Josh Shaw an excellent pick for Cincinnati Bengals

By Kevin Parvizi | May 2, 2015

The Cincinnati Bengals loaded up on offensive tackles in the first two rounds, picking up Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher as a good second-round value pick, but they were able to pick up one of the best cornerbacks in the class in Josh Shaw in the fourth round. Without off-field concerns, Shaw would have been a lock to be taken on the second day of the draft, because he has all the tools you look for in someone who can make plays on the outside.

As it stands right now, the Bengals have Leon Hall, Dre Kirkpatrick, Adam Jones, Darqueze Dennard, and now Shaw as cornerbacks on the roster. Hall is the standout veteran of the group, but the Bengals have a trio of young corners who could impress next season. Shaw probably won’t get much playing time as a rookie, but he’ll be able to compete and has long-term upside on a team that should have one top corner out of Dennard, Kirkpatrick, and Shaw.

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This pick isn’t a gamble since Shaw has been selected on the third day, and it’s clear that most people are huge fans of this selection. USC produces top defensive talent, most notably Leonard Williams in this year’s draft, and Shaw isn’t an exception to that. He runs a sub-4.5 forty and is one of the strongest corners in this class, and it’s clear that the Bengals are fans of physicality, especially after spending a first-round pick on press corner Dennard in last year’s draft.

What makes Shaw an especially intriguing pick-up for the Bengals is the fact that he can also play safety for them down the road, should the team find that they are unable to keep their standout duo of Reggie Nelson and George Iloka intact. Until then, Shaw gives the Cincinnati Bengals even more depth in the defensive backfield, and it’s clear that teams covet players who can play at CB or safety more than ever before.

Shaw’s physicality and solid tackling could make him a more ideal fit at safety for some, but it seems like he could be equally good at either depending on how the Bengals would like to develop him. Everyone will talk about the strange lie Josh Shaw perpetuated, but that’s really the only reason why he fell into the fourth round.

I don’t think the Bengals are overly concerned with his character concerns or Paul Dawson’s, and, if all goes well, they might have just added two impact players to their defense in this class after spending first and second-round picks on offensive tackles who could forge solid careers in this league.

Overall, Shaw is one of the most athletic and versatile defensive backs in the class, and there’s a reason why most people are big fans of this selection. Chalk this up as another nice value pick for Cincinnati, and it will be interesting to see where he plays and how often he plays in the 2015 season. He’s long and fast, and those two traits are always in style.

Next: Looking back at Round 1 Grades

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