With Chad Ochocinco and Antonio Bryant the team's likely starters in 2010, with Andre Caldwell playing slot and Jerome Simpson given the Marvin Lewis "last chance" endorsement a month ago, the Bengals could still looking at building the team's wide receiver depth. Last Wednesday, Bengals wide receiver coach Mike Sheppard was reportedly at Illinois' Pro Day, checking out Illini wide receiver Arrelious Benn. Gil Brandt writes:
Benn had a sensational outing. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 and 4.40 seconds, had a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump, a 4.32-second short shuttle and a 6.79-second three-cone drill.
Whether or not the Bengals were specifically checking out Benn because of interest or due diligence to check out other players that could be available late in the draft, or during the undrafted free agency period is unknown.
The Illini featured other receivers, including Jeff Cumberland, who "ran 4.45 and 4.46 in the 40, had a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump, a 9-10 broad jump, a 4.39 short shuttle, a 6.89 three-cone drill and did 20 bench press repetitions at 225 pounds." Cumberland "had multiple drops during drills". Chris Duvalt is a third receiver that participated at Illinois' Pro Day, but is "unlikely to be picked, according to most mock drafts."