The NFL draft is days away, and many people in the Tri-state wonder who the Bengals will take in the first round. Better yet, no one really has the slightest idea who will go No. 1. Some experts have JaMarcus Russell, quarterback out of LSU going No. 1 overall to the Oakland Raiders, but many experts, including me, think the Raiders should choose wide receiver Calvin Johnson out of Georgia Tech. This player has it all–terrific hands, athleticism, size and speed. He is the closest thing to a no-miss player coming into the NFL that there has been in nearly a decade.
As for the Cincinnati Bengals, many mock drafts such as those at nfldraftcountdown.com, eastcoastsportingnews.com< and footballsfuture.com has the Cincinnati Bengals taking Michigan Wolverines cornerback Leon Hall. To many people this sounds like a safe pick, because there is an opening for cornerback since the departure of Tory James.
However, the last couple of years the Bengals’ run-defense has been horrible. Since 2003 the Bengals run-defense has merely given up 125 yards a game. Anyone that knows football knows that defense wins championships and games are won up front on the line.
That is why I believe the Bengals should draft a defensive lineman or a linebacker (because of the uncertain future of Odell Thurman with the Bengals).
If he is available, the Bengals should draft Jarvis Moss out of Florida. Many draft boards have him as a late first rounder or early second rounder. I believe he can really change that defensive line into something good. He has long arms, is tall, has one of the best first steps I have seen in a defensive lineman, and has a great upside.
The problem many people have with him is that he needs to gain some weight to shed off much bigger NFL offensive linemen, but the weight will come in due time.
I would not be surprised if the Bengals drafted Leon Hall, Jarvis Moss or anybody else for that matter. That’s what is so exciting about the NFL draft: no one knows until it actually happens.