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Running back wasn't one of the biggest areas of need entering the NFL draft, but the Bengals took the best player available on their board when the LSU's Jeremy Hill got the call in the second round.
In his first season as the primary back, Hill ran through SEC defenses for 1,401 yards and 16-touchdowns in 2013. With Hill being the second back take in this year's draft, it was clear the Bengals had a lot of confidence in his abilities, as well as his character.
"We did our due diligence," Marvin Lewis said after drafting Hill. "He came out as one of the most versatile runners, both big and strong, ability to make people miss, ability to catch the football.
"We have a lot of confidence in the people we know inside the LSU program. There's a bunch of people in the LSU program that many of us in the building have strong relationships with."
Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said you can never have too many running backs, and there's room for Hill and Green-Ellis on the roster:
"Right now there is," Jackson said after the draft. "Right now that's not my concern. We have some very competitive guys in that room, and nobody is going to shy away from anything. At the end of the day, we're going to play the best players."
As of now, Green-Ellis is set to have a cap hit of $2.5 million in 2014. Either he's going to take a paycut at some point, or he's going to be a bigger part of the offense still than most expect after the selection at Hill.
As of now, Green-Ellis, Rex Burkhead, James Wilder Jr. and Cedric Peerman will be fighting for probably two roster spots reserved for running backs. This will be an intriguing positonal battle to watch in camp and through the preseason if Green-Ellis is still on the roster.