When last we left our intrepid organization in the 2007 draft, the Bengals had invested their picks in Leon Hall and some can’t miss mortgage-backed securities. It was 2007, after all, and at least one of those things turned out well. On to the next five years and Part II of our Cincinnati Bengals NFL Draft History series.

Oct 9, 2011; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Pat Sims (90) walks along the sideline during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Fernando Medina-USA TODAY Sports

2008: No current starters remain from this draft class, with only backup tackle Anthony Collins and defensive lineman Pat Sims (unfortunately, in Sims’ case) remaining on the Bengal roster. First round pick Keith Rivers was very inconsistent and hurt during his tenure in Cincinnati, while second round selection Jerome Simpson finally broke through as a starter in 2011 before leaving for greener pastures last offseason.  This draft would mark the third time in four years that the Bengals would have a disappointing draft, and you can kind of start to see why they were unable to build off of 2005. Well, that and Carson Palmer getting hurt.

Grade: D

One thing I really enjoy about this current iteration of the Bengals is that it is largely homegrown. With the exceptions of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and most of the defensive backfield, nearly every significant contributor to Cincinnati’s 2012 season was drafted by the team.

With that in mind, I thought it would be informative to take a look at the Bengals draft history year-by-year under Marvin Lewis. We’ll use the familiar letter grades to rate each season’s picks, and see where Marvin (and our ol’ pal Mike Brown) have succeeded, failed, or resembled the Hindenburg.

But first a quick prelude. Dick LeBeau’s three years as head coach were largely a disaster, but the draft picks from 2000-2002 really helped set the stage for the 2005 division title. Justin Smith, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson, and TJ Houshmandzadeh were all take in 2001 alone, while the Bengals were able to snag Levi Jones with their first round pick in 2002.

Despite building the beginnings of a winning team, Cincinnati was still stinky enough to earn the first overall selection in 2003. That is where our Part I of our journey begins.

Nov 4, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (27) before the game against the Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals enter this offseason with a lot of money to spend but a lot of holes to fill, as several key players from last season’s squad are free agents. The two most notable are of course Andre Smith and Michael Johnson, and locking them up long term will be Cincinnati’s first priorities.

Cornerback is also a position in flux, with Terrance Newman, Adam Jones, and Nate Clements all free to explore other opportunities. At least one of these veterans will likely be gone, opening a door for last season’s forgotten man: Dre Kirkpatrick.