Don Banks Redrafts The 2012 NFL Draft

Interesting.

Those are my obvious words of suggestive analysis.

Don Banks with Sports Illustrated elected to do something that bored football writers tend to do during the offseason. Redraft the 2012 NFL draft, applying the performances of those rookies last season.

Instead of receiving cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and offensive guard Kevin Zeitler, the Bengals would pick a whole new cast of first-rounders from last year, even at different positions.

At No. 17 Banks has Cincinnati picking up wide receiver Justin Blackmon.

Bengals third-round receiver Mohamed Sanu was just starting to find the end zone when he got hurt, and that left Cincinnati still seeking another pass catcher to draw some coverage away from A.J. Green. The Bengals need another threat for quarterback Andy Dalton to throw to, and got nothing from Kirkpatrick in 2012.

And at No. 27, the Bengals grabbed offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele.

Zeitler was more than solid for the Bengals at guard, but Osemele was a revelation of sorts for the Super Bowl champion Ravens. Taken in the second round, K.O., as they call him, started all 16 regular season games at right tackle, and then slid over to left guard in the postseason, putting together four quality games and helping cement a Baltimore offensive line that was almost flawless in the playoffs.

Banks sent Zeitler off to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the No. 31 pick and Kirkpatrick falling out of the first round.

Comparatively speaking, I'm rather satisfied with how things actually worked out.