Hey it's draft season, if you couldn't tell, which means everybody who ever watched the first round of the draft once has come out with a new and exciting mock draft. We try to bring the best of these and shove them in your Bengals-loving faces and even though you may say you're getting tired of them, we both know you secretly love it.
Sporting News' Russ Lande has come out with a new mock draft that is a little bit of the same and a little big different from other mocks we've seen in the past. So let's get to it.
With the 17th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, Lande says the Bengals select....
........Alabama running back Trent Richardson.
The Bengals, who aren't expected to re-sign Cedric Benson, get lucky when the top back in the draft slides to them.
While I understand that Richardson is the best running back prospect in this year's draft class, I think selecting him before the team figures out their guard situation could be a mistake. Having said that, though, Richardson has so much upside and potential that a running back-needy team will have a hard time passing over him. If he falls to the Bengals at 17, I would expect them to accept that gift and I wouldn't really blame them for it either.
Then, with the No. 21 pick in the first round, Lande predicts the Bengals get a cornerback, but not the one you're thinking.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia. Nate Clements will be in his 13th season in 2012, and Leon Hall is coming off a season-ending Achilles' tendon injury. The Bengals grab Boykin, whose explosive athleticism, ball skills and return ability give him the tools to make an immediate impact as a nickel cornerback and kickoff returner.
There's no question that the Bengals need help in the secondary at the cornerback position but Boykin is a new name for the first round. After Stephen Gilmore's combine, I'm a little surprised that he's not going to the Bengals with this pick. I haven't done a lot of homework on Boykin yet, but if he's got the talent to contribute right away and he's on the board, maybe it wouldn't be a bad pick.
What do you think of this mock draft, Bengals fans?