Some analysts have labeled Dawson a clone of Vontaze Burfict, the Bengals Pro Bowler who plays the same WIL backer position, and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther did not shy away from that comparison.
“When I turned the tape on initially to evaluate him, that’s exactly what came to mind,” Guenther said. “On tape, he was one of my favorite guys. I’m very particular about LBs and what I’m looking for, and he had a lot of traits that I like.”
Like Burfict, Dawson saw a slow 40-yard dash at the Combine (4.93) result in a slide on draft day. And like Burfict, there are other knocks as well. One is that he doesn’t study film, something he scoffed at when asked about it.
“That’s funny, actually,” he said, laughing. “How would I be such a productive linebacker if I didn’t watch film? That doesn’t even make sense. I studied film two hours a night, every night. They can say whatever they want to — I don’t know where it came from — but I enjoy watching film.
“I’ll sit there and rewind the play a million times and be there all night. Sometimes my family gets mad at how much time I put in, but I have to remind them that this is my job. I enjoy putting in film study, so I’d say that comment is nonsense.”
Dawson is best suited as a WIL backer, and with Burfict coming off offseason microfracture knee surgery and A.J. Hawk entering his 10th season, he will have a chance to make an impact immediately.
Two TEs: For the first time since 1985, the Bengals selected two tight ends in the same draft.
They grabbed Rutgers' Tyler Kroft in the third round with the 85th overall pick, then added Auburn's C.J. Uzomah in Saturday's fifth round (157th).
The picks all but make it official that free agent Jermaine Gresham will not be returning.
Kroft (6-5, 246 pounds), who declared for the draft after his junior year of eligibility, switched to more of a run-blocking tight end last season, which is exactly the type of player the Bengals are looking to pair with Tyler Eifert so they can keep Ryan Hewitt in the more traditional fullback role.
But Kroft can be a capable receiver. He led the Scarlet Knights in receptions (53) and receiving yards (573) during his sophomore season.
“He’s going to make us a lot better on the offensive side of the ball,” Bengals tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes said. “He’s got a big catch radius, he’s an elusive runner, and he’s an effective and willing blocker. He’s got a frame where he will get stronger and put more weight on.”
Versatility also is what attracted the Bengals to Uzomah (6-5, 264).
“He can run, he can get downfield and stretch the seam,” Hayes said. “Those are the things that you’re looking for at this position now and possibly creating the mismatches with his body size, his catch radius and just continuing to get him to grow into the position.”
D-line depth: The Bengals selected Arizona State's Marcus Hardison with their second pick in the fourth round to add some depth to the defensive line.
The 6-4, 300-pounder played everywhere on the defensive line in college, but defensive line coach Jay Hayes said the Bengals are expecting him to play tackle.
A converted high school quarterback who claims he can “probably throw that thing about the dang football field,” Hardison had 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss last year.
It was just his second season at the Division I level after being one of the most heavily recruited junior college prospects in the country.
“The kid is 307 pounds, ran a sub-4.9 (40-yard dash) and has a lot of position versatility,” Jay Hayes said. “People who can do more get to stay around longer here. In our case, if you’re not a starter, you need to know all the positions so that you can be the first guy off the bench.”
Safety sixth: The Bengals drafted Fresno State safety Derron Smith in the sixth round. The 5-foot-11, 197-pounder intercepted 15 passes in his four-year college career that included 44 starts at free safety.
“Anytime you are a four-year starter, that says a lot about who you are,” Bengals defensive backs coach Mark Carrier said. “One of the things we always judge guys on is how good are they at tackling. This kid is a very good tackler.”
Smith suffered a sports hernia early in his senior season and had surgery Dec. 30, which caused him to slip to the sixth round.
Speed seventh: Wide receiver was expected to be an early target for the Bengals, but instead they waited until their final pick to address the position, selecting West Virginia's Mario Alford.
Alford gives the Bengals the speed they’re looking for, along with the return ability they covet. Alford, who ran a 4.2 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, had 65 catches for 945 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He also ranked eighth in the nation in kick return average (28.6) with touchdowns of 94 yards against Kansas and 100 yards against Alabama.
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