Defensive tackles must perform

Defensive tackle remains a position of uncertainty for the Bengals behind projected starters Domata Peko and John Thornton.

The Bengals took Pat Sims in the third round and fellow defensive tackle Jason Shirley in the fifth.

“Yeah, I think Pat for sure should have an impact right away,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said during rookie minicamp.

“I think Jason has a lot to learn. But he will be a willing learner. He’s a big, big strong man, so we’ll get him … into the correct stances and be faster and quicker with his hands and allow him to use all that big man that he’s got there because right now he’s wasting about two-thirds of it.”

Sims, of the team’s 10 draft picks, might be the most important because of the need at the position.

“I know they expect a lot out of me,” Sims said today between minicamp practices. “I'm going to work hard to give them that. As a rookie, I'm just going to try to contribute as early as I can, helping stop the run and putting some pressure on the quarterback.”

Defensive line coach Jay Hayes has encouraged Sims, “to work on my technique, work on my footwork.”