In this 11-part series, the Enquirer looks at strategy for the Bengals' 2019 draft by counting down positional needs from least pressing to most immediate. Bengals beat writers Fletcher Page and Paul Dehner Jr. analyze top players, sleepers, Bengals history, fits and what the expert voices say. The draft is April 25-27 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Positional Priority

7th. William Jackson III should enter his prime in his third season in 2019 and will move to a fifth-year option that keeps him under contract through 2020. Make no mistake, an extension beyond that will be in the works before then. Due to his talent and potential, the case could be made that Jackson is the club's most valuable asset.

Beyond WJ3, though, there aren't many sure-fire longterm answers at the position. After 2019, 29-year-old Dre Kirkpatrick enters the backend of a contract that doesn't make it difficult for the team to go in a different direction. Darqueze Dennard is on a one-year prove-it deal, and it remains to be seen how free-agent addition B.W. Webb fits after signing with his eighth team in seven years. One more season should also help figure out the futures of KeiVarae Russell, Darius Phillips, Davontae Harris and Tony McRae. The Bengals can build around Jackson, but the rest of the position could look drastically different in 2020.

Contract Status

2019

Tony McRae (26)

KeiVarae Russell (26)

2020

William Jackson* (27)

2021

Dre Kirkpatrick (30)

B.W. Webb (29)

Darius Phillips (23)

Davontae Harris (24)

*with fifth-year option exercised

Rate the class

There doesn't appear to be a no-doubt lockdown corner in this draft, though Washington's Byron Murphy, LSU's Greedy Williams and Georgia's Deandre Baker could be rookie starters selected in the first round. While the group isn't top heavy, there's plenty of interesting prospects in varying shapes and skill sets, including Temple's Rock Ya-Sin, Michigan's David Long and Penn State's Amani Oruwariye, that should go in a steady run through the early to middle rounds.

NFL trend

The Patriots famously made a switch to zone secondary coverage to shut down the Los Angeles Rams' offense in February's Super Bowl. But that was a move made possible after predominately playing man-to-man during the 2018 season. And it's no coincidence that New England always seems to have a strong No. 1 corner on the roster, including in recent seasons Aqib Talib, Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore. The Bengals, a franchise with a good relationship with the Patriots, have long-since been known for taking strong cover corners early in the draft, including Dre Kirkpatrick, Darqueze Dennard and William Jackson III.

Key variable

The future of Darqueze Dennard. As it was last offseason, the Bengals secondary is in a good place heading into 2019. William Jackson, Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard have been playing together for multiple seasons and have a great bond. But how much longer will it last? A contract extension for Jackson could happen soon. That's what we thought would happen with Dennard last year. He came back on a one-year prove-it deal after testing the market and failing to find an ideal landing spot this offseason.

The backup plan of BW Webb is already in place and could become Plan A depending on how the slot corner battle goes in training camp.

Key variable, Part 2

Davontae Harris and Darius Phillips were both fifth-round corners, but they went through very different rookie experiences. Injuries kept Harris from ever getting involved, but the club thought so much of what they saw from him in the offseason when healthy they took a chance of exposing veteran Michael Johnson to free agency at the final cut just to pull Harris through. They used one of their two IR-designated to return spots on him.

Then there was Phillips, who ended up thrust into the starting rotation when Dennard suffered a serious injury midseason. He showed well in spots, but the expected rookie moments followed him as well.

Marvin Lewis really liked Harris and was known to speak up about his potential to anybody that would listen. Given a healthy offseason will Harris thrust on the scene and provide quality depth and options beyond Dennard next year? Will Phillips be able to build on the good and eliminate the bad showcased as a rookie? If betting even one of the two pan out, the need to draft a corner this year is even less.

Recent draft history

2018: Davontae Harris (5th round, 151 overall)

2018: Darius Phillips (5th round, 170 overall)

2016: William Jackson III (1st round, 24 overall)

2015: Josh Shaw (4th round, 120 overall)

2014: Darqueze Dennard (1st round, 24 overall)

2014: Lavelle Westbrooks (7th round, 252 overall)

PFF college research

New England’s Stephon Gilmore was the NFL’s best in forced incompletion percentage in 2018 at 26.6 percent. Here’s a look at the top corners in the draft with at least 25-plus targets.

Player, school , forced incompletion percentage

D.A. Williams, UAB, 39.5 percent.

David Long, Michigan, 32.3 percent.

Mike Reynolds, Army, 32.1 percent.

Iman Marshall, Southern Cal, 30.2 percent.

Deandre Baker, Georgia, 30.0 percent.

Sleepers to track

Saivion Smith, Alabama. Picking a talented athlete and celebrated prep player that, for one reason or another, didn't quite work out to the level expected in college. Here, we're talking about Smith. We could just as easily be talking about last year's third-round pick Malik Jefferson. Could see the Bengals following that mold hoping to develop Smith's talent down the line.

Jamel Dean, Auburn. At 6-1, 206 pounds he ran a 4.3 40-yard dash. His three knee injuries will be a concern that keeps teams away until later in the draft. But betting on health, fixing technique issues and tapping into the athletic profile could be alluring.

Bold move

Deandre Baker in the first round. Look, we've been over this: the Bengals most glaring need is linebacker and second-most is probably offensive tackle. But like quarterback and tight end, there could be an elite option at cornerback available for the Bengals with the No. 11 overall pick.

Georgia's Deandre Baker is that player. He had a three-year PFF coverage grade of 93.5, second to only Washington Byron Murphy in all of college football.



Baker's Combine numbers weren't elite (he ran a 4.52 40), and that's behind his slide from a probable top 10 pick to a mid to late first rounder.

They said it

Dre Kirkpatrick on Darqueze Dennard re-signing with the Bengals:



"That was my main focus this offseason: getting Darqueze back. He's been one of my little brothers. I look up to him. He looks up to me. We feed off each other, and he's a leader on this team and I feel like a piece of us would be missing if he didn't come back."

Where they’ll take one

Somewhere in the fourth to seventh rounds: The immediate need is not there, but taking a shot at a developmental project to hold on to would make sense.

Prediction

Corey Ballentine, Washburn (Division II) in the fifth round. Great speed and quickness, with the ability to make plays on the ball and cover man-to-man. Easy to knock him for his competition level in college, but he has elite athleticism and could be included on special teams.