Top 15 draft picks in Cincinnati Bengals history

4. Ken Riley

Drafted 135th overall in 1969

I told you we’d get to Ken Riley, didn’t I? As mentioned on Parrish’s section, Riley deserves to be in the Hall of Fame maybe more than anyone else vying for that honor. Taken in the sixth round of the 1969 NFL Draft, Riley played his entire 15-year career with the team that drafted him.

Riley, or “The Rattler” as many refer to him as, probably has been kept out of the Hall of Fame due to not having the “honors” and awards that a lot of the Hall of Famers rack up during the course of their careers. Riley never never made it to an AFL All-Star Game or Pro Bowl in 15 years though he was named All-Pro in 1983, which funny enough, was the final season of his long career.

Riley finished his 15-year career with a whopping 65 interceptions with nine of those coming during the 1976 season. He also hauled in eight picks during the 1983 season, which again, was the final year of his career.

Riley’s omission from the Hall of Fame is frustrating but at least he’s one of the first members of the Bengals Ring of Honor, which was established in 2021. That’s good enough for now, I guess…