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CINCINNATI -- Yes, the Cincinnati Bengals are targeting receivers in this year's draft. But no, they aren't going after tall, jump-ball threats like A.J. Green. With Green lining up on one edge and Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu expected to return as legitimate Nos. 2 and 3 options at the position behind the Pro Bowler, the Bengals have no reason to look for a long, above 6-foot wideout. Instead, they're on the hunt for shifty and explosive playmakers. They can be 5-foot-2 or 5-foot-10 for all head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson care. They just want the receiver(s) they draft to be able to run fast and elude defenses -- and likely special-teams units. As the Bengals continue their pre-draft evaluations, expect them to eye wideouts who also can return kicks and punts. "That's an area we would always like to fill," Lewis said about adding returners for special-teams coordinator Darren Simmons. "Darren ends up sometimes being a little frustrated about that because we don't quite end up getting that filled as well as we maybe could." That seems to suggest the Bengals are placing a greater emphasis on adding a new return specialist this year. Brandon Tate, the team's primary kick returner since his arrival in 2011, is eligible for free agency. Cornerback Adam Jones is expected to remain the top punt returner, but he would need a new backup if Tate isn't re-signed. "It's always been an emphasis," Lewis said. "It just happens to fall into place that that guy's role is a little larger than maybe it seems." So maybe the push for getting a receiver who can double as a kick/punt returner is the same it's been in recent years, but it certainly appears the Bengals would favor draft prospects who have a returner's background. When Jackson detailed to reporters last week his ideal receiver target, he could have been talking about any one of the players in the accompanying graph. "He has to be a playmaker that is fast," Jackson said. "I don't think it's about size. We have big guys already. "I'm looking for a great football player, if we do decide to go that way, who can give us something we don't already have. We have some very talented players at the [receiver] spot, but again, I don't think you can ever have too many playmakers. It was shown. As our season wound down last year we kind of lost some battles in that area because we were kind of short-handed [due to injury]." Some of the most dynamic playmakers on the field are those who can turn momentum just by juking coverage-team players. No wide out in this draft class was as good at doing that as a kick returner as Alabama-Birmingham's J.J. Nelson. A possible late-round prospect, Nelson led the nation with an average 38.3 yards per kick return in 2014. He bolstered his case for being drafted over the weekend when he ran a combine-best 4.28-second 40. Early-round possibilities include Maryland's Stefon Diggs, who averaged 23.9 yards per kick return last season. Tyler Lockett, a Kansas State product who had 106 catches and a second straight double-digit touchdown performance last year, had eight punt returns over 20 yards. Nelson Agholor from USC had a pair of punt-return touchdowns, as did Duke's Jamison Crowder. Only one of the four, Agholor, is taller than 6-foot. Remember, the Bengals value across-the-board versatility. Their return backgrounds alone ought to get these players on Cincinnati's big board.
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