Ranking Bengals’ best 1st-round picks of last decade

Where do Cincinnati’s first-round picks rank?

4. Darqueze Dennard

2014, No. 24

Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Darqueze Dennard (21) stands by during pregame warmup before the NFL Week 2 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018.

Baltimore Ravens At Cincinnati Bengals

Dennard will probably never get the credit he deserves.

And Dennard didn’t do himself any favors in the perception department by testing free agency last year, wanting to play the boundary and ultimately settling for a one-year deal before needing an operation.

Yet when he was actually on the field Dennard was borderline elite in the slot. He only played in one full 16-game season. Yet that season showed his full potential (2017) as he tied for the team high in tackles and earned a grade above 70 at PFF. Even last year over just nine games he only allowed a 48.6 completion percentage.