1 (21) - Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame; 2 (37) - Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina; 2 (53) Margus Hunt, DE, SMU; 3 (84) Shawn Williams, SS, Georgia; 4 (118) - Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M; 5 (156) - Tanner Hawkinson, OT, Kansas; 6 (190) - Rex Burkhead, RB, Nebraska; 6 (197) - Cobi Hamilton, WR, Arkansas; 7 (240) - Reid Fragel, OT, Ohio State; 7 (251) - T.J. Johnson, C, South Carolina
Top Pick Analysis: Mike Brown got the best tight end in the draft in Notre Dame's Eifert as well as a back who can give the running game some juice outside the tackles in Bernard. The Bengals then turned to defense by taking lengthy SMU defensive end Hunt, a 6-foot-8 player who could create havoc in the passing lanes, along with Williams, a safety who projects on special teams early and has the potential to be a starter down the line.
Best Value Pick: Porter is undersized but the Bengals need an outside linebacker and he is an athletic guy with the short-area quickness and the football IQ to switch from playing the run to checking a slot.
Questionable Calls: Bernard wasn't the best running back in the draft but best fit for what Cincinnati was looking for. "Need" is never the best talent evaluator, though.
Summary: Andy Dalton is going to run out of excuses soon. Eifert is a mismatch machine and Bernard's explosiveness should keep opposing defenses honest. Now it's time for Dalton to stop using A.J. Green as his default setting when things go wrong and start getting some of his other pieces involved.
FINAL GRADE: A-
Undrafted rookie free agent signings: Indiana DT Larry Black Jr.; Stanford CB Terrence Brown; New Mexico-Highlands OLB Jordan Campbell; NW Missouri State DE Travis Chappelear; Southern Illinois OLB Jayson Dimanche; Eastern Kentucky WR Tyrone Goard; Auburn RB Onterio McCalebb; Michigan WR Roy Roundtree; Oklahoma State PK-P Quinn Sharp; Minnesota CB Troy Stoudermire; Auburn OL John Sullen; Virginia Tech LB Bruce Taylor
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