The Cincinnati Bengals have collected many NFL Draft steals in just over 50 years as a franchise. Without the deep history of the original NFL teams — founded roughly 50 years before the Bengals were born in 1968 — Cincinnati has forged an impressive track record of finding value in the later rounds of the draft.

Stop and consider some of these NFL Draft picks: Geno Atkins at pick No. 120 in 2010; T.J. Houshmandzadeh at No. 204 in 2001; Kimo von Oelhoffen at No. 162 in 1994; Bob Trumpy (yes, the future NBC football analyst!) at No. 301 in the 1968 AFL Draft; and the Bengals' first great quarterback, Ken Anderson, out of tiny Augustana College in Illinois with the No. 67 pick in the 1971 NFL Draft.

The Bengals have unearthed many great players in unexpected places. A few other names haven't been mentioned for the sake of brevity. These five, below, represent the best draft steals Cincinnati has ever had. They all played at least 166 NFL games, and they all played most if not all of their careers for the Bengals.

One other note: Any self-respecting Bengals fan values what the franchise once was before Mike Brown succeeded his father Paul as the team president in 1991, upon Paul Brown's death. You will note that all five NFL Draft steals occurred in the Paul Brown years. We wouldn't want to give Mike Brown any credit.

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5. Bruce Kozerski, No. 231 in 1984

The Bengals got 12 seasons from Kozerski at center. Kozerski and Boomer Esiason formed a trusted partnership in the Bengals' late-1980s glory days under coach Sam Wyche, which included a run to Super Bowl XXIII in the 1988 NFL season. Not bad for what was then a ninth-round pick in the 1984 NFL Draft.

4. Ken Riley, No. 135 in 1969 (AFL Draft)

In the last AFL Draft — before the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970 — the Bengals found a 15-year starter at cornerback. Riley played his whole career in Cincinnati, logging 207 games and lasting long enough to be part of the 1981 AFC championship team which reached the franchise's first Super Bowl.

3. Max Montoya, No. 168 in 1979

The 1979 NFL Draft was an excellent one for the Bengals, who built a good portion of their 1981 Super Bowl roster by picking tight end Dan Ross and running back Charles Alexander in the early rounds. In Round 7, however, they grabbed Montoya, who played 11 seasons for the team and is one of the few Bengals — Anthony Munoz is another — who played on both Super Bowl teams in Cincinnati.

Of the five NFL Draft steals listed here, Montoya — who played into 1994 with other NFL teams after leaving the Bengals following the 1989 season — accumulated the most NFL games played, with 223.

2. Lemar Parrish, No. 163 in 1970

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In the Bengals' first NFL Draft after their two opening seasons in the AFL, they plucked Parrish out of obscurity. Parrish attended Lincoln University, a historically black land-grant university in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Parrish was a starting cornerback for 12 NFL seasