NFL Mock Draft 2013: Cincinnati Bengals Select….
By Josh Hill
This pick was made by Josh Hill from Fansided.com
The Cincinnati Bengals select D.J. Fluker from Alabama.
I’d love to see the Bengals take a chance on Keenan Allen here and pair him with A.J. Green, but Andy Dalton needs protection before he adds more weapons to his offense. Fluker would be an Alabama lineman replacing an Alabama lineman who ended up being a bust so it’s easy to see why Cincinnati would be hesitant to take Fluker.
But there’s not running back worth taking this high and if it’s not Allen, it’s going to be Fluker. The Bengals need to get serious about Andy Dalton under center and drafting Fluker is as good, if not better than drafting a wide receiver here. Yes, it would be nice to add more weapons to an already dangerous offense. But if Dalton is under pressure and forcing throws, all the weapons in the world won’t do him any good.
While wide receivers make the cover of magazines and video games, a quarterback’s best weapons are in front of him on his offensive line. Unless you’re a truly elite quarterback, you’re only as good as your offensive line allows you to be, and if Dalton gets a serious string of body guards blocking for him every Sunday, the growth in Cincinnati will be nothing short of wondrous.
Here is how the draft currently stands:
1. Kansas City Chiefs — Eric Fisher, offensive tackle, Central Michigan
2. Jacksonville Jaguars — Dion Jordan, defensive end, Oregon
3. Oakland Raiders — Sharrif Floyd, defensive tackle, Florida
4. Philadelphia Eagles — Luke Joeckel, offensive tackle, Texas A&M
5. Detroit Lions — Ezekiel Ansah, defensive end, BYU
6. Cleveland Browns — Dee Milliner, cornerback, Alabama
7. Arizona Cardinals — Lane Johnson, offensive tackle, Oklahoma
8. Buffalo Bills — Chance Warmack, guard, Alabama
9. New York Jets — Jarvis Jones, linebacker, Georgia
10. Tennessee Titans — Jonathan Cooper, guard, North Carolina
11. San Diego Chargers — Star Lotulelei, defensive tackle, Utah
12. Miami Dolphins — Xavier Rhodes, cornerback, Florida State
13. New York Jets (via Tampa Bay) — Tavon Austin, wide receiver, West Virginia
14. Carolina Panthers — Sheldon Richardson, defensive tackle, Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints — Barkevious Mingo, defensive end, LSU
16. St. Louis Rams — Cordarrelle Patterson, wide receiver, Tennessee
17. Pittsburgh Steelers — Tyler Eifert, tight end, Notre Dame
18. Dallas Cowboys — Kenny Vaccaro, safety, Texas
19. New York Giants — Tank Carradine, defensive end, Florida State
20. Chicago Bears — Manti Te’o, linebacker, Notre Dame
21. Cincinnati Bengals — D.J. Fluker, offensive tackle, Alabama