Since the draft is a little less than 4 weeks away, it is time for some draft analysis. To start, we will take a look into the Bengals rich and illustrious draft history. After a monumental 4 year hiatus, the Bengals have returned to their rightful position as having a top 10 pick in the draft. Why is a 4 year span of not drafting in the top 10 monumental? Well, since Mike Brown has taken control of the Bengals, the team has drafted in the top 10 in 11 of 19 years. That means Mike Brown has steered the organization to the bottom third of the league 60% of his time as owner. He has led the team to a top 10 record just once, the 2005 playoff season that is beginning to look more and more like fluke year in the Mike Brown blueprint.
Being back in the top 10 has pushed us here at Whodeyfans to look into the Bengals past picks made in the first 10 picks of the draft. One may be surprised to find there actually have been successes; Carson Palmer, Anthony Munoz, and first Bengals draft pick Bob Johnson. But success is not what Mike Brown is all about, so we are going to rank the top 10 worst draft picks made with a top 10 pick in Bengals history. This series will lead right up until draft day. To begin, here is number 10 in the Bengals history of worst top 10 draft choices:

10. Greg Cook, QB, University of Cincinnati, 5th Overall Pick in 1969

The story of Greg Cook adds credence to the belief by many Bengals fans that the franchise is cursed. Cook threw for 3,300 yards and 25 TDs during his senior season as a Bearcat in 1968. He still holds 3 of the top 5 Bearcat records for passing yards in a single game including the top spot, a 554 yard performance against Ohio University. Cook’s career at UC prompted Bengals owner Paul Brown to use the 5th overall pick in the draft on the possible franchise QB in 1969, the second year of the Bengals. At 6-4, 220 pounds, with a rocket arm, Cook would still be considered the prototype QB in 2008, let alone 40 years ago.
Cook began his career as the starting QB on opening day for the second year franchise and quickly established himself as a quality pro QB. The Bengals won their first 3 games that season against the Dolphins (3-10-1), Chargers (8-6) and Chiefs (11-3), the Chiefs being the eventual AFL champions that season. However, during the Chiefs game, Cook injured his throwing shoulder while begin tackled. He was forced to miss the next three weeks which were all Bengals losses (Ironically, Cook’s backup that season was Sam Wyche, future Bengals Super Bowl coach who would be pushed out of town by Mike Brown). Cook returned to the lineup to lead the Bengals against the Oakland Raiders and served the Raiders their only loss that season until the AFL championship game. Once Cook’s rookie season was over, he had surgery to repair his injured shoulder. During surgery it was revealed that he had a torn rotator cuff and partially torn bicep. Due to sports medicine technology at the time, subsequent surgeries proved futile in repairing Cook’s shoulder, and his career was effectively over. His career stats for the Bengals:
Games---ATT--COMP----Yards---TD----INT----Rating
12---------200-----107------1,865----15-----11------87.6
That rookie season, Cook led the league in Passer Rating (88.3), yards per attempt (9.3), and yards per completion (17.5). His yards per completion of 17.5 has not been surpassed to this day. He played in one game after that rookie campaign, and that was during a comeback attempt 4 years later.
While probably being a great draft pick, Cook only played in 12 games as a professional football player. Being a victim of circumstance serves as enough to land him the #10 spot as a Bengals failed top 10 draft pick.

Check in periodically as we count down to the worst Bengals draft pick in history leading up to the 2008 NFL draft.