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Cincinnati Bengals Draft Picks: Stanford Wide Receiver Ryan Whalen, Sixth Rounder

The Cincinnati Bengals look like they might be starting over. They claim they're not trading Carson Palmer, but the drafting of Andy Dalton could signal they're ready to look toward the future. Terrell Owens is leaving, Chad Ochocinco has one foot out the door, and picking A.J. Green with their first pick is a sign they're ready to revamp the receiving corps.

Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Ryan Whalen is on his way too. Whalen provides a great possession receiver for the Bengals, someone who can come in, run routes, and be a great third/fourth option for a team that wants to look for someone to pick up those extra yards. Whalen was the favorite target of freshman quarterback Andrew Luck in 2009; when Whalen got injured for a period in 2010, he never really found his way back up to the top three, but Luck did manage to target Whalen enough in their three/four/five wide receiver sets (41 receptions with nearly 25% of the season missed).

Cincy fans, what do you think of the pick? Let us know in the comments! For reaction from fellow Bengals fans, check out Cincy Jungle. For Stanford fans, talk about Ryan over at Rule of Tree.