2014 NFL mock draft: Justin Gilbert to Cincinnati Bengals at No. 24

The Cincinnati Bengals have made the playoffs in each of the last three years and four of the last five. That’s the good news. The bad news is that they still have not won a playoff game since the 1990 season, there’s a bit of controversy surrounding quarterback Andy Dalton, and the team lost both of its coordinators (Jay Gruden and Mike Zimmer) to head coaching gigs.

Still, this is one of the most talented teams in the AFC we’re talking about here, and if the pick Josh Kirkendall (Cincy Jungle) is making in the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft comes to fruition, they will be gaining yet another explosive playmaker this year.

“One of the Bengals’ biggest needs is a corner who can play opposite Leon Hall consistently. With Gilbert still on the board, the Bengals could grab another first-round corner who could come in and push for a starting job day one. Add this to the continued development of Dre Kirkpatrick, and the Bengals could solidify a position of need for several years. The Bengals may also look at defensive end to replace Michael Johnson, but with the top corner still available, the pick is easy.”

It was a little surprising to see cornerback Kyle Fuller taken in this draft before Gilbert. Not that we have Gilbert rated as the top cornerback; that would be TCU’s Jason Verrett. The prevailing notion, though, is that Gilbert will be the first cornerback selected in May. Gilbert would allow the Bengals to be less reliant on Adam Jones and Terence Newman. Going forward, that will be a good thing.