Bengals rookies get defensive with draft stock
When Carl Lawson was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the ninth pick of the fourth round in April, he was angry.
“I got disrespected,” the outside linebacker from Auburn said, four months after the fact. “Guys went ahead of me who weren’t better football players than me. And I’ll carry that to my grave.”
Lawson brought that belief of being slighted into his rookie season with the Bengals. So, too, has defensive end Jordan Willis, a third-round pick out of Kansas State, who also dropped farther in the draft than many, including himself, anticipated.
Willis and Lawson have the potential to make an immediate impact for a team desperately needing more output from its front seven on defense. Both are expected to play Friday night in an exhibition game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paul Brown Stadium.
The two showed such potential during training camp, but the next step must be a mental one. Coach Marvin Lewis recently said Lawson and Willis are “conscientious” and never want to be wrong — and that they will need to let go of some of that to ultimately break through.
“I keep telling them, ‘Give me a little of (Carlos) Dunlap. A little Carlos. Just a pinch, and you’ll be fine.’ Because you have to be reckless to play this game on defense effectively,” Lewis said, referring to his free-wheeling, two-time Pro Bowler on the left side. “You have to have a little bit of that, because on defense, if you think you’re going to coach this game based on numbers, you’re going to get your butt beat.”
Lawson has impressed teammates and coaches with his speed, versatility and pass rushing. He has stood out against backup tackles, often easily beating Eric Winston and Landon Lechler to get to the quarterback.
Willis might not be making as many standout plays in camp as Lawson, but he has still drawn praise from coaches and is expected to be worked into the defensive end rotation. 7:30 tonight Ch. 6
“He’s getting better every day,” defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “He’s still learning how we do things. The techniques and using his legs and his back and his big muscles. Things he needs to do in there are a little bit different than in college. ... He’s getting that right now.”
McMillan injured in exhibition game
Former Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan appeared to suffer a knee injury with the Miami Dolphins early in a 23-20 exhibition win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday.
McMillan, the Dolphins’ second-round draft pick and a contender to start at middle linebacker this season, was hurt on a special-teams play, when Andre Roberts returned a punt 39 yards to set up the Falcons’ first touchdown.
McMillan did not return to the game.