Mel Kiper's hair looked like a steel-belted radial. Always a work of art, Mel's 'do was also exceptionally sturdy Saturday, until the Bengals picked Levi Jones in the first round.

        “I can't understand the Bengals making the move they did!” Kiper said. A few strands of black wax actually broke from their moorings atop Mel's scalp. “It's not a crying need!”

FANS SOUND OFF

NFL experts ripped the Bengals' first pick (Story). So did Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty (Column). Enquirer columnist Tim Sullivan called it a sensible pick. (Column). More than 150 fans responded to our invitation to sound off. See what they had to say.

DRAFT POLL

What do you think of the Bengals' draft strategy?

What do you think of the Bengals' draft strategy? Click at the bottom if you just want to view the results without voting.   Looking good   Could be better   This is awful View current results

        Kiper and the rest of the draft experts were amazed. They don't know from amazed. They ought to watch the Bengals more often.

        What did you do when you heard the commissioner announce Cincinnati's top pick? Laugh? Cry? Did it make you wanna holler, throw up both your hands?

        It is possible Jones will be a great player. The Bengals say he's fast, smart, hungry and mean. Taking a left tackle in the first round fits the imprint Dick LeBeau wants to leave on this team: tough, run-oriented, defensive-minded. A lot like the Pittsburgh Steelers, and there's nothing wrong with that. But the Bengals can be good now. Jones is a down-the-road guy, unless you feel great about starting a rookie at left tackle. Jon Kitna won't.

No thrills for fans
               The Bengals had a rare chance to seize the local sporting buzz. Major League Baseball is coughing. The Reds are drawing blank stares. The Bengals were perceived as being a few good players from contending: a quarterback, a tight end, a cornerback.

        Not a left tackle.

        What they did Saturday was put the buzz back in the closet. Nobody can let the air out of a balloon like Mike Brown. It is too much to ask the Cincinnati Bengals to work the big room. It is wishful thinking to believe they might play at the high-stakes table.

Fans gathered at Paul Brown Stadium Saturday for the draft. The Bengals fan club sponsored the event, to which members could bring guests for $5 a head. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        They stopped pursuing who they really needed (Drew Bledsoe), declined to draft a high-impact cornerback with Prime Time potential (Phillip Buchanon) and instead drafted a lineman no one thought would be taken so quickly. In one mock draft, Jones was the 15th pick. In another, the 29th. Kiper had him going 18th. Nobody had Jones making the top 10. Not even Levi himself. “I'm extremely thankful,” Jones said. No doubt.

        To be fair, Kiper had rated Jones as the 16th-best player overall and as recently as two weeks ago predicted Jacksonville would take him with the ninth pick.

        As for the Bledsoe non-deal, Brown said it was dead for salary cap reasons. Some teams get creative. The Redskins will be paying Deion Sanders from now until the next Ice Age. They had enough cap wiggle to sign two Pro Bowl-type linebackers, Jesse Armstead and Jeremiah Trotter.

        The Bengals bypassed Bledsoe to re-sign Reinard Wilson. Draw your own conclusions.

        “A lot of times in the draft, you try to pick Superman. Personal makeup is overlooked. This is a top-shelf person,” line coach Paul Alexander said. Alexander also said Jones has “rare body acceleration.” Let's hear it for that.

        But always with the Bengals, we look at what could have been: Bledsoe, Buchanon and a tackle in a later round. We are left wanting more and feeling short-changed. Hope is a permanent emotion here. Unrequited, usually.

        E-mail: pdaugherty@enquirer.com. Past columns at Enquirer.com/columns/daugherty.

Good draft can help Bengals right away New kicker should give Rackers the boot What do you think of the Bengals' picks With Bledsoe on Bills, Bengals need backup QB Bengals foes reload in draft Draft Notebook: Jones gets first lesson Surprise, Bengals take tackle Experts rip Bengals pick DAUGHERTY: Bengals spoil the party again SULLIVAN: Bengals' timing might be right Jones combines brains and brawn Nose for ball Thompson's key strength Trade yields TE Schobel 6th: Marquand Manuel 7th: Joey Evans Draft picks by team Draft picks by number First round goes to linemen Harrington surprised by Detroit

• Return to Bengals front page...