The 54th pick is in and SB Nation’s Bengals community, Cincy Jungle, has selected...
NFL Mock Draft, Pick 54: Bengals Select Jon Asamoah, G Illinois
Illinois G Jon Asamoah
By drafting Illinois guard Jon Asamoah, the Bengals can improve the overall talent at left guard. Livings and Mathis, two players that manned left guard, blocked well for running back Cedric Benson. However, the team could clearly bolster Palmer’s protection. Even though the sacks against Palmer were down, the pressure was still up and Palmer was forced to deal with a few minor injuries throughout the preseason and regular season. If a guard is drafted high in the NFL Draft, the reality is that he could start as soon as kickoff weekend and the team’s passing fortunes, combined with the infusion of talent among their wide receivers, would dramatically increase.
As for the selection of Asamoah, it’s just a personal opinion. I have a couple guards rated higher than Asamoah, but the general consensus is that the Illinois mauler is the second best guard in the draft. If you’re a believer of that thought then this is a solid choice.
I’ll like this pick if he’s an immediate starter, which is what you’d expect from a guard selected in the second round. If Asamoah pans out, he could be around for quite a few years making most folks forget he was drafted so high.
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