MOBILE, Alabama - Senior Bowl practices begin Monday afternoon, and listed below are five players who -- before stepping foot on to the Senior Bowl practice fields -- figure as most intriguing to the Bengals' coaches and scouts in attendance based on the team's needs and the respective players' college resumes.
Alabama safety Mark Barron was a late injury scratch from the Senior Bowl or he probably would have been the most intriguing Bengals target this week. The players are listed alphabetically.
1
Alfonzo Dennard, cornerback, Nebraska
He struggled in the bowl game vs. South Carolina's Alshon Jeffrey, but there are lots of five-year cornerbacks in the NFL who would have done the same. Dennard (5-foot-10, 203 pounds) spent much of his senior season watching opponents throw to the other side of the field to avoid him, but he'll get plenty of tests in a high-speed environment this week. Most projections have Dennard coming off the board in April right in the range of the Bengals' two first-round picks, and the Bengals will certainly be taking a close look at all the secondary prospects here this week.
2
Janoris Jenkins, cornerback, North Alabama
Jenkins might have been a first-rounder a year ago, but he went back to school, got hurt in spring practice then got booted from Florida's team after his second marijuana-related arrest. Talent trumps all in the Bengals' draft room, and corner is a jump-off-the-page need. Jenkins needs to make a solid impression with coaches and scouts this week as much as he needs to perform on the field, though he'll get to match up with plenty of gifted receivers on the practice field. Jenkins can help in the return game, too, and his profile just fits the Bengals. He measured at a shade over 5-9 and 191 here Monday morning.
3
Doug Martin, running back, Boise State
Compact (5-9, 219), quick and powerful, Martin is a proven producer and has the build to handle what happens between the tackles in the AFC North. He can bounce it outside, too, and has plenty of experience catching the ball out of the backfield -- something a lot of college backs don't have. The Bengals figure to be in the running back market, both in free agency and the draft, and Martin can use this week to show he can eventually be a guy who can carry it 20 times a game.
4
DeVier Posey, wide receiver, Ohio State
He's a Cincinnati native and has a little baggage. That means the Bengals are automatically interested, right? Yes and no, but mostly yes. Posey has always had plenty of raw talent and has steadily added polish to his game, but only playing three games as a senior due to NCAA suspensions didn't help his NFL cause. It didn't necessarily hurt it, either, because he's worked on his body, has fresh legs and gets the chance this week to show some things he wouldn't have been able to show in Ohio State's inconsistent offense last fall. Third-rounder? Posey can put himself there this week.
5
Brandon Taylor, safety, LSU
Taylor was the steady senior leader of an LSU secondary that included a potential top-five pick in Mo Claiborne and a Heisman finalist in Tyrann Mathieu. His pedigree and size (5-11, 202) suggest he's probably a later-round pick but a guy who could probably play sooner rather than later, and it's no secret the Bengals figure to make upgrades to their secondary. He can use this week to make an impression that will last through the draft process as the scouts and GMs will certainly make multiple trips to Baton Rouge.
