2008 NFL Draft Breakdown

By Adam Kiefaber

It’s sad. Actually it is downright pathetic.

I spent the majority of draft weekend on the couch with my laptop on my, lack for a better word, lap and a remote in my hand frantically flipping back and forth from ESPN and the NFL Network.

Usually I don’t have the privilege of being so lazy on the weekend, but that weekend I was and I took full advantage of it.

Unlike the Bengals, I don’t have a front office full of executives, a knowledgeable coaching staff or full-time scouts. All I had was a couple of draft magazines and the thought that I know what is better for the Cincinnati Bengals than all of those people combined.

All that being said, I went through a series of emotions as the Bengals selected their players.

Let’s look back and see what the Bengals did and what I would have done and then found out who seemed to make the better choice.

ROUND 1
What I wanted to do - When ESPN annoucned that there had been at trade at the No. 7 pick, I was hoping that the Bengals traded up. Not to my surprise it wasn’t the Bengals that traded up, it was the New Orleans Saints, who wasted no time in selecting defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. Needless to say, I was pissed.

What the Bengals did - The Cincinnati Bengals stayed at the No. 9 spot and selected the top linebacker available in Keith Rivers.

Who made the right decision - Believe or not, the Bengals have appeared to make the better choice. By not trading up, which would have meant giving up the team’s third-round pick, the Bengals were able to select two possible defensive starters instead of one. Also, Rivers appears destined to be a great asset on the field, in the locker room and in the community. At the recent rookie workout session, Marvin Lewis said of Rivers, “It’s something kind of innate in him. He was kind of bringing that group together. When he wasn’t in a meeting, he was watching tape on his own. He already gets it.”

ROUND 2
What I wanted to do - At the time, I was excited to see Notre Dame DT Trevor Laws and wide receiver Malcolm Kelly still on the board. Personally, I wanted the Bengals to pick Laws because of how impressive he looked at the NFL Combine and the fact he was born in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio.

What the Bengals did - Cincinnati shocked their fans by selecting Coastal Carolina WR Jerome Simpson, who was on his way home from the flea market when he found out that he was going to be a Bengal.

Who made the right decision - I can be hard on the Bengals, but it isn’t fair to be hard on Cincinnati for this pick. Let’s try to remember that St. Louis selected the first WR in the draft when it picked Donnie Avery (Houston). Both Simpson and Avery were projected to be selected between the second and fourth rounds, so that pick might not have been a reach since no one projected any WRs correctly. Also, the more I hear about Simpson, the more I like him. He can jump over defenders (44 inch vertical) and has huge hands. I heard an interview with his college coach and it is obvious that he has left a lasting impression. A positive one. Score another one for the Bengals.

ROUND 3
What I wanted to do - Personally, I liked Texas A&M DT Red Bryant or Maryland DT Dre Moore with the first pick. Then with the second pick in the round I wanted the Bengals to select Florida WR Andre Caldwell or LB Beau Bell. I also wouldn’t have minded the Bengals taking N.C. State safety DaJuan Morgan.

What the Bengals did - With the first pick the team selected Auburn DT Pat Sims and then selected Caldwell.

Who made the right decision - In college, Sims was more of a playmaker while Bryant was a better run stuffer, who I believed to have the potential to be a leader. Personally, I was happy with the Sims pick because all I wanted was a quality DT. With the second pick, the Bengals picked the same player that I wanted. I would have been excited to see the team pick Bell, but with Rivers already in the fold it was smart to pick Caldwell. It is hard to say who made the better choice since we were thinking the same thing (DT then WR).

ROUND 4
What I was thinking - Call me obsessed, but I was still not satisfied at the DT position. Both my guys (Moore and Bryant) that I wanted in the third were still on the board. I desperately wanted that ticker to list one of those DTs. I also noticed that LB Xavier Adibi, S Craig Steltz and RB Tashard Choice were all still on the board.

What the Bengals did - I wasn’t expecting it at all, but the Cincinnati Bengals selected Kansas offensive tackle Anthony Collins.

Who made the right decision - The Bengals made the better choice - by far. I have a good feeling that Collins will be a starter on the offensive line for a long period of time. Willie Anderson is getting older and Levi Jones has terrible knees. In my mind, Collins could end up being the steal of the draft.

ROUND 5
What I wanted to do - Right before the Bengals fifth-round pick, New Orleans traded up in front of the Bengals, again, and selected another DT the team had to be interested in. The Saints selected N.C. State DeMario Pressley, who has the skills, but hadn’t performed up to expectations in his college career. Besides Pressley, I was hoping the team would select Texas DT Frank Odom.

What the Bengals did - The team took a giant risk in Fresno State Jason Shirley. Shirley was suspended from his college team three times last year. In October he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and a hit-and-run.

Who made the right choice - For once, I think that I may have had the better choice in Okam. However, Shirley could be a superstar if he could develop and stay out of trouble. He is just bigger and stronger than anyone he faces. Overall, the Bengals are taking a slight risk (fifth-round pick) after already selecting a DT in the third round. The risk could possibly have a big reward, but Okam is a proven DT that wants to eventually go to law school.

ROUND 6
What I wanted to do - After the Shirley pick, I stopped watching the draft. I lost my focus. However, that didn’t mean that I didn’t know what I wanted. I was surprised to see two of the three top centers available in Steve Justice (Wake Forest) and John Sullivan (Notre Dame). I also liked Kentucky QB Andre Woodson, North College Hill (HS in CIN) CB DeJuan Tribble, Iowa State DT Ahtyba Rubin and Cincinnati S Haruki Nakamura - all of which were still available when it was the Bengals turn to make their first selection of the sixth round. All were selected by the team’s second sixth-round pick, but USC RB Chauncey Washington, CAL RB Justin Forsett, Louisville WR Mario Urrutia, Arkansas WR Marcus Monk, Michigan WR Adrian Arrington, Hawaii WR Davone Bess and Oklahoma St. WR Adarius Bowman were all still on the board.

What the Bengals did - With the first pick in the round, Cincinnati selected Appalachian St. S Corey Lynch (right). The second pick, the team selected Villanova TE Matt Sherry.

Who made the right decision - Again, I love to give the Bengals props for pleasantly surprising me when they picked Lynch, who should be a valuable player on special teams and could eventually become a great player on defense as well. The Sherry pick was ridiculed, however Reggie Kelly is entering the second year of his three-year deal and you have to think that his career might be over once that contract runs out.

ROUND 7
What I wanted to do - The Bengals had already drafted two WRs, but there are handful of talented players still on the board in Louisville WR Mario Urrutia, Arkansas WR Marcus Monk, Hawaii WR Davone Bess and Oklahoma St. WR Adarius Bowman. Please pick one of them. Also, I couldn’t believe that Illinois LB Jeremy Leman and Boston College S Jamie Silva were still available. Please take one of them.

What the Bengals did - With the No. 244 overall pick, Cincinnati picked undersized Cincinnati defensive end Angelo Craig and then with its next pick it selected Urrutia.

Who made the right decision - I would have to call this a push, while I would have liked Leman or Silva - Craig does provide some much needed depth at the DE position. Then with only seven picks left in the entire draft, the Bengals selected the player I wanted in Urrutia, who is 6-foot-6 and dominated when he was a freshman. The only knock on him was that he didn’t improve, but in his defense he has battled injuries.

OVERALL
Usually I am kind of upset after the NFL Draft, however this year I came away completely satisfied. So I was surprised when I woke up on Monday morning and heard Cincinnati sports talk radio stations make fun of the draft, many giving the team average grades of C- through B-. Personally, I loved the draft and it shot up my interest and it needed shot after the annoying offseason this team is having.