The Cincinnati Bengals and top draft prospect Peter Woods aren’t going to stop being mentioned alongside one another anytime soon.
And it sure doesn’t hurt that Woods talked about the Bengals at the NFL combine.
At the time of this writing, Woods had met with 18 teams so far, including the Bengals. He dropped a press conference-defining comment about his play, too: “I cause offensive coordinators to lose sleep at night.”
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No doubt about that. Here’s how NFLcom’s Lance Zierlein summarized Woods’ draft stock recently:
“Woods is a young interior defender with room to add play strength as he fills out his frame. He’s not a pure one- or two-gap fit, but he’s capable in both schemes. He plays with good lower-body explosiveness into initial contact, keeping his hands and feet synced to work around blocks when needed. He’s more of an active brawler than double-team eating tree stump. Shorter arms allow blockers to crowd his frame and force him to fight harder at the point. Yet, his ability to overtake and win as the rep progresses is impressive.”
The combo of need and talent makes Woods appealing for the Bengals at 10th overall. BJ Hill just had a down year and could’ve been a cut candidate. TJ Slaton is a cut candidate. Former second-rounder Kris Jenkins Jr. has yet to turn into a contributor.
Much of how the Bengals attack the draft will hinge on free agency, where names like DJ Reader will be. But if Woods falls to No. 10, he’s likely near the top of the Bengals’ board by that point.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Top prospect who wants team to ‘lose sleep at night’ met with Bengals
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
