Carlos Dunlap

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Carlos Dunlap: The Good, The Bad, and The Verdict

The second round unfolded and top safety prospects like Taylor Mays and Nate Allen came off the board before Cincinnati’s pick came up. Rather than reaching for a safety, the Bengals went after No. 3 on my list of draft needs, pass rusher, by taking Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap. An athletic freak with talent worthy of a first round pick, Dunlap slips because of his work ethic. His bio and scouting report read similarly to last year’s third-rounder, Michael Johnson, and now they will be teaming up to attack offenses on third downs.

Here’s what we can tell you about Dunlap:

The Good
-Amassed 18.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in two years as a starter at Florida
-Tremendous athlete considering his size at DE
-Versatile enough to line up at any spot on the D-Line
-Strong enough to shed blockers and make a play
-Good reaction to bat down passes or block kicks

The Bad
-Maturity and work ethic are concerns
-Spin move is his only good pass rushing move
-Could use work on mechanics; he won’t always be more athletic than opponents at this    level
-Was arrested in December 2009 for a DUI . He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year of probation. Let the stale criminal jokes continue.

The Verdict: Dunlap fits the mold of a number of second and third round picks in the Marvin Lewis era: tons of talent, tons of questions. He was the best pass rusher on the board at the time, and one of the last players with that kind of ability remaining in the draft. As for the trouble, he can talk to Rey Maualuga for advice on bouncing back from the DUI.

I was hoping to see Morgan Burnett (S, Georgia Tech) or Golden Tate (WR, Notre Dame) with the pick. There are, however, more good prospects at either spot than there are pass rushers available.