There are so many teams just waiting to break out of their perpetual state of losing, and Cincinnati is no different. When healthy, they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league and a potent passing game.
But Cincinnati doesn't offer much else. Defensively, they've drafted okay in the secondary, but have been burned by a mediocre, if not bad front seven for most of Marvin Lewis' tenure is the team's head coach. Where Cincinnati in 2009 could differ from teams of the past, is that their interior line, for the first time in a very, very long time may not be a source of weakness, but a source of strength. The pass rush still needs a major overhaul, and the Bengals have to be seriously concerned about a chronic foot injury to former 1st round pick Jonathan Joseph.
The offensive line seems to have broken down, and it isn't helped by the departure of Stacey Andrews to Philadelphia. Andrews may have struggled this season (mostly due to nagging injuries and a position change), but Andrews has proven to be one of the better run blocking guards in the league when he's healthy.
At receiver, the Bengals are banking 28 million dollars on the abilities of Laveranues Coles matching T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Coles wanted that big pay day, and it came to my surprise that he got it. He's a major injury concern, and while he plays hurt, it limits his effectiveness substantially. Gone are the days where Coles could run a 4.17 40 yard dash. He's a possession receiver now, and the Bengals should think it a win if Coles plays in 14 games and breaks 700 receiving yards.
Cincinnati Bengals Team Needs:
OT
CB
DE
MLB
OLB
RB
FB
OG
Levi Jones has struggled immensely as the teams blindside protector. He plateaued it seems for one season and has gone back to his old ways. The Bengals struggled to run the ball for almost the entire season last year, so an offensive lineman seems like the way to go, but there are other possibilities.
1. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
Obviously, the Bengals have filled their need at receiver. Crabtree would simply be a BPA pick at this point. Nobody seems to know what's going on in Chad Ocho Cinco's mind, and he's a total liability towards any idea of team stability. Coles isn't likely to last very much longer in his career, and Chris Henry has had a plethora of legal difficulties. The Bengals could easily select Crabtree, who probably wouldn't contribute much this year, and groom him as their future.
2. B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
Cincinnati is going to have a hard time passing Raji up. While they signed Domata Peko to a long-term extension last June, their other defensive tackle Pat Sims, has a lot of potential, but may not necessarily wind up being as good as Raji. The rush defense was far better towards the end of the season during Cincinnati's three game winning streak, and Peko-Sims were a big part of that. While Sims could easily start and contribute in run support, the Bengals are still searching for pass rushing talent. Sims could become a run-support guy, while Raji would be a do-everything guy. The Bengals defensive line would certainly by deep and scary when it came to stopping the run if they took Raji, which is another situation where value comes into play.
3. Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
While Smith would face some seriously scary pass rushers in the AFC North, he'd fair no worse then Levi Jones. And more importantly, he's a better run blocker then anyone you'll find in this draft class. Smith could play RT or guard with Andrew Whitworth moving over to LT. Chances are that Smith would play LT and Whitworth would stay at LG. Levi Jones' future is very much in question.
4. Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State
Cedric Benson struggled, as did the Bengals running game as a whole, but he finished with 282 yards and one touchdown in his final two games to earn a 2-year 7 million dollar deal to return to Cincinnati. I'm expecting Cincinnati to add competition at running back, but not with a first round pick, and certainly not in the Top 10. Still, that doesn't make this any less of a realistic possibility.
5. Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
If Jonathan Joseph returns to full health, and the Bengals were to draft Jenkins, they'd stick him at free safety and have a very young, talented secondary. But Jonathan Joseph, who finally turned the corner (literally) last year has a chronic foot problem that may completely destabilize his long-term future in Cincinnati. Leon Hall did a terrific job this year at guarding the deep ball, improving exponentially in his last twenty four games with the Bengals. So far, the 2007 CB class is looking really good, and Cincinnati probably isn't going to feel the need to draft a guy who may wind up being no more then a #2 corner or free safety at 6th overall.
6. Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
While I prefer Everette Brown, teams are in love with Maybin's potential. He's got a very high ceiling, but he's incredibly raw--coming out as a redshirt sophomore amid draft buzz created by ESPN's Todd McShay. Maybin put together a very good season for Penn State, leading the Big Ten in sacks with 12. After Maybin weigned in at 6'4'', 250, teams became enamored with him as a blind side pass rusher. He may very well go in the Top 10, and while I don't anticipate it happening, I also won't be stunned if it does.
Cincinnati will look at these six players, but Crabtree, Raji, and Smith make the most sense among the potential draftees. Marvin Lewis has expressed his faith in Pat Sims as the UT for Cincinnati, and the Bengals are going to walk a tight rope to keep Chad Johnson happy. With the woes of the offensive line last year, it becomes apparent how the Bengals need to pick.
With the 6th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select offensive tackle Andre Smith from Alabama.
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