NFP Mock Draft: Bengals Select West Virginia Wide Receiver Tavon Austin

We're less than a week before Christmas, heading into Week 16 of the 2012 NFL season. It only makes sense that we have a MOCK DRAFT! Though we're not getting ahead of ourselves, during dull Wednesday mornings with lukewarm coffee in stained mugs, we're still interested in what others view as Cincinnati's primary needs and which players are generating the most pre-combine draft hype (which will change by April).

Russ Lande with National Football Post fires out a mock draft, selecting West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin.

A.J. Green has developed into one of the premier receivers in the NFL, but to keep defenses from focusing all their attention on him the Bengals grab Austin who is the most explosive and dynamic play-maker in the 2013 Draft.

Austin, named as the nation's best all-purpose performer by College Football Performance Awards, is a finalist for the "Jet" award, given to the country's best returner.

Our own Joe Goodberry enthusiastically disagrees with the selection.

"He's Andrew Hawkins. Slot guy, gadget player with return abilities. While a very effective college player, Austin will be limited to a slot/gadget type role on offense and return abilities. The Bengals don't need that with Mo Sanu emerging in the slot and Andrew Hawkins already making waves in the NFL as a gadget player."

Austin's last two seasons: