Topical Blog Post

*Decided to do a little sports bit on a couple of the Bengals 2010 draft class. Hope you like it!

Gresham and Shipley Headline an interesting Bengals 2010 draft class


The 2009 AFC North Champion Bengals may have pumped some faith into their small but loyal fan base these last few days with the players they took in this year’s NFL draft.

The two picks that immediately standout are Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham and Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley. Gresham and Shipley should both be immediate impact players next season for the Bengals that will help open up the passing game for Pro-Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer. Gresham helps give Palmer the play-making tight end he’s never had in his seven-year career with the Bengals, while Shipley helps give Palmer a solid route-running possession receiver that he can count on on third-down.

The Bengals’ 2010 draft class does have some questionable calls though. Cincinnati was in need of an elite safety to man the middle of the field for the Bengals top cornerback tandem, Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall but didn’t succeed in trading up to get top safeties like USC’s Taylor Mays or Texas’s Earl Thomas. And while both Gresham and Shipley are considered in large part to be solid picks, the Bengals had chances to draft other stalwart receivers like Dez Bryant in the first round, and fan favorite Mardy Gilyard in the third round.

The Bengals though believe they made the right choices here but for many Bengals fans, these picks could be “hit” or “miss.” The team and it's fans are hopeful though, and maybe, just maybe, a little excited too.