Bengals take USC DE Rucker in third round

By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer

With some quality tight ends still remaining on the draft board, the Bengals took defensive end Frostee Rucker with their third-round pick tonight.

Rucker had 6.5 sacks in 2005 for the Trojans and appears to be somewhat of a reach, based on pre-draft projections by various publications that saw him as a sixth- or seventh-round pick.

Rucker, reached at his mother's home in Irvine, Calif., said late tonight that he expected to go anywhere from the third to the fifth round.

"What I did at USC, you're a pass rusher first, but you also have to stop the run," Rucker said. "I'm a forceful player, a team player, very aggressive, a defensive-minded guy."

Bengals defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan said Rucker projects to an end in the 4-3 defense. The Bengals already have Justin Smith and Robert Geathers as starters. The only other true end on the roster is second-year player Jonathan Fanene.

"He's fundamentally sound and tecnnically-minded," Bresnahan said. "He can come in here and build on what we already have. He is a good solid player and can bring that to the NFL."

Frostee is his given name. He said his father gave him the name because he wanted his son to have a unique name.

He is 6-3, 267 pounds and ran a 4.91 40-yard dash. He also is a former outside linebacker who originally signed to play at Colorado State.

Rucker started all 13 games for USC in 2005 and had 54 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.