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Day Two Is a Better Day For Bengals

After taking considerable heat from the local (Curnutte came out swinging) and national media for their failure to trade up for Sedrick Ellis and then passing on Trevor Laws and Limas Sweed in round 2 to reach for promising WR Jerome Simpson, the Bengals rebounded on Day 2 with strong 3rd and 4th round picks.   The Bengals reacted quickly to criticism for missing out on Ellis and Laws by selecting Patrick Sims with the 77th overall selection.   Sims was ranked ranked as the 6th (PFW), 5th (Sports Weekly), 5th (NFLDraft101), and 7th (DraftCountdown) defensive tackle in the draft.  While he isn’t the #2 overall DT like Sedrick Ellis, one has to ask themselves would you rather have Rivers (#1 LB) and Sims or Ellis.  The answer is not quite the slam dunk it appeared to be yesterday.  The selections of WR Andre Caldwell (#97 overall) and OT Anthony Collins (#112) were also excellent value picks.   5th round pick DT Jason Shirley will get much of the media attention for his off-field issues but remember he is 5th round pick not a 2nd or 3rd.  Character has become more important in the Bengals war room but it’s not like every pick has to be a Boy Scout.

Overall, I give the Bengals draft a B.  Not bad, not spectacular and definately not aggressive but there is some definate talent at positions of need.   Below are breakdowns of the individual day two selections.

3a. Pat Sims, Auburn - Has better size than Ellis and Laws and has the talent to be a top notch defensive tackle.  He has a quick burst and can get into opposing backfields (11.5 TFL).  Should be able to push the pocket and get after the passer a little as well (4.5 sacks).  His quickness should be a good compliment to Domata Peko.  His motor is a little bit of a concern but he has tremendous upside.  Personally I had him as the 5th best DT in the draft.

3b. Andre Caldwell, Florida - If you flip flop the Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell picks, the Bengals draft looks a lot better.  That isn’t a knock on Simpson so much as a sign of what kind of value the team received with Caldwell.  Graded as a 2nd or 3rd rounder, Caldwell has had tremendous post-season workouts.  Has good size at 6′0, 204 and deep speed (4.37 40).  Displays great run after catch skills.  Also, has good kickoff return potential.

4. OT Anthony Collins, Kansas - After watching 8 tackles get selected in round 1, it is amazing that the team was able to get a quality tackle like Collins in round 4.  Some mocks had Collins going as early as 27th overall to San Diego and ranked the6th best OT by Sports Weekly and 7th best by NFLDraft101 and PFW.  Has experience at left tackle but he is a better fit as a RT or G.  

5. DT Jason Shirley, Fresno State - A bit of a risky pick that looks worse when you consider fellow big bodies Athyba Rubin and Frank Okam were still on the board.  Shirley is has excellent athleticism and upside for a 6′5 335 pounder but his character issues will lead to strong criticism (well deserved from what I can tell).  Despite the character issues remember this is a boom-bust 5th round pick not a 2nd or 3rd rounder.  

6a. S Corey Lynch, Appalacian State - A solid 6th round pick who will join Dexter Jackosn, 2007 4th rounder Marvin White and 7th rounder Chinedum Ndukwe in a competitive safety competition.  Lynch has excellent intangibles and will likely make his biggest impact on special teams.  Most famous for blocking the kick that clinched the win over Michigan.

6b. TE Matt Sherry, Villanova - After becoming shellshocked by the failures of Matt Schoebel and Sean Brewer in recent years, the Bengals finally drafted a TE.  Sherry is a receiving tight end with good size and speed.  With the signing of Ben Utecht, Sherry faces long odds in making the roster.  Could be a good prospect to stash on the practice squad for a year.

7a. DE Angelo Craig, Cincinnati - An undersized defensive end with a nose for the quarterback.  A good value pick in round 7.

7b. WR Mario Urrutia, Louisville - Another solid 7th round pick.  Urrutia was on the cusp of stardom after a stellar sophomore season only to struggles with injuries as a junior.  Probably should have stayed another year but he is a nice big receiver who would make a nice red zone target but will need to earn his stripes on special teams.  At 6′5 232 he could be a combo WR/TE if he bulks up a little. 

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 27th, 2008 at 7:33 pm and is filed under Mario Urrutia, Angelo Craig, Corey Lynch, Jason Shirley, Matt Sherry, Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell, Bengal News, Anthony Collins, Keith Rivers, Pat Sims, NFL Draft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.