By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Bengals will pick 17th in the first round of the April 24-25 NFL draft, their lowest selection since 1991.

YEAR IN REVIEW

• Lewis not satisfied, but says foundation is solid • Teammate: 'Good riddance,' Corey • The envelope please ... • 2003 season recap • 2003 storylines • Lewis plans no changes, credits his co-workers • 17th pick could bolster defense • Major free agent acquisitions pay off in starting lineup • Johnson a hot property • Kitna wants to stay Bengal • Rookie class makes immediate contributions • Season stats

Drafting lower than in recent seasons will give the Bengals more flexibility and won't be as expensive as the top-five picks that became the norm in the past few years.

"Ideal spot for the best player available there," coach Marvin Lewis said Monday in his season-ending news conference. "And we got places to plug a guy in, don't we?"

The Bengals could add depth to their offensive line or get some immediate help on defense. Lewis mentioned the defensive secondary as a position of great need.

"We need to do a better job of tackling, a better job of execution, schematics, coverage, so forth, finish," Lewis said. "I say defensively, as a football team, we've got to get better."

Oklahoma's Brandon Everage is the top-rated safety by many draft experts. At 190 pounds, he is considered an enforcer who likes to hit runners. He also can cover receivers. Iowa's Bob Sanders is bigger at 205 and is seen as another solid run stopper. Another Oklahoma player, Derrick Strait, is at the top of the cornerback list and known for his run-stopping ability.

The senior class is not a good one for inside linebackers.

No offensive centers or guards are considered solid first-round picks, so the Bengals could draft a highly rated interior lineman in the second round. The team also needs to improve its depth at tackle behind starters Willie Anderson and Levi Jones. Five tackles are projected as first-round picks, a list topped by Iowa's Robert Gallery.

"We've got to continually plug different pieces in offensively at different spots and make sure we continue to improve our depth," Lewis said.

Lewis also said some of the team's defensive draft picks from the 2003 class will get opportunities to play in 2004.

That list consists of cornerback Dennis Weathersby, linebacker Khalid Abdullah, and linemen Langston Moore and Elton Patterson.

Return to Bengals front page...