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Over at SB Nation, we’re doing a re-draft of the 2017 NFL Draft, which saw the Bengals originally spend the ninth overall pick on Washington receiver John Ross.
Obviously, the Bengals wouldn’t have made that pick in hindsight, as Ross has been far to inconsistent and injury-prone to warrant being selected at any part of the first round. Plus, the Bengals had other pressing needs, the biggest of which being offensive tackle after losing Andrew Whitworth that offseason, while former first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi proved to be a colossal bust.
That’s why when Cincinnati went on the clock, I went with Wisconsin tackle Ryan Ramczyk, who’s become arguably the best offensive lineman to come out of this draft. He would have been a major upgrade at either tackle spot and could have helped the Bengals win a few more games in what turned into a 7-9 season.
But was Ramczyk the best pick to make there?
Some of the other names still on the board there were Wisconsin defensive end T.J. Watt, Penn State wide receiver Chris Godwin, Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara, and Alabama safety Eddie Jackson.
Watt is clearly a better player than Ramczyk, but the smaller frame (6-4 252 pounds) makes the former a poor fit for a team running a 4-3 defense. Watt has since thrived in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker.
Plus, the Bengals already had a decent group of defensive ends, whereas both offensive tackle spots became a major liability.
So, we’ll ask you. Who would you have taken for the Bengals? Let us know in the comments section!