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Brandon Ghee (right) with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Bengals in the third round. (AP photo)
With the selection of Wake Forest cornerback Brandon Ghee with the 96th pick near the end of Thursday night's third round, the Bengals got one of the most athletic and fastest corners on the board.
Secondary coach Kevin Coyle said that Ghee is going to compete for the nickel corner job against a host of talent that Coyle calls the best in his 10 seasons on the job. Also in the mix is incumbent Morgan Trent, '08 nickel David Jones and newcomer/old friend Keiwan Ratliff, and even starters Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall are looking to get more work in the slot.
The 5-11, 189-pound Ghee had a good enough Senior Bowl covering quicksilver Clemson wideout Jacoby Ford to get an invite to attend the draft in New York. Ghee may or may not be the answer if the Bengals decide not to re-sign both Joseph and Hall, but right now the Bengals are more concerned about looking for a safety in Saturday's four rounds on the draft's last day that starts at 10 a.m.
"There are safeties still out there," Coyle said.
One who was there forever was USC's Taylor Mays, not taken by 49ers until the 49th pick in the second round, just seven picks before the Bengals took Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap. The Bengals explored moving up to take Mays, but wanted to make sure they didn't give up too many picks and they ended up getting a player that meets the pass-rush need.
