APC Mock Draft 2014: Bengals select Bradley Roby

Continuing on with the Acme Packing Company Mock Draft, we break down the 24th overall pick held by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Background

My initial thought of the Cincinnati Bengals was that they remind me a lot of the Milwaukee Bucks. It is a team that sneaks into the playoffs every year (2013's Bucks not included) only to get shrugged off by a superior team in the first round. A perpetual good-but-not-good-enough team. Then I did a bit more digging, had some more coffee and realized that, while that analogy has some merit, the Bengals have quietly gotten really good - despite their lack of playoff success.

They were especially good last year, winning the AFC North with an 11-5 record - the third straight year they've improved their win total. But even that doesn't tell the whole story. Led by the 3rd-ranked defense in the league, the Bengals managed to go 8-0 at home last year and finished the season tied with the Chiefs for the 2nd-best point differential in the AFC.

That's legit. And while their defense with Geno Atkins, Vontaze Burfict and the now-departed Michael Johnson gets most the credit, the Bengals offense has slowly become plenty good as well, with top-5 wide receiver A.J. Green and rookie running back, Giovani Bernard. Hell, even Andy Dalton eclipsed 4,000 yards and 30 TD's last season.

But while the Bengals have talent to go around, there remains one area of their roster that could use some help - the secondary.

With the 24th pick, the Cincinnati Bengals select...

Player: Bradley Roby
Position: Cornerback
School: Ohio State University
Year: Junior

Sure, Roby was picked up for battery after hitting a guy at a bar this past year, but these are the Bengals we're talking about, the same team that actively employs gun and strip club enthusiast, Adam "Pac-Man" Jones. But aside from the off-the-field red flags, Roby gives the Bengals a lightning-fast (4.39 40) corner who plays with ferocity and a physicality despite his lack of size. Roby also gives the Bengals some depth at a position that features two 30+ corners in Terrance Newman and Jones, as well as Leon Hall who is coming off a second Achilles tendon injury in the last three years.

Round One Summary

Tomorrow, we'll have our picks for the Chargers at 25 and the Browns (courtesy of the Trent Richardson trade) at 26.