Cincinnati Bengals Score in 2010 NFL Draft

After winning the AFC North Division in 2009-10 and drawing the fourth-toughest schedule for the 2010-11 NFL season, the Cincinnati Bengals knew they would need a good NFL draft. It seems they got one.

Going into the draft, the Bengals felt they needed to get some more weapons for quarterback Carson Palmer and with their first pick in the draft they chose Jermaine Gresham, a tight end out of Oklahoma. Many Bengals fans on Twitter were happy about this pick, but many were not so happy. Also available at the same time was Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant. However, tight end seemed to be the bigger need, since the Bengals already have star receiver Chad Ochocinco and recently signed free agent Antonio Bryant. In addition, the team's passing game faltered last year, largely due to the lack of any threat from a passing-catching tight end running up the middle. Drafting Bryant may have been a flashier pick, but it wouldn't have solved one of the Bengals' fundamental problems that led to them being 24^th in total offense last year.

In his career at Oklahoma, Gresham caught 26 touchdown passes. However, he missed all of 2009 with a knee injury. Of course, he says the knee is 100 percent now and ready to go, but what else is he going to say? At any rate, Gresham evidently bowled over one of the Bengals coaches during tryouts, and that impressed the staff so much they knew he was their guy. If he stays healthy, he should make Palmer's life much easier.

The team may have addressed its need for some outside help at receiver with its sixth round pick of Dezmon Briscoe, a wide receiver out of Kansas. He may be the surprise big pick out of the draft for the Bengals, according to cbssports.com. Briscoe is only 21, so there are some maturity questions about him, but he earned All Big-12 honors last year after catching 84 passes for 1,337 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Bengals also drafted another wide receiver with big play ability in the third round when they chose Texas' Jordan Shipley.

"Love the production in big games," wrote Palmer on the team's Twitter site after the selection. Shipley is expected to give the team a receiver who can run inside routes. He also has the ability to return kicks and punts, though the Bengals already have Andre Caldwell and Bernard Scott filling those roles.

The team also thinks it improved its pass rush after drafting Carlos Dunlap out of the University of Florida and Geno Atins out of the University of Georgia.

One weakness the Bengals didn't seem able, or willing, to address in the 2009 NFL draft was the need to shore up the safety spot. However, head coach Marvin Lewis said an opportunity didn't present itself.

"No safeties, didn't feel there would be an upgrade," Lewis said on the team's Twitter site.

However, he was happy with the rest of it.

"Met No. 1 offseason goal of giving Palmer weapons," Lewis said.

"I really feel like we've been able to improve the football team," Lewis told cbssports.com. "Things seemed to kind of break our way."

The Bengals will need to continue to have things break their way in 2010 if they are to have similar success to last year. In the first five weeks of the season, they will be at New England, Carolina and division foe Cleveland, while hosting Baltimore and Tampa Bay. Other non-divisional foes include the Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, the New York Jets (who eliminated the Bengals from the playoffs last year) and San Diego Chargers.