Comparatively speaking, the Cincinnati Bengals' Day 2 draft efforts ended without some of the punch and panache that was associated with the start of the day. Following Thursday night's first-round selection of cornerback William Jackson III -- a player some draft experts considered the best or second-best corner in the entire draft -- the Bengals scooped up a versatile playmaker in Round 2 when they picked Pitt receiver Tyler Boyd. Both players had the kind of name recognition that could appease fans.

But the third-round pick on Friday night, Utah State linebacker Nick Vigil, didn't. That doesn't necessarily mean he was a bad pick, though.

My take: Give the Bengals credit for carefully examining their draft board and then having the resolve to stick so closely to it that they selected a player at a time no one else likely would have. That takes some courage. Prior to his selection at No. 87 overall, Vigil had been expecting to be taken as early as the middle of the third round, and as late as the middle of the fifth. At the very least, he was banking on a Day-3 selection that was most likely to come in the fourth round. But no, the Bengals took him one round prior. In most instances, such an earlier-than-expected selection might be considered lunacy. But this time, maybe not. The Bengals are so secure in their roster that their only worry at this point is to lock down the back end. As a quick, multi-positional linebacker, Vigil should take care of that well.

Fast, instinctual ... running back?: The three on-field characteristics you need to know about Vigil are the ones here in bold. Timed by the Bengals with a 4.66-second 40-yard dash, he's a quick player who plays that way. Although coaches tried to shy away from comparing him to another NFL player, they do believe his game tape revealed flashes of Luke Kuechly-style instincts and pass coverage ability. Vigil appears to understand the game well, and that carries a lot of weight in the minds of Marvin Lewis, Paul Guenther and Jim Haslett, three Bengals coaches who have all coached the linebacker position at some point during their careers. Oh, by the way, Vigil also was a running back briefly at Utah State. Last season, he had 41 rushes with three touchdowns in mostly goal-line and short-yardage activity.

Bring back the rat-tail: Along with being a bit of a throwback on the field, Vigil has some of that style off it, as well. Up until the combine, he sported a rat-tail that he grew in college. When he was in high school, he always wanted the unique hairstyle that had its peak popularity in the early 1990s. Vigil cut the rat-tail just before the pre-draft period because he didn't want it to take away from any visits he had with coaches and general managers. But now that he's been drafted, maybe he'll bring it back?

What's next? Now that the first three rounds are in the books, the Bengals turn their focus to Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, when they attempt to continue bolstering the back end of their roster. Minutes after the draft ends, they hope to create even more depth by signing undrafted free agents. Last year, Cincinnati followed up its two third-round picks with a pair of Round-4 selections. Josh Shaw, Marcus Hardison, C.J. Uzomah, Derron Smith and Mario Alford were the Bengals' Day 3 draft adds.