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Last month, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. identified a clear need at cornerback when he selected Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard. Again, cornerback made sense at the time: Hall is coming off his second Achilles tear in three years, Newman and Jones will turn 36 and 31 respectively this year and Dre Kirkpatrick is an inconsistent unknown.
Kiper released a new mock draft on Thursday and... nothing has changed, selecting Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard (In$ider).
This is a pick I'm staying with, as I like both the fit and the fact that the Bengals have few major needs, but corner is certainly one. To quote the previous mock, "there are some concerns going forward at a couple of spots, with both age (Adam Jones and Terence Newman are north of 30) and health (Leon Hall ended the season on injured reserve), so the Bengals don't just need depth, they could use a player capable of starting." Dennard can start, and he brings a physical style and an ability to press combined with great awareness and the ability to defend like he's in your jersey without simply grabbing.
As for the rest of the draft, Kiper has Johnny Manziel going first (Houston), followed by offensive tackle Greg Robinson, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and wide receiver Sammy Watkins.