2011 Cincy Jungle Mock Draft - Round 3 - The Cincinnati Bengals Select...

For the No. 66 pick in the second-annual Cincy Jungle Mock Draft, Jason Garrison selected for the Cincinnati Bengals, who have the standard three picks. Here is the pick ...

With the No. 66 pick in the NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Benglas select......

Curtis Brown, CB, Texas

When it comes to the Bengals third-round pick, I looked at a few different positions. I looked at offensive linemen, safeties, running backs and defensive ends. While I really wanted to draft an interior lineman for the Bengals, there weren't any worth a third-round pick, and while I toyed around with the idea of selecting Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray for the Bengals, I didn't think that selecting three offensive skill positions in the first three rounds would be a good idea, especially when there are some glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball.

I would have liked to draft Oklahoma free safety Quinton Carter but, unfortunately, UpStateMike selected him with the No. 60 pick for the New England Patriots, so I decided to take the best cornerback left on the board and that was Texas' Brown.

I can't say for sure if Johnathan Joseph will be a Bengal again in 2011 but it seems as though that the Bengals lost their chance to re-sign him. That leaves the Bengals with Adam Jones and Leon Hall as their probable starters, which isn't necessarily bad, especially considering how talented both corners are if they can stay healthy. However, 2011 is a contract year for both Hall and Jones and the Bengals need to start thinking about the future of their secondary. If Hall asks for the same amount of money that Joseph did, the Bengals will probably decide, like they did with Joseph, that he's not worth it. Regardless of whether or not that's the right decision (it's not), they'll need somebody to step in and start in Hall's place. That somebody could be Curtis Brown.

CBS Draft Scout ranks Brown as the eighth best cornerback in this year's draft class. Rob Rang has Brown going to the Eagles in the second round in his mock draft, and Chad Reuter has him going to the Lions in the second. Brown, a former receiver, has elite speed and is capable of helping in the passing game as well as against the run. He may not be able to jump into a starting role immediately but that isn't necessarily going to be asked of him. He'll play in nickle and dime formations and possibly fill in if Jones or Hall goes down with an injury. Next year, though, we may be watching him as a starter on defense.

Brown's elite speed, ability to mirror receivers on the outside and proven special teams acumen have made him a lot of fans among NFL coaches and scouts. The importance of finding athletes of his caliber for the cornerback position should put Brown in the top third of many draft boards come April.

Oh, and did I mention that he's an accomplished return man too?

I couldn't find a Curtis Brown Highlight video that I could embed, so you can watch his highlights here.

Draft Overview: