ESPN Ranks Four Bengals' No. 1 Picks Into 'Best And Worst' Tiers

Cincinnati has had plenty of bites at the No. 1 pick apple.

2009.11.29 BENGALS SPORTS : The Cincinnati Bengals Carson Palmer directs his line against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday November 29, 2009. The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger Bengals 11 2009 11 29 / Jeff Swinger

CINCINNATI — The Bengals have picked first overall too many times throughout their history, prompting some slam-dunk picks and a few busts.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked every NFL No. 1 pick into tiers and multiple players made a list, including Joe Burrow at No. 3 on the "True Stars" group behind Myles Garrett and Matthew Stafford.

"Burrow went from fifth- or sixth-rounder to consensus No. 1 overall pick over the course of a tremendous final season at LSU," Kiper wrote. "There were some good quarterbacks in this class, too -- Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, even Jalen Hurts a little down the board. But Burrow was the guy. He never had an off game in college and was one of the more competitive QB prospects I ever evaluated. And Burrow has already done enough to slot in high here, despite just 58 career games to his résumé. His 68.3% completion rate ranks first since 2020, and he brought the Bengals to the Super Bowl in his second season."

Next, Carson Palmer checked in at No. 3 on the "Solid Starters" list behind Irving Fryar and Jake Long.

"If you had to create the perfect NFL pocket passer prospect, it would be Palmer," Kiper noted. "He had Aikman-esque arm strength, underrated mobility, physicality, and really no red flags in his evaluation. I noted in my report that year that Palmer produced despite a tough schedule at USC; the Trojans played 11 bowl-caliber teams in his last season there. He became a solid starter in the pros, even throwing 32 touchdowns in his second season."

Two Bengals made "The Disappointments" list, starting with 1994 top pick Dan Wilkinson at No. 1.

'"Big Daddy' was a disappointment in the pros," Kiper wrote. "Wilkinson was a powerhouse and could collapse the pocket, making him the No. 1 prospect on my board with a 9.8 grade. He had burst, power, and agility. Wilkinson didn't have a "top pick" impact in the NFL, but he was a solid starter for more than a decade. He finished with 54.5 sacks over 195 games."

Running back Ki-Jana Carter was eighth on the same list.

"Another injury-impacted top pick, Carter was limited to 319 career carries over seven seasons," Kiper wrote. "He was rarely stopped for a loss at Penn State, thanks in part to a compact frame, and he had good hands out of the backfield. I graded him at 9.6, and there's a decent chance it's the last time we see a running back go No. 1 overall."

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