CINCINNATI -- Expectations heading into the 2016 NFL Draft were that the Cincinnati Bengals were looking for wide receivers, particularly in the first round. Instead, the Bengals went with a guy to cover receivers with their top choice.
The Bengals chose Houston cornerback William Jackson III with the No. 24 overall pick, making him the fifth cornerback taken in the first round by Cincinnati since 2006. He's the third cornerback the Bengals have picked in the first round in the last five years, joining Dre Kirkpatrick in 2012 and Darqueze Dennard in 2014. Jackson fits the Bengals' drafting philosophy with his size (6-0, 189) and his ability to play press coverage.