It has kind of a whiff of 2012.
The Bengals would love that, if this weekend’s draft turned out like that one since it yielded six starters or regulars and doubled the standard of three for each draft. It was a big lift for the 2011 team’s surprising play-off appearance and helped set the table for those five straight post-season runs.
Like the ’12 draft, this one was defined by trades. Six years ago the deals for Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson gave them picks that translated into three starters in cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and wide receiver Marvin Jones and safety George Iloka.