conquer nothing but our minds

Like most Bengals fans, I question the wisdom of taking running back Kenny Irons in the second round of last weekend's NFL draft, but I think you can make arguments both ways on picking him. Leon Hall falling to us in the first round was a blessing (although Darrelle Revis would have been nicer if the Jets hadn't traded up to steal him), giving our secondary some of the boost it needs. I think the Bengals were targeting a defensive player again in the second round, but right before our pick there was a run on linebackers and defensive linemen (including the Jets again trading up above us to steal another of our defensive prospects), leaving us without a good player to pick. We could have reached down for a lower-tier player, but instead the coaching staff chose to address the Chris Perry problem. Clearly they don't feel that Perry will be ready for this season, and there's little question that Irons will be an impact player. That said, it may have been better to address the bigger holes on defense instead of tweaking the minor problems on offense.

Let's not forget that you have to count Ahmad Brooks when you consider this year's draft (the Bengals used their third round pick for this year by taking Brooks in last year's supplemental draft). With the extra experience from last year under his belt, Brooks is worth more than a third-round pick now. So that's two of the first three picks being used on defense. Then we took Marvin White in the fourth round, making it three for four on defense. I think White will be a good third safety to compliment Madieu Williams and Dexter Jackson. Plus, I believe this is the last year of Jackson's contract, giving us a good prospect to replace him.

Some people might also complain about taking quarterback Jeff Rowe in the fifth, but I think that was a smart move. At the time of the draft the Bengals had Carson Palmer and Doug Johnson as the only quarterbacks on the roster. They had been talking to a couple of other veteran quarterbacks prior to the draft, but none of those quarterbacks nor Doug Johnson would make me feel comfortable about the Bengals' chances if, God-forbid, Palmer was hurt again. I think the popular consensus among Bengals fans is that if Palmer gets hurt, you can throw in the towel for the rest of the season. By taking Rowe, the Bengals have a player that they plan to groom as Palmer's long-term backup. Instead of always relying on questionable, aging veterans, the smart thing to do is to develop a reliable second string player. The only thing you could argue is that the fifth may have been a little high for this pick, especially in the face of a couple more glaring needs.

Add on a defensive tackle, a guard, and a strong safety in the last two rounds. You could still argue about holes needing to be filled at linebacker or center or tight end, but in all I think it worked out to be an above average draft. I think linebacker will be okay with Brooks back after having a full offseason and the re-signing of Caleb Miller and Landon Johnson. I think Alex Steponavich will do fine at center, leaving the lack of tight ends as our biggest glaring problem. When you consider that the Bengals have added a veteran on the defensive line in free agency, are still in talks with at least one veteran linebacker, that a lot of last year's injured draft picks like A.J. Nicholson and Frostee Rucker should be healthy, and that last year's standout defensive rookies- Jonathan Joseph, Domato Peko, and Ethan Kilmer- are back and should continue to improve, things don't look as bleak as a lot of people are making them out to be.

edit: I forgot to mention that Irons also gives us more big-play ability at running back. I love Rudi, and you can't beat his reliability, but the Bengals haven't had a run longer than 33 yards in 37 games, and their longest run last year was 22 yards in the season opener. Plus, Irons gives the Bengals a better receiving threat out of the backfield.