First-round draft pick Levi Jones made a visit to the stadium Sunday to meet his coaches and team management. But before he could talk to reporters, Jones sat through a 10-minute video presentation narrated by Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander.

Levi Jones watches video of his college days. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        Alexander, who spoke at length to reporters Saturday to announce Jones' selection, wanted to illustrate the points he made.

        Clips showed how Jones uses his 36 1/2-inch long arms to keep pass rushers off his body, his effort to block extra defenders after his first block is made and his speed and quickness.

        Jones, wearing a suit and a Bengals cap, then took the podium and said the session was “a learning experience.”

        Alexander, with a smile on his face, said, “Better get used to it.”

        Jones, a three-year starter at Arizona State and an Eloy, Ariz., native, answered several questions. He said the money a first-round draft pick earns and the free time he will have will not be wasted.

        “The money will be in secured bonds, and my free time will be in the playbook,” he said.

        COOPER FACTOR: Brown said personnel department consultant John Cooper made a significant contribution to the team's draft effort.

        Cooper, the former Ohio State coach, who started work March1, is the former president of the American Football Coaches Association. And he used his contacts with college coaches to get additional information about players.

        GOOD HISTORY: Jones is the fourth offensive tackle taken by the Bengals in the first round. The Bengals took Vernon Holland from Tennessee State with the 15th overall pick in 1971, Anthony Munoz from Southern California with the third overall pick in 1980 and Willie Anderson from Auburn with the 10th pick in 1996.

        “We haven't missed yet,” Alexander said.

        Then Alexander knocked on the wooden podium in the Paul Brown Stadium interview room.

        Holland played nine years. Munoz played 13 seasons for the Bengals and was the franchise's first player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And Anderson has started for six seasons with the Bengals.

        DRAFT BITS: Cornerback Phillip Buchanon was one of the players the Bengals considered drafting with their 10th overall pick. He went seven picks later to the Oakland Raiders and was one of five former Miami Hurricanes to go in the first round.

        The others were left tackle Bryant McKinnie (Vikings), tight end Jeremy Shockey (Giants), safety Ed Reed (Ravens) and cornerback Mike Rumph (49ers).

        The Bengals also were interested in Shockey, the top-rated tight end available.

        NEW POSITION: To address a shortage of players at safety, cornerback Mark Roman will split time in the secondary, coach Dick LeBeau said. And the Bengals drafted a potential starter at free safety, Washington State's Lamont Thompson.

        Roman, the Bengals' second-round pick in 2000 from LSU, played safety in college before moving to corner. The Bengals currently have three safeties under contract — strong safety JoJuan Armour and free safeties Cory Hall and Darryl Williams.

        Chris Carter, who started four games last season, signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Houston Texans.

        DEBUT: Bengals safeties coach Darren Perry, a former safety for LeBeau when LeBeau coached defensive backs in Pittsburgh, made his first public appearance as a member of the Bengals staff when he commented on Thompson in the stadium interview room.

        Perry was hired in February to replace Ray Horton, who had resigned.

        NO MITCHELL: Last year, veteran quarterback Scott Mitchell was a surprise signee on the second day of the draft. On Saturday, his locker had been cleaned out at Paul Brown Stadium.

        TURF PLAN: The grass in the middle of the Paul Brown Stadium playing field will be replaced after the June27-30 Billy Graham crusade. First, Brown said, the base beneath the grass will be reconstituted to increase the soil percentage compared to sand.

        Sand will stay in the mix to allow for water drainage, but the higher soil content hopefully will help the grass root better and provide better footing, Brown said.

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...