But adding depth was key focus for a team returning 20 of 22 starters, and the Bengals were able to do so at two key positions.
Starting tackles Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith are entering the final year of their contracts, and this weekend’s selections would seem to be a sign that the team does not intend to bring both players back.
At tight end the need was more urgent with last year’s starter, Jermaine Gresham, still exploring free agency and not expected to re-sign in Cincinnati.
The Bengals didn’t draft any “wow” picks, but depth is always important, as is value. And a handful of picks have a chance to produce greater returns than expected for where they ended up slotted.
Here are the grades for each of the nine draft picks the Bengals made this weekend.
Obuehi certainly has the ability to make this look like a terrific pick in a few years, but given that he’s coming off ACL surgery in January and not expected to contribute much in 2015, it’s hard to grade the pick too high. Especially when it appears the Bengals could have traded down several spots and still got Ogbuehi along with an extra pick or two.
The fact that the Bengals weren’t willing to risk it says a lot about how much they like Ogbuehi, who was an All-American last year.
Fisher was graded as a first-round talent by many analysts, and the fact that he’s capable of stepping right in and filling a role in the jumbo package is a plus.
The Bengals didn’t draft Fisher, or Ogbuehi, to be backups in the future. Fisher’s versatility instantly makes him the leading candidate to be the next guy in case of any injury at tackle or guard, and it’s hard not to envision him being elevated to a starter at some point in the next couple of years.
Drafting Fisher shouldn’t been seen as the team sending a message to Whitworth and Smith. It was simply a matter of him being the best player available even though the Bengals had already grabbed a guy at his position. The fact that they were willing to double up tells a lot about what they think of Fisher.
Kroft is exactly what the Bengals were looking for, a football-smart tight end who is a willing and effective blocker.
He likely will see more playing time than any other pick this year with the Bengals in need of a guy to do the dirty work while Tyler Eifert works as the receiving tight end.
Kroft’s value won’t be measured in catches and yards, it will be determined by how much better the run game can be.
Everything about Dawson is impressive except his 40-yard dash time. And while getting from Point A to Point B as fast as possible is a key requirement for linebackers, instincts and awareness are every bit as important. And Dawson excels at both.
Everything about him screams football player.
The Bengals think they got a steal with Dawson, and there’s nothing glaring that says they are wrong.
Shaw may never escape the stigma of lying about how he injured his ankles last year and getting suspended 10 games for it (saying he jumped off a balcony to save a drowning nephew when he was really fleeing the police).
But a big reason the story continues to follow Shaw is that he is willing to talk about it and own up to it whenever asked.
The mistake he made was regrettable. The talent he possesses is undeniable.
He never would have been sitting there in the fourth round had it not been for his unfortunate transgression. Shaw insists he’s a better person because of it, and the Bengals could very well be a better team due to it as well.
There’s no question Hardison is a player on the rise after transferring to ASU after two years at Dodge Community College.
Hardison had a tepid showing in his first season at Division I, but last year he exploded for 10 sacks and tackles for loss while demonstrating the ability to play inside at tackle or outside at edge.
Give him some time with one of the best defensive line coaches in the league in Jay Hayes, and Hardison could find himself being the first sub off the bench in the Bengals’ rotation on the D-line.
This one may be the biggest head-scratcher of all, and that’s not a knock on Uzomah.
There is a reason the Bengals haven’t drafted multiple tight ends in the same draft since 1985. It’s rarely necessary, and doesn’t appear to be so this year.
It almost seems as though Uzomah is an insurance policy on the Kroft pick, which is something that isn’t a good sign for either player.
Then again, Eifert has had a hard time staying healthy, so perhaps Uzomah is a safety valve in that regard.
It wasn’t a desperation pick, but it’s hard to believe he was the best player available.
In a draft where there was only one safety with a first-round grade, the Bengals were wise to wait it out and let things come to them.
Smith has incredible instincts to make up for his lack of size. The Bengals haven’t had too many sixth-rounders turn into productive players in the Marvin Lewis era, but Smith has a chance to be an exception — if not this year, then next, given the fact that starters Reggie Nelson and George Iloka are entering the final year of their contracts.
It’s hard not to love this pick. Alford has ridiculous speed, having run a 4.2 at his pro day, and his return abilities could give the Bengals a dimension they haven’t had in years.
There are some knocks on Alford in terms of route running and ability to make people miss rather than just burning by them with straight-line speed. But the Bengals aren’t going to ask him to carry the passing game. He only needs to get loose a couple of times to provide the kind of value teams can only hope to get with a seventh-round pick.
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