a shiny new pass rusher.

30. Chicago Bears- Demarcus Love,OT,Arkansas

The Bears O line play was inconsistent this season. Forte had games where he had nowhere to run and Cutler got killed in quite a few games. Look for the Bears to go O line early and often in this draft.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers- Derek Sherrod,OT,Mississippi State

The Steelers O line has been decimated with injuries all season long. And really their O line hasn't been that good the past couple of seasons.

32. Green Bay Packers- Benjamin Ijalana,OT/OG,Villanova

Even though the Packers took an OT in the 1st round last year they still need help up front. Ijalana is versatile and can play about anywhere on the line. Using a 1st round pick to help protect Aaron Rodgers is never a bad idea, especially after they bring the Lombardi trophy back to Green Bay and have a target on their back next season.


2nd Round


33. New England Patriots- Rodney Hudson,OC,Florida State

The Pats O line is getting a little long in the tooth, especially on the interior. Hudson can put on about 10 lbs and play Guard next year until they're ready for him to take over at Center.

34. Buffalo Bills- Ryan Mallett,QB,Arkansas

The Bills have already said that Fitzpatrick is their QB heading into next year and he deserves to be he played well this season. But if Mallett is still sitting there they should pull the trigger, Mallett can be developed into a franchise QB for the long term.

35. Cincinnati Bengals- Rahim Moore,FS,UCLA

I know this is going against my philosophy of building the lines, but Moore would finally give the Bengals that centerfielder at Safety that is excellent in coverage and is a ball hawk that will get the Bengals some interceptions. Having a Safety with that skill set will give Zimmer more flexibility in his play calling, not having to worry about the Safeties constantly giving up the deep ball, even though they have excellent cover CB's. All the defenses that are constantly in the top 10 have two things in common. They are both good up front and have atleast one Safety that is good in coverage. Getting a Safety like this should catapult the Bengals back into the top 5 in defense, especially with the emergence of Carlos Dunlap and his sacks at DE. Him bringing that kind of pressure and Moore's ability to read the QB should translate into many interceptions, especially when that QB has to get rid of it too quick because Dunlap is breathing down his neck.

36. Denver Broncos- Drake Nevis,DT,LSU

John Fox won alot of games in Carolina by running the ball and stopping the run. Nevis is the top player left on the board and will fit a need in Denver as teams ran the ball on them fairly easy.

37. Cleveland Browns- Torrey Smith,WR,Maryland

The Browns need help at WR as they have the worst group of WR's in the NFL. Blackmon and Floyd going back to school hurts Cleveland as they may have been able to get Baldwin or Floyd here. Smith is still an upgrade to any WR they currently have.

38. Arizona Cardinals- Jeremy Beal,OLB,Oklahoma

Losing Dansby hurt Arizona big time this past season. They brought in Joey Porter but he was ineffective. Beal is a playmaker that will fit in nicely in Arizona's 3-4 system.

39. Tennessee Titans- Stefen Wisniewski,OC/OG,Penn State

The Titans interior O line has struggled since losing Kevin Mawae. Wisniewski can play Guard or Center and help get some push and get CJ2K some running room once again.

40. Dallas Cowboys- Ras I Dowling,CB,Virginia

The Cowboys CB's struggled this past season. Newman is getting old and their other CB lacks effort, on prime time he backed away from a tackle and let the ball carrier into the end zone, that is pathetic.

41. Washington Redskins- Corey Liuget,DT,Illinois

After the Albert Haynesworth fiasco last year the Redskins need a new DT. Liuget had a great year at Illinois and shot himself up draft boards from obscurity.

42. Houston Texans- Phil Taylor,NT,Baylor

The Texans brought in Wade Phillips to be Defensive Coordinator after their pathetic showing on defense this year. They are now going to run a 3-4 and need a true NT, Taylor is the best in this draft class and will occupy blockers allowing Mario Williams some one on ones. The Texans should be looking at the best defensive player to fit their system in atleast the first three rounds.

43. Minnesota Vikings- Marvin Austin,DT,North Carolina

The Williamses are getting up there in years and Minnesota could use a fresh young new player to rotate in with them and keep them fresh.

44. Detroit Lions- Aaron Williams,CB,Texas

It's no secret the Lions have struggled on the defensive side of the ball for years. They have good Safeties and some good young talent on the D line, but they need some upgrades at CB.

45. San Francisco 49ers- Kyle Rudolph,TE,Notre Dame

The Niners have some talented young WR's, but they could use a TE to occupy the middle of the field and take some heat off of them. They still need a QB, but getting the best TE in this draft will help them have the pieces in place for when they do get their franchise QB.

46. Denver Broncos- Brandon Burton,CB,Utah

The Broncos are likely going to lose Champ Bailey this off season. Even if they don't he's running out of years and they need to add some depth to the position.

