LSU-Alabama Players To Watch: Richardson, Kirkpatrick, Barron, Randle

There’s a lot of elite prospects in tonight’s College Football National Championship Game.

For Bengals fans, thats big. With two first round selections, the Bengals are in a prime position to snag some elite talent.

I’ve seen quite a few Alabama and LSU players ‘mocked up’ to go to the Bengals with these early picks, so Bengals fans should watch these players closely as they play on the national stage. Here are some guys that have a legitmate shot of winding up on the Bengals:

• Alabama’s Trent Richardson (RB). I’ve seen Trent mocked as high as a top 5 pick, and I’ve also seen him mocked to the Bengals in late first round. You never know how much his stock could change in the coming months. Must-watch prospect.
• Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick (CB). An elite player at the cornerback position, and the Bengals have a big hole at cornerback.
• Alabama’s Mark Barron (SS). The top safety in this year’s draft. Barron could easily start over Chris Crocker next year, and that’s why Barron is one of my favorite picks.
• LSU’s Reuben Randle (WR). Randle is being projected around the second or third rounds of this year’s draft. He’s not an elite pick, but the Bengals need to choose who to start opposite AJ Green next year. Jerome Simpson is a free agent.

I’ve seen all of these 4 players mocked to the Bengals at some point. All three Alabama players were selected with our first or second round pick. Randle could happen with our second or third round picks.

Here are some other elite prospects who might not fall to the Bengals, or are at a position that the Bengals don’t have huge holes.

• LSU’s Morris Claiborne (CB). A projected top 5 pick. Sure, I’d love to have him, but he probably won’t fall to the Bengals.
• Alabama’s Robert Lester (FS). The second best rated safety in this year’s draft, but he’s a free safety and he still hasn’t declared for the 2012 draft yet.
• Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw (OLB). This outside linebacker is a projected first rounder, who is getting drafted right where the Bengals are picking. Problem is, I don’t see a need for another first round linebacker on this team. We have a logjam of talent at the LB spot.
• Alabama’s Dont’a Hightower (ILB). Another projected first round linebacker, but the Bengals don’t need a LB.
• LSU’s Michael Brockers (DT). The Bengals only have two solid defensive tackles on the team right now. Pat Sims and Jonathan Fanene are free agents. Brockers still hasn’t declared for the NFL draft, but could be a nice middle-round pick.