2012 Phinsider Community Mock Draft: Pick 17, Cincinnati Bengals

Team: Cincinnati Bengals
GM: The Earl

And, now, the run down of all the previous picks:

Now, to the Bengals' pick.

With the 17th overall selection in the 2012 Phinsider Community NFL Mock Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select:

Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
Height: 5' 10", Weight: 193 lbs.

From The Earl:

Two seasons ago, the Bengals had arguably the best cornerback tandem in the league with Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. This season, their starting corners could be Nate Clements and Jason Allen... YIKES!!! Leon Hall will miss most, if not all, of the 2012 season with a leg injury suffered late last season. No one knows if he'll ever get back to his original form. Nate Clements is a serviceable starting corner, but will be 33 by the end of the season. The Bengals signed Jason Allen and resigned Pacman Jones, but those guys are inconsistent and shouldn't be starting for anyone. Thus, the Bengals have a HUGE need at corner.

Since the Bengals have two first round picks, they can afford to go after a quality player in an area of need. IMO, Janoris Jenkins is the best pure cover corner in the draft. He would be a top ten pick if it weren't for character issues. That has never stopped the Bengals and it likely won't change now. Jenkins has elite feet and can play man or zone. He has great recovery speed which allows him to gamble from time to time. He is slightly undersized, but has more than enough talent to make up for that. Jenkins can move inside in nickel packages if necessary. This is a great value pick and could be the steal of the draft.

From Walter Football:

Projected Round (2011): 1.

For those that may have forgotten about him, at the Senior Bowl, Jenkins showed why he was viewed as a top-15 pick in the 2012 draft before his arrests. All week, Jenkins had blanket coverage on receivers. He was very fast and athletic, demonstrating the ability to run with receivers in and out of their routes. Not one of the receivers at the Senior Bowl was a mismatch against him.

In 2011, Jenkins returned 18 punts for 390 yards (21.7 average) with three touchdown returns and a long return of 92 yards. He also put together 53 tackles with four tackles for a loss, six passes broken up, two interceptions and a fumble returned 49 yards for a score. Obviously, Jenkins dominated the weak competition as he was supposed to. His draft stock is dependent on him staying out of legal trouble and interviewing well with teams in the months prior to the draft.

Jenkins held South Carolina's Alshon Jeffrey to six receptions for 53 yards and no scores last season, after Jeffrey notched six catches for 57 yards in their first battle. Georgia's A.J. Green had four catches for 42 yards and a score in last year's game. In three years of playing Jenkins, Green never had a 100-yard game.

8/25/11: Janoris Jenkins does not have great size, but he has a top-15 skill set as a cover corner. The only reason why he's ranked here is because of a few arrests for smoking pot that got him kicked out of Florida. If Jenkins had stayed out of trouble, he easily would have been a high first-round pick. He was a starter as a true freshman in 2008 when the Gators won the National Championship. Jenkins recorded three interceptions in 2010 to go along with 44 tackles and eight passes defensed. He is fast with great feet and athleticism. Jenkins can flip his hips and run with speed receivers. Even though under six-foot, he had success going against the best big receivers he saw in the SEC.

3/29/12: After a strong Senior Bowl, Jenkins was excellent at the Combine with a strong 40 time and eye-popping mark in the 10-yard split. He was fluid and smooth in the field drills. His Combine has confirmed his first-round skill set. Jenkins biggest negative is the off-the-field concerns. His interviews with pro teams on pre-draft visits will be critical.

The San Diego Chargers are on the clock.