Bengals Blog: Jermaine Gresham Addresses Need, But Pick Is Debatable

Sure, Jermaine Gresham is a good player, when healthy. But is he first round talent? The Bengals decided he was, taking him 21st overall, despite plenty of other talent being on the board, including offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga and wide receiver Dez Bryant.

SB Nation’s Cincy Jungle says the pick is debatable:

Problem is, fan favorite Dez Bryant was still on the board when the Bengals selected Gresham. This will cause some measure of controversy as the Bengals were still in need for wide receiver help, even after drafting Antonio Bryant.

Admittedly, Tight End is a need. Was it a need to be addressed in the first round? Considering the team’s lack of a philosophy using Tight Ends in the passing game, that’ll be debatable. One could suggest that Gresham will be used primarily as a in short-yardage situations, especially in the Red Zone. Either way, the Bengals got their Tight End.

On the bright side, Gresham is rated as the best Tight End available in this year’s NFL draft and if the team looks to utilize the position in the passing game for the first time during Marvin Lewis’ era, then they got their guy.