The Bengals and the first round of the NFL Draft currently have a volatile relationship to put it mildly. A.J. Green and William Jackson have both turned out to be great picks, and every Round 1 pick between and after them can be classified from just decent to dreadful. Be it due to injuries or a mistake in value, the highest investments the Bengals have made in the draft have yielded mostly mixed results.
Widely regarded as the best offensive tackle in this draft class, Williams became the obvious pick for the Bengals once Devin Bush went off the board to the Steelers.