Jason Verrett to Bengals in latest Todd McShay Mock Draft

As the mock draft season draws to a close and the real NFL Draft kicks-off in eight days, most of the 'experts' continue to believe the Bengals will address their defense in the first round, specifically at cornerback.

It makes sense, given the amount of first-round talent at that position there is, not to mention it's arguably the Bengals biggest position of need.

So it doesn't come as any surprise that ESPN's Todd McShay has the Bengals taking TCU cornerback Jason Verrett with their first selection.

The Bengals need to get younger at the cornerback position, and this is a good spot for Verrett to come off the board. He's undersized for the position but plays big enough to make up for it, and he can really stick to people in man-to-man coverage because of his excellent change-of-direction ability and elite top-end speed. Cincinnati's other needs are at defensive end and along the offensive line.

If there's one prospect in this draft the Bengals have made it clear they're interested in, it's Verrett. They sent defensive backs coach Vance Joseph to his pro day, and have a held a private meeting with him.

He's also the one player that seems to consistently be on the board when the Bengals pick in most mocks. Mel Kiper has the Bengals taking Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy, but he's going as high as pick No. 15 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in some mocks.

At the end of the day, I'd give Verrett a very slight edge as the favorite to be the first player taken by the Bengals in the 2014 NFL Draft.