Unlike most teams with a rookie quarterback and an offensive lineman being taken in their 2012 NFL Mock Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals didn't have any problems protecting their star-of-the-future last season. Andy Dalton was sacked 24 times in 16 games, and on just four percent of his drops back. He wasn't really a bastion of future potential or a guy sunk by his team—he was just a perfectly average quarterback who was well-protected and happened to be a true rookie getting his first NFL snaps ever. Okay, but: Bobbie Williams is a free agent after starting 14 of the Bengals' games at guard. Cordy Glenn—the best future guard in the draft not named David DeCastro—is still available, and with their second pick of the night the Bengals have no reason not to take him. At least, not in this 2012 NFL Mock Draft.
And so the Bengals—who grabbed Dre Kirkpatrick earlier to make other quarterbacks' lives more difficult—will allow Andy Dalton to continue to be strikingly, confusingly average while remaining upright extremely often. Sam Bradford is going to be so jealous.
SB Nation St. Louis's 2012 NFL Mock Draft is moving from No. 1 to 32 today, seeing as it's 2012 NFL Real Draft day. You can follow along at our draft storystream, or read more mock draft recaps in our mock draft analysis storystream.
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SB Nation St. Louis 2012 NFL Mock Draft
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