CINCINNATI (AP) — After being shut out of the top receivers, the Bengals took cornerback William Jackson III from Houston with the 24th overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night.
Cincinnati needed a receiver after losing Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu to free agency. The Bengals signed Brandon LaFell, but need someone else there as well. They got shut out when the Texans, Redskins and Vikings all took receivers in the three spots ahead of them. The Bengals are likely to address the position later in this draft.
It’s the third time in the last five years that the Bengals made a cornerback their top pick. They took Dre Kirkpatrick in 2012 and Darqueze Dennard in 2014. Kirkpatrick and Adam “Pacman” Jones return as the starters.