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I bet you thought that once the NFL Draft commenced, we here at Cincy Jungle would cease the mock drafts. No, sir--we want to milk these for all they're worth. And when we see one that raises our eyebrows, we like to post it. Evan Silva (who has become a consistent reference here at CJ) posted his second round mock draft on ProFootballTalk and who he has slated as the Bengals pick is intriguing.
He has the Bengals addressing another major need that they didn't address in the first round, but that need isn't a running back.
Silva has the Bengals selecting the embattled, yet talented wideout from the University of South Carolina, Alshon Jeffery.
53. Bengals: Alshon Jeffery, receiver, South Carolina.
Jeffery and A.J. Green could form a dynamic wideout duo.
Jeffery has had an interesting draft process, to say the least. Early on, Jeffery and Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon were neck and neck as the top wideout prospects in this year's draft. But questions began to arise about Jeffery's weight issues (he was reportedly up to the 240-pound range during the scouting process) and an inconsistent 2011 season. His once-assured first round stock slipped and he is now available in the second round of the draft.
He is one of a group of receivers that are available tonight that should come off of the board in a flurry. Rueben Randle of LSU, Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech, Marvin Jones of Cal, Brian Quick of Appalachian State and Mohammed Sanu of Rutgers all join Jeffery in a crowded and talented group. It's likely that one of the aforementioned names will be called upon by Cincinnati tonight.
Jeffery could be a dominant player in the NFL. He has the size at 6'4" and 225 pounds (ideal weight, at least), as well as the college-level productivity. In 2011, Jeffery battled inconsistent quarterback play and a season-ending injury to running back Marcus Lattimore to rack up 49 catches for 762 yards (a 15.6 yards per reception average) and eight touchdowns. However, the year before in 2010, Jeffery absolutely dominated the SEC. He put up 88 catches for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns. Competition or inexperience wouldn't hinder Jeffery at the NFL level, as it did for Jerome Simpson. He projects to be a great red zone threat and chain mover. He could also battle weight issues and go the way of former top pick, Mike Williams. It appears that Jeffery is the only thing standing in Jeffery's way of NFL success.