Jeremy Hill

Bengals will spend draft picks on running back

The Cincinnati Bengals will be drafting a running back, director of player personnel Duke Tobin said Wednesday.

What It Means:

Tobin obviously didn't specify when, but the Bengals have 11 picks in the Draft. Reporter Paul Dehner wouldn't rule out a runner at ninth overall, and fellow beat writer Katherine Terrell floated the same idea last week. It would appear the Bengals are giving up the ghost on Jeremy Hill, who's coming off back-to-back lackluster seasons and headed into the final year of his rookie contract.

42 running backs had at least 100 carries in 2016, and Hill's 0.02 Rushing Net Expected Points (NEP) per carry was actually 16th-best among them.