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| Jeff Risdon. 2nd May, 2007 - 5:35 pm
 The picks:
1st round, #18 overall--Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
2nd round, #49--Kenny Irons, RB, Auburn
4th round, #114--Marvin White, S, TCU
5th round, #151--Jeff Rowe, QB, Nevada
6th round, #187--Matt Toeaina, DT, Oregon
7th round, #230--Dan Santucci, C, Notre Dame
7th round, #253--Nedu Ndukwe, S, Notre Dame
Best pick: Hall
Worst pick: White, though not a bad pick
Analysis:
The Bengals had Leon Hall, the best cover CB in the draft, unexpectedly fall to them. He fills their biggest need without having to deal picks. Hall will start right away and also offers another option in the woeful return game. Irons has battled injuries but is a powerful, shifty runner, and pairing him with Rudi Johnson brings added depth and more punch where they needed it. White is a fierce hitter who will help shore up the run defense, though it might take him some time to pan out. I like the selection of Rowe, a project at this point but a very accurate thrower with a decent arm, as an insurance policy and developmental QB. Toeaina and Santucci are both physical effort guys, solid citizens, and add depth.
Grade: B
Hall is one of the best overall picks, and Irons could turn out to be a steal if he can absorb the NFL playbook. They chose a lot of hard-working, strong-character guys who can help a little right now but perhaps a lot in a year or two. That?s exactly what a team with Super Bowl aspirations and a lengthy police blotter needs. They could have addressed the DL earlier, and they bypassed better options at TE and DE in the later picks. |
