Bengals select LB Keith Rivers

Can’t hate this pick.

Bengals need a linebacker and they get the best one in the draft in USC LB Keith Rivers

Shane Bulcher of Bengalstripes.com wrote in his in-depth look at the linebacker position as it pretains to the 2008 NFL Draft.

“Another four-year starter, Rivers came into USC with great expectations as he inherited the famous number fifty-five jersey. The same number worn by USC greats Junior Seau, Willie McGinest and Chris Claiborne. Rivers doesn’t seem to do anything exceptionally well, but he gets the job done and was a leader on a star-studded defense where he had to share tackles with a cast of All-Americans (only 78 tackles as a senior). Personally, the more I see, the less I like the idea of the Bengals drafting him at the nine spot, because he looks like a player who will be solid, but not great at the next level. One positive is that the Bengals are in dire need of leadership and strong character, and both are strengths of Rivers.”