Michigan State Spartans cornerback Darqueze Dennard (31). Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals have such a deep roster that they don’t have any glaring positions of need to fill in the 2014 NFL Draft, but they are expected to address the cornerback position in the first round. They will probably focus on adding a quarterback behind Andy Dalton later on, but their priority is probably to add a talented player in the secondary, and I usually end up mocking TCU’s stalwart Jason Verrett to them, but there is a certain Michigan State Spartans CB worth keeping in mind for the Bengals at 24.
Per a source close to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Darqueze Dennard is on the second day of a two-day visit with the Bengals organization, but Rapoport, of course, wonders if one of the draft’s most touted CBs will be there for the Bengals. It’s worth noting that his colleague at the NFL Network, the ever-excellent Daniel Jeremiah, and another ultra-reliable NFL Draft scout in Lance Zierlien have stated that Dennard could slip as another top CB prospect from the B1G, Bradley Roby, rises. Roby has long been undervalued after Urban Meyer misused his elite skills in zone coverage instead of man (sounds like a certain, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach) and hurt his star corner’s draft stock in the process.
Dennard would be an excellent pick-up for the Bengals at 24, especially since some analysts view him as the best prospect in the class. Roby, Verrett, Kyle Fuller, and Justin Gilbert are also excellent prospects, but there’s basically no chance of Gilbert slipping into the 20-25 range. At this point in time, Dennard is one of the best options for the Bengals, and the Bengals are taking along look at the smart, ultra-physical cover man.