It’s not like the Bengals sat around Paul Brown Stadium Wednesday on Draft Eve twiddling their thumbs. But they were ready to start picking players about 10 days ago instead of Thursday night at around 11 p.m., when their 21st pick begins to come into focus.
“The sooner the better for us and I’m sure most teams it’s not good to mull on this stuff,” says Duke Tobin, with a TV-sized computer monitor overlooking his desk where a laptop and iPad perch. “We’re ready now. We were ready by the time the pro days ended and had the meetings with the coaches by position.