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Cincinnati Bengals Draft Spotlight: Shawn Oakman

By Brian Dugan

Jan 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Baylor Bears defensive end Shawn Oakman (2) before the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Baylor Bears defensive end Shawn Oakman (2) before the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cincinnati Bengals seem to be making all the right moves lately in the draft and don’t expect this year to be any different. Most mock experts, including our own here at Stripe Hype agree the Bengals will more than likely pick a wide receiver with their first round pick. This moves us to the second round, and the reason I think the Cincinnati Bengals will pick Shawn Oakman, defensive end from Baylor.

Okay, so Margus Hunt might be the glaring sore spot on the Bengals draft board over the past few years as the 6’8” Estonian whose name means “wolf” has barely scared a sheep on the football field. This is where Shawn Oakman comes in. Oakman is a 6’9” 285lb defensive end who is a freak athlete and boasts an 84” wingspan.

Some may argue that Oakman is just another Margus Hunt, freak-like athlete, not built to play in the NFL. Shawn Oakman produces on tape, and more importantly is just the kind of athlete the Bengals love. The Bengals salivate at the chance to draft another defensive line tree to join 6’5 Carlos Dunlap, 6’7 Michael Johnson, 6’6 Will Clarke, and the aforementioned 6’8 Margus Hunt.

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If the Bengals take a first round wide receiver, they now have the flexibility to choose who they want in the 2nd round. This leaves a player like Oakman ripe for the taking. Even with all his size, some scouts are still afraid to take Oakman, due to his lack of production and tendency to take plays off. His 42 tackles and 4.5 sacks seem pedestrian, but he is a guy who has to be accounted for, given his size and speed. If the Bengals can get production out of Oakman, he will be a great addition to an already good defense. Did I mention he’s 6’9 285lbs and would join the likes of Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap? Yeah, he’ll fit right in.