Updated: 12:30 p.m.
For the first time in seven years Sunday the Bengals drafted a tight end as high as the third round with Missouri's Chase Coffman going with the 98th pick. Known strictly as a receiving tight end, the 6-5, 246-pound Coffman rose high on draft boards with what some believe are the best hands in the draft and excellent route-running skills. After catching 90 balls for nearly 1,000 yards, Coffman was named the Mackey Award winner as the nation's best tight end and finished his career with the second most yards by a tight end in NCAA history.
Then at 106 the Bengals took a center in the 6-4, 302-pound Jon Luigs of Arkansas, named the best center in the country in 2007 before his stock dropped a bit this year. But he's known as a smart player who started 46 games and snapped the ball for SEC leading rusher Michael Smith.
Coffman, the highest drafted tight end since the Bengals traded up to get Matt Schobel in the 2002 draft, is looking at being the third tight end behind Reggie Kelly and Ben Utecht. His father played tight end with his position coach, Jon Hayes, when they were in Kansas City.
"I've known him since he was a pup," Hayes said.
