#9 overall: Keith Rivers, OLB, USC
I saw Rivers play in person this season and I thought he was the best of USC's linebackers; at least, the most complete. Scouts backed up my initial assumptions although I wish I could've been more thorough.
It seems like Rivers is just as comfortable in coverage as in rushing, and he has the range requisite for a Pro Bowl-caliber NFL linebacker.
#46 overall: Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina
Surprise! Obviously, the team wasn't quite content with Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman and Marcus Maxwell vying for the No. 3 WR spot...that assumes, of course, that Chad Johnson would remain with the team.
I thought Simpson would be an ideal pick in the third round, but I have no qualms about him going where he went. He screams athletic and he put up great numbers against small competition; obviously, pro scouts thought highly enough of his ability to make the transition to the pro game that he'd been firmly slotted in the first three rounds for weeks.
Day 1 Grade: A-
Tough pill to swallow with New Orleans' acquisition of Sedrick Ellis, and Simpson is a little bit of a reach, but the Bengals filled two obvious needs in a big-time way and you cannot ask for much more.
The rest of the draft
In the third round, I would ideally like to see two of the following three players come off the board: Tashard Choice, Dan Connor and Dre Moore. I feel like all three of these guys have the stuff it takes to help the defense (in Choice's case, the running game). Domata Peko (a fourth-rounder himself) could use a friend in the middle with him.
In the final rounds, I would love to see some interior line help as well as a cornerback and maybe a project linebacker. A guy I've had my eye on is Bruce Davis, a terror at UCLA at defensive end who projects to OLB in the NFL. He has a ways to go, but I would be very happy to see Davis in stripes in the fourth or fifth rounds.
Day 1 Analysis: NFL Draft
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Day 1 Analysis: NFL Draft
- PhilipNelsonFan
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Day 1 Analysis: NFL Draft
Tim Lehrbach wrote:I will break the Rose Garden.
- PhilipNelsonFan
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John Clayton with some unkind words...
Can't say I completely agree with his methodology on this one.
1. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals did well under the circumstances, but they didn't get the defensive tackle (Sedrick Ellis) they coveted. Cincinnati tried all offseason to get a defensive tackle, but trades for Shaun Rogers and Dewayne Robertson fell through. Ellis went to the New Orleans Saints when they traded up to No. 9. Cincinnati got a break when the Patriots traded down and didn't take linebacker Keith Rivers, who is a great choice for the Bengals. Rivers will be a great player for the Bengals, but they needed a defensive tackle.
Round 2 was a scramble for a wide receiver, and the Bengals ended up with Jerome Simpson of Coastal Carolina. He wasn't the biggest name available.
Can't say I completely agree with his methodology on this one.
Tim Lehrbach wrote:I will break the Rose Garden.
- Latrell
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Who cares if Simpson wasn't the biggest name available?! You had guys like Sweed, Thomas and kelly fall for legit reasons. I hate it when people just look at internet mock drafts and base who 'the big names' are based on that. Especially in the NFL Draft, in the NBA its different obvi.I hate it when they say that it just bugs me. Sorry for the rant.