Alabama OT Andre Smith

mistamic with the pick...

Cincinnati had a lot of issues on the offensive side of the ball last season. Their star quarterback missed most of the season due to injury and their running game was nonexistent. Wanna know why? It was because of their offensive line. A few years ago it was one of the best lines in the league. But free agency and injuries decimated this unit and now they need help. Guess what? This year's draft is stacked deep with offensive linemen and Cincy manages to pick up the best one in the draft: Alabama OT Andre Smith.
 
Smith is a legitimate Top 3 talent. His decision making is questionable but you can't deny his talent. He's a beast of a man (6'4", 330lbs) and yet despite his size he has excellent footwork and technique. He's a legitimate pass blocker but his niche lies within run blocking. He's a pancake machine (watch the Youtube videos of his moves). And my favorite thing about him: he doesn't have a history with injuries. He held down the left tackle spot for the last three years at Alabama but scouts believe that he could line up on the right side as well. He was the 2008 Outland Award Winner and was on numerous All-American lists. He did get suspended from the Sugar Bowl because he violated team rules, and for those who watched the game, Utah's D just lit up the left side of the line (actually they lit up the whole line but without Smith in the lineup Alabama had no chance). Even when he got suspended from the Sugar Bowl, scouts believed that he could have ended up being the first player drafted.
 
Okay, there are some red flags being thrown up because of his immaturity and poor decision making. His decision to leave the Combine early was a mistake. His Pro Day performance wasn't that much better. Some think that Smith is no longer worthy of a top 10 pick. Whatever. I'm not buying it. Compared to the other players in that Bengals locker room, Smith's "character issues" don't seem so severe. He's still the best O-lineman in the draft and Cincy makes the right choice by picking Smith.

Previous pick: WR Michael Crabtree

Read more: Scouting Report (Mocking the Draft)

On the clock: Oakland Raiders (mushin)

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With the news that the Bengals are trying to trade their only notable (and he's not even that good anymore) offensive linemen in Levi Jones, the Bengals o-line situation goes from bad to worse. We're talking 2007 Chiefs bad. Andre Smith is a good pick here for a team that could go in a number of directions.