Cincinnati Bengals: Making the case for Malcom Brown

By Luis Tirado Jr. | Apr 7, 2015

The Cincinnati Bengals have had a decent offseason to date. However, what they do in the 2015 NFL Draft will truly determine what kind of success they’ll have next season and beyond.

Don’t get me wrong, the Bengals have always been a good team but always are missing something once they get into the NFL Playoffs. To think that this team hasn’t won a playoff game since 1990 when they beat the Houston Oilers is beyond me. It all comes down to their defense and continuing to upgrade their pass rush that should elevate them to end their drought.

Come draft day, the Bengals own the No. 21 overall pick, It presents a nice situation to fix their postseason drought and add some final pieces to the mix. Defensive tackle Malcom Brown would be one direction to go with that would address their pass rush immediately. I even had the Bengals draft him in my mock draft because he’s exactly what they need.

More from Cincinnati Bengals

At 6’2″ and 319 pounds, Brown is incredibly fast and wreaks havoc against opposing offensive linemen. He’s powerful and has a keen defensive instinct on getting to the ball carrier. His versatility is something that the Bengals would love to deploy.

Whether he’s in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense, Brown can cover multiple positions as a defensive end or defensive tackle and really push the envelope for the Bengals. If Brown is available when the Bengals are on the clock, it’ll be an easy decision to bring him aboard.

For the past few drafts, the Bengals always have the mentality of drafting the best player available. While many feel they need to bolster their offensive line, think about what could happen to the Bengals and their postseason hopes if they just added more to their pass rush?

Too many times the Bengals found themselves trying to play catch-up because their defense completely broke down in key moments of their playoff appearances. Against the Indianapolis Colts last season, quarterback Andrew Luck knew how to pick apart their defense to the tune of 26-10.

Sep 27, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Malcom Brown (90) warms up before the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium. Texas won the game 23-0. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

The year before that, the San Diego Chargers knew how to attack their defense and beat them, 27-10. In 2012, the Houston Texans had a field day and since the Bengals’ defense was completely void of pass rushing abilities, they were embarrassed, 31-10.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Bengals will continue their success during the regular season but the better teams in the NFL all know and stress the importance of defense. The famous saying of “defense wins championships” is completely true and if the Bengals want to ensure success when it matters most, it all starts with bolstering their pass rush now to avoid problems later.

Overall, I think Brown would be a great addition to the team as he can step right in and add a nice dimension on defense. The Bengals can use his speed, athleticism and size to be the perfect run-stuffer and bring back that intimidating defensive factor they so desperately need heading into next season. His work ethic would also gel nicely with those around him as he can be the catalyst the Bengals could count on to finally make some noise once they are in the NFL playoffs again.

Next: Cincinnati Bengals: Grading Denarius Moore Signing

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Cincinnati Bengals