There has never been a first round like it in Bengals' history as darkness descended on the NFL Draft and Paycor Stadium Thursday night.
The reason is etched on top of the grease board in the office of assistant general manager Mike Potts.
The numbers 1 (for the first round) and 10 (for the pick) are written in red. Next to them, written in black block letters, is one name that says it all. DEXTER.
While Dexter Lawrence II, the massive three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle the Bengals plucked from the Giants five days ago for that 10th pick, met his public for the first time in the roped-off areas of Paycor, the Bengals assembled their draft room as if they had that 10th pick.
Bengals president Mike Brown, who has sat in all 59 drafts and moderated most of them, pushed out any thoughts of leaving as 5 p.m. came and went.
"Something might happen," Brown said.
But after giving up one of their eight picks, there wasn't a lot of appetite in the building to trade up and lose at least another one. So when the Bengals emerged with their remaining picks as the first round ended at 10:50 p.m., not a real surprise.
But there was also another thought as the draft room was full for the Raiders taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first pick.
"You never know."
Party Atmosphere
Lawrence led a contingent of the newest Bengals who have reshaped their defense this offseason into two energetic draft parties blanketing Paycor.
Joining them was left tackle and captain Orlando Brown Jr. because he never says no. Before heading into a gathering of corporate partners, they paused to take photos with the matriarch of Bengaldom, Mike Brown's wife. After taking one with her arm around Lawrence, a beaming Nancy Brown said, "Let's go win!"
Lawrence smiled and said, "That's the plan."
Nancy Brown's bouncing optimism reflected the buzz racing through both gatherings. Before a raucous crowd of season-ticket holders at the Budlight City Bar, Lawrence unveiled the Paycor debut of his "Sexy Dexy," sack dance.
"I didn't think there'd be this many people out here without having a first-round pick," said Super Bowl edge rusher Boye Mafe, just signed from Seattle.
Jonathan Allen, one of the most prolific pass-rushing defensive tackles of the last decade, felt the surge as he toured the evening with wife Hannah while he held their 18-month-old daughter Eleanor when he wasn't speaking to the fans.
"I've felt it. It's very exciting," Allen said. "It reminded me I have a lot more motivation for me not to let anybody down."
Lawrence was clearly the evening's headliner. Asked if he had ever pass rushed next to a force like Lawrence, Allen said, "I've played with a lot of guys. But Dexter Lawrence is a different animal."
Speaking of animals, when the tiger mascot approached Lawrence, he bear-hugged him, rubbed his head, and knew his name.
"Hey … Who-Dey!" Lawrence bellowed.
The Pick
It turned out that at No. 10, the Bengals would have had a shot at two of the highest-rated defenders. But some of the reasons why Ohio State's Caleb Downs lasted until 11 (he plays safety) and Miami edge Reuben Bain Jr. lasted until No. 15 (his unfriendly analytics) are the same reasons why the Bengals felt more comfortable with a proven Pro Bowl defender like Lawrence rather than what the top of this draft offered.
"There's the pick. A great pick," said Bryan Cook, the new Cincinnati-bred safety, as he nodded at Lawrence and recalled a moment from Thursday's workout.
"He was sprinting today, and that's a big dude moving. As a safety, it's great to watch. We've got some dogs up front. Big factor. I'm actually trying to control the excitement because I'm very excited."
If there were any doubts about the Bengals making the right move, they were erased by the first-round picks of their AFC North rivals. After trading down to No. 9, the Browns took versatile Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano, at No. 14 the Ravens took the first guard, Penn State's Olaivavega Ioane, and the Steelers grabbed Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor.
The AFC North trench warfare is on.
As players were going off the board, Orlando Brown was unmoved.
"We've got a bunch of ballers on our D-Line," Brown said. "Front four, front six."
Slants and Screens
The first round appeared to break well for the Bengals. Even though they've committed more than $200 million to the defense in the last month, they figure to still be on the lookout for that side of the ball when the second round begins Friday at 7 p.m.
With the Bengals picking at No. 41 using the ninth pick in the second round, the big board of CBS Sports.com had two defensive tackles among their top 41 players still remaining, three edgers, two linebackers, four cornerbacks, and a safety …
Cook, the Mount Healthy High School grad who grew up in Cincinnati's College Hill, said Thursday night it felt like he was getting drafted all over again with the love of the home crowd …
Cook, with No. 6, and cornerback DJ Turner II, with No. 0, are the first Bengals' defenders in history to wear single digits.
"It's an honor," Cook said. "To me, it says something about the new environment we're in. A sneak peek of what could possibly come. We have a lot of new faces here. I'm very excited with what this team is putting together. To me, it's a little sprinkle of what's to come." …
How small of a world is it? Allen signed a few days after Cook last month, but Cook didn't know until Thursday night's festivities that Allen's father graduated from Mount Healthy, too.
"I've got all kinds of family here," said Allen, whose dad no longer lives here. "Uncles. Aunts. Cousins. Probably about 20. I used to come here summers, and they were Bengals fans." …
Allen says that linebacker Joe Kelly, the first of two Bengals first-round picks in 1986 and a Super Bowl starter, is an old family friend …
