Why the Bengals should draft Curtis Brooks

It’s no secret the Cincinnati Bengals need depth on the defensive line. They also need to add a cornerback early, are looking to pick up a receiver in the middle rounds, and will look for o-line depth probably throughout the Draft.

The team could fill one of those needs by taking University of Cincinnati defensive tackle Curtis Brooks, who the team got to see up close during the school’s Pro Day.

Brooks is an interesting prospect in that he has very high upside that is somewhat tempered by his age, as he is already 24 years old. “He’s athletic, good with his hands, but also went up against centers that were younger and not nearly as talented,” said our John Sheeran.

As Joe Goodberry noted in the thread below, he ranked very highly according to multiple PFF metrics and had an outstanding RAS score (9.52).

We talked about Brooks in our recent Draft preview. You can watch below:

As Sheeran said on the show, Brooks not only has to battle the perception that he tested well because he’s older, but it’s not even clear how he’d be used in the pros. “He didn’t play in a defense that is too common in the NFL,” he said. “He was a nose tackle, but he isn’t really the size of a nose tackle. So his projection in the NFL is a little bit shaky.”

You can also listen to the analysis on iTunes or using the player below: