NFL Draft-Bengals

The Bengals haven't drafted especially well in the last 5 years (17 players from those drafts are no longer in the NFL) so its no surprise to see them picking so high. Granted, losing Carson Palmer for most of the year and having him when he was definitely not even close to healthy (elbow) hurt them a ton, dropping their offense from 7th in passing yards, 10th in total yards, and 11th in points to 30th in passing yards and dead last in total yards and points and leaving them to rely on a defense that hasn't been good in a long, long time.

The health of Carson Palmer's throwing elbow is obviously the biggest thing to watch for this upcoming season, but I don't think it will affect the Bengals draft board very much as they will look to upgrade their offensive and defensive lines and the rest of the defensive side of the ball.

Also, will Chad Ocho Cinco be able to return to his old self, will Laveranues Coles be able to effectively replace TJ Houshmandzadeh, and will Cedric Benson be able to be as effective as he was over the last few weeks?

With the 6th overall pick in the draft, I expect the Bengals to go for a LT that can replace the departed Stacey Andrews and the oft-injured Levi Jones. They could also choose to bolster their pass rush by selecting a DE like Brian Orakpo if he's still around or Everette Brown or their run D with BJ Raji, even though he would be much better suited for a 3-4 defense.

In the 2nd round (pick 38), look for them to do the same thing as in the first round, pick either an offensive or defensive lineman. Possible choices are BC's Ron Brace, Georgia Tech's Michael Johnson, or Cal's Alex Mack.

Their remaining 9 picks (3/70, 3/98, 4/106, 5/142, 6/179, 6/209, 7/215, 7/245, 7/252) will be used on at least 1 more offensive or defensive lineman, 2 linebacks, a safety, a QB, a running back, possibly a tight end and and a return man/WR.

THE PICK: Andre Smith-OT, Alabama