47. St. Louis Rams- Bruce Carter,OLB,North Carolina

Teams are going to get some great value picks with all these talented defensive players that were suspended last season. The Rams struggled at both OLB spots and need to take someone at the position early in this draft.

48. Oakland Raiders- Jimmy Smith,CB,Colorado

Nmandi Asomoah is now an unrestricted FA and I don't see why he'd want to re-sign in Oakland. After Smith there's a bit of a drop off at CB so if he's available they should jump on him.

49. Jacksonville Jaguars- Deunta Williams,FS,North Carolina

The Jags whiffed on Rasheen Mathis who is now a Bengal. They need a serious upgrade at FS to stop the pass happy teams in their division.

50. San Diego Chargers- Jabaal Sheard,DE,Pittsburgh

The Chargers could use an upgrade at DE for Cesaire who has underperformed big time. The Chargers D was high in the rankings this season but had a cupcake schedule.

51. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Greg Jones,OLB,Michigan State

The Bucs have needed an upgrade at strong side LB since Derek Brooks retired. Jones is a solid player that is a natural leader and will fit in nicely on that young promising defense.

52. New York Giants- Ryan Williams,RB,Virginia Tech

Brandon Jacobs is unhappy being the number 2 RB in New York, he may be gone next year and Williams is the big bruising back that can carry the entire load if Bradshaw can't stay healthy, which he hasn't the past few years.

53. Indianapolis Colts- Jarvis Jenkins,DT,Clemson

Teams ran the ball on the Colts fairly easy this season. Look for them to try to get a run stuffer such as Jenkins to help clog up the middle.

54. Philadelphia Eagles- Curtis Brown,CB,Texas

The Eagles need some help at CB across from Asante Samuel. Brown has the talent and could be developed into a pro bowl CB within a couple years.

55. Kansas City Chiefs- Greg Little,WR,North Carolina

The Chiefs were unable to get the ball to Bowe at all in their playoff game against the Ravens. That's because there are no other threats and the Ravens were able to key in on Bowe and not have to worry about anyone else.

56. New Orleans Saints- Mikel Leshoure,RB,Illinois

Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush are hurt every season. The Saints can't keep winning with RB's they picked up off the street.

57. Seattle Seahawks- Robert Sands,SS,West Virginia

The Seahawks could use a Safety next to Earl Thomas that can step up and stop the run. Sands is a big strong safety.

58. Baltimore Ravens- Don'ta Hightower,ILB,Alabama

The Ravens may look for Ray Lewis's succesor in this draft. If Hightower is available he'll be one of the top players on the board and could play next to Lewis and learn from him for the next couple years.

59. Atlanta Falcons- Quinton Carter,FS,Oklahoma

The Falcons improved their secondary last off season by signing Dunta Robinson, but they could use some more help there, especially at Safety. Look at the GB playoff game.

60. New England Patriots- Rashad Carmicheal,CB,Virginia Tech

In the NFL you can never have too many good CB's. The Patriots have 4 picks in the first 60 which is rediculous, and two more in the 3rd round. Using three of them on defense should turn that D into a top 10 next year and make them the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

61. San Diego Chargers- Leonard Hankerson,WR,Miami (from Jets)

Hankerson is the most underrated player in this draft in my opinion. I think he has the tools to be a legit number 1 WR in the NFL. The Chargers like those tall WR's.

62. Chicago Bears- Jurrell Casey,DT,USC

Tommie Harris lost his starting job this year in Chicago. Even though their D line has played pretty well they could use an upgrade or some depth at DT.

63. Pittsburgh Steelers- LaMicheal James,RB,Oregon

The Steelers could use a young change of pace back to play behing Mendenhall. Mewelde Moore has played okay, but James is an explosive player who can take it to the house at any time.

64. Green Bay Packers- Davon House,CB,New Mexico State

Charles Woodson is still playing at a high level, but he's getting up there in years and GB could use an upgrade at the Nickel CB position.


3rd Round


65. Carolina Panthers- Titus Young,WR,Boise State

The Panthers need another option at WR besides Steve Smith. He hasn't played that well lately and has been hurt.

66. Cincinnati Bengals- Orlando Franklin,OG,Miami

Franklin is the top pure Guard in this draft class. I think Bobbie Williams has another decent year left in him even though he declined somewhat. At LG though they need an upgrade, neither Mathis or Livings is getting it done. They could take an early Tackle and move Whitworth back to Guard where he can be an all-pro, but that's not going to happen. Hopefully Andre Smith can get his act together, if he does the line could be good, especially if they are able to land Franklin in the 3rd round. Here's how the line would look: Whitworth, Franklin, Cook, Williams, Smith. Also you would have Reggie Stephens who can back up Center and Guard and looked good in limited playing time last year. Collins can back up LT and maybe even RT, I don't like Roland there and then having Mathis or Livings as your backup Guards the line is in good shape and deep.