A.J. Green Goes Fourth Overall To The Cincinnati Bengals

The 2011 NFL Draft is underway and with the first three picks in the books (Cam Newton of Auburn, Von Miller of Texas A&M, and Marcel Dareus of Alabama went 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively) the Cincinnati Bengals were on the clock. They wasted no time in selecting A.J. Green, the sure-handed wide receiver out of the University of Georgia.

The chances of Green landing in Cincy seemed to be heating up this week once it became clear that Chad Ochocinco had worn out his welcome with both the Bengals and their head coach—Marvin Lewis.

The Bengals will look to make Green a top target for whomever they play at quarterback as it's clear that he has the skills, the talent, and the ability to make big plays.

The question now will be will the Bengals have a quarterback to throw it to him?

Carson Palmer's fate is still up in the air, despite what ownership says, because he made it very clear that he doesn't want to be a Bengal anymore. Will his future there look any brighter with T.O. gone and Ochocinco on his way out? Clearly those two had an impact on the culture of the team—both positive and negative—and might have contributed to Palmer's sour outlook.

Either way, Green is walking into an intense situation as a rookie and it bears watching how that will effect his overall success in year one of his pro career.