Top 15 draft picks in Cincinnati Bengals history

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Lemar Parrish, Cincinnati Bengals (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Getty Images) /

5. Lemar Parrish

Drafted 163rd overall in 1970

Taken in the seventh round of the 1970 NFL Draft, the Bengals found a diamond in the rough in Lemar Parrish. While Parrish didn’t play his entire career in Cincinnati, he was in the stripes for eight years of his 15-year career.

These days, when NFL fans hear “true shutdown corner”, they might think of Darrell Revis in his prime. In the 70s, however, Parrish was that guy.

A lot of the attention nowadays is on Ken Riley and how unfair it is that he’s not in the Hall of Fame (and don’t worry, we’ll get to Riley in due time) but Parrish was just as, if not more, dominant than that of Riley.

Parrish finished his eight-year Bengals career with 25 interceptions (four returned for touchdowns) and was named to six Pro Bowls. After the 1977 season, he joined Washington for the next four years of his career and then spent his final NFL season with the Bills in 1982.

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