2008 NFL Draft: Mock my words - Bengals style - Running Backs

By Adam Kiefaber

What if the Cincinnati Bengals are sitting at the No. 9 spot in the first round and the defensive stud they wanted is gone?

Many of us (fans) are hoping that USC DT Sedrick Ellis will be available, but what if a different team trades up to take him?

With the new draft format (less time to pick) it might be harder to trade down, so the Bengals might have to make a quick decision.

There is a very good chance that decision would result in the team selecting a running back.

So, let’s take a quick look at what might be the deepest position in the 2008 NFL Draft.

ROUND ONE
With the No. 9 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the Bengals select …

Arkansas RB Darren McFadden - There is a slim chance that McFadden will still be on the board here, however if Ellis is gone there is a chance he might slip. In this situation, DE Chris Long, DT Glenn Dorsey, OT Jake Long, DE Vernon Gholston, Ellis, CB Leodis McKelvin, OT Ryan Clady and QB Matt Ryan would all have to be selected before McFadden (this is very possible). If McFadden does slip to No. 9, it should be easy for the Bengals to trade down considering that their phone will be ringing off the hook with trade offers. Personally, I would love to have McFadden despite his character issues. I have followed his entire college career and he is the best running back that I have ever seen (better than last year’s rookie of the year Adrian Peterson). So passing on McFadden, if he falls to No. 9, could haunt the Bengals for a long time.

Arkansas RB Darren McFadden highlights

Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall - It is a sensitive issue when it comes to the Bengals drafting a running back in the first round, especially when you consider the previous selections of Ki-Jana Carter and Chris Perry. However, if there is a running back that Cincinnati fans are excited about it is Mendenhall, who is receiving high praises on team message boards. Believe it or not, there are a lot of Bengal fans out there that would rather have Mendenhall than Ellis. Right now, he is being compared to LaDainian Tomlinson, which at first I disagreed with, but after thinking about it - the comparison actually fits. Mendenhall probably won’t be as good as “LT”, but he is going to be a solid every-down back for a long time. He would definitely be a safe pick.

Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall highlights

OTHER ROUNDS
Quick Overview

The Bengals have so many needs that it makes it hard to imagine that the team will select a running back until very late in the draft, that is if they don’t pick one in the first round.

On the other hand, the Bengals might have a particular RB in mind and they might be tempted in the second round. At No. 46 overall, only Mendenhall, McFadden and Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart will be off the draft board. There might be one or two others selected in the late first or early second rounds. Again if the team doesn’t pick a running back at No. 9 it could be looking at Arkansas RB Felix Jones, Texas RB Jamaal Charles, East Carolina RB Chris Johnson (4.24 40) or Rutgers RB Ray Rice in the second round.

ECU Chris Johnson highlights

One of the above RBs might slip to the third round and the with the team having two picks that round, selecting a running back might be a good idea when you consider the talent available. If the team passes on a RB in rounds one through four, it might be useless to pick one at all. If one of the above backs don’t slip, the Bengals might be looking at UCF Kevin Smith, Georgia Tech Tashard Choice or Tulane RB Matt Forte in rounds three and four.

CURRENT RBs

Rudi Johnson (Age: 28) - Johnson looked terrible last season. Biased sources will tell you the reason was because of a hamstring injury, but Johnson has been injured his entire NFL career (usually misses most of the team’s practices leading up to games) and it never hurt him before. In his defense, he needed better blocking from his offensive line, but it appeared as if Johnson was just walking up to the line of scrimmange and then falling down. He didn’t look like the Rudi of old and it showed as he rushed for only 497 yards on 170 carries (2.9 per carry!), had three touchdowns and three fumbles. Hopefully he can come back and continue his successful career, but if he can’t I would like to thank Rudi for his services - he was a great player and a great person (very nice and approachable).

Kenny Watson (Age: 30) - Watson is extremely underrated. Many NFL experts claim that he shouldn’t be a starter and can’t handle being an every-down back, but he had a solid season last year. The former collegiate wide receiver rushed for 763 yards on 178 carries (4.3 per carry) and had seven touchdowns. Watson continued to be a solid receiver out of the backfield, on the year he caught 52 passes for 374 yards. Like Rudi, Watson is not the long-term answer at RB. Despite his solid play, his age is getting up there (30 is old among NFL RBs).

Chris Perry (Age: 26) - Like previous first-round pick Ki-Jana Carter, Perry has been injured for almost the entire duration of his Bengal career. He did show flashes of brilliance in 2005, when he rushed for 279 yards on 61 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and had 51 receptions. It will be interesting to see how Perry plays this preseason after sitting out the last two seasons (played a little in ‘06).

Kenny Irons (Age: 24) - No one is expecting Irons to even play this season. He is actually supposed to be placed on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) when the time comes at the end of the preseason.

DeDe Dorsey (Age: 23) - Dorsey, the new fan favorite, could have trouble making the roster this season. He finished the year with 183 yards on 21 carries (8.7 per carry) and had a blocked punt that he returned for a touchdown. Dorsey is small and not an every-down RB, but he showed that he could be a playmaker. Like Perry and Irons, Dorsey has some injury concerns after suffering a high ankle sprain at the end of the season.

OVERVIEW

With five quality backs on the roster, it wouldn’t seem like the Bengals should draft a running back this week. However, Rudi might be on his way out, Watson can’t last forever and the other three backs are injured. If the team picks Mendenhall or McFadden, don’t be surprised if the Bengals trade Rudi, but like a teammate with the same last name it might be difficult because Rudi is owed a significant amount of signing bonus money. If Cincinnati picks up a RB in rounds two through four it could mean that Perry and Dorsey might be released. Don’t rule out the possibility that the Bengals could keep four RBs on the roster this regular season because Dorsey is a backup return man and a playmaker on special teams. If the Bengals don’t draft a RB in rounds one through four, I expect them to draft a RB in the seventh round or to sign an undrafted free agent to compete with Perry and Dorsey.

Please join us online at Bengalstripes.com for live draft discussion. I want to have a record amount of comments, so please sign up and give us your opinion. The NFL Draft begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 ET on ESPN and on the NFL Network. Rounds three through seven will be on Sunday starting at 10 a.m. ET.