NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams
By Conor Dorney
Grade: B+
Best pick: Billy Price (OL, Ohio State)
Questionable pick: Malik Jefferson (LB, Texas)
Sleeper pick: Jessie Bates (S, Wake Forest)
The Bengals needed desperately to address their issues on the offensive line early and did so with the selection of Ohio State’s Billy Price with the twenty-first pick in the first round. The team was reportedly enamored with Arkansas’ Frank Ragnow, but after Ragnow went off the board to Detroit in the pick directly before them, Price was the next best option. Price’s shoulder injury pushed him down some draft boards but he was extremely durable in his Buckeye career and has the type of technique and nasty streak that Cincinnati will love.
Safety Jessie Bates had some of the most helium of any prospect in the draft, with some even projecting him as a first-round pick. Bates has outstanding athleticism and should be a great centerfielder in the Bengals’ defensive backfield.
Malik Jefferson is a player who never matched his enormous potential to production on the field, and will need to do a lot to prove he’ll be more than just a special teams contributor in the NFL. Despite his athletic gifts, Jefferson lacks instincts to be an every-down linebacker at the next level but the Bengals are hoping he can be the long-term replacement for Vontaze Burfict.
Mark Walton of Miami is another nice pickup for a Bengals offense that should see another uptick in production from Joe Mixon. If Cincy has done enough to overhaul their offensive line, Walton and Mixon could become one of the best young running back tandems in the league.