This is why I want Jalen Smith

[Brownshoe]

(04-27-2016, 10:22 PM)Beaker Wrote: This article highlights the exact reason I hope the Bengals take Jalen Smith with the 24th pick tomorrow night:

http://www.cincyjungle.com/bengals-news/2016/4/26/11510630/bengals-believe-cedric-ogbuehi-is-ready-for-big-impact-in-year-two

Yes, he was injured. Yes he is a risk. But for a team like the Bengals that is well stocked, it makes sense to take a player who was rated as one of the top 5 players before his injury, and some say the #1 overall. I would not be upset passing on a WR for Smith simply because we would be filling a need rather than taking BPA, and also because we would be replacing a complimentary player (2nd or 3rd WR) with a first round pick. Getting one of the 5 best players in the draft with the #24 pick would be a coup. There are already videos he is posting showing him running and doing work on the knee after only 3.5 mos. Please Bengals, take a good long look at this before passing on him! Can you imagine Smith, Burfict and Dawson as our LB corp in two years? What was the weakest unit on the D would now be one of the strongest.

Smith hasn't recovered from nerve damage and he might never be the same. That's why he's going to fall to round 4-5. If it was just a tore ACL like Ogbuehi then I would be all for it, but he tore his ACL / MCL and has nerve damage. You just don't know what you're going to get when he's (hopefully) able to play in 2017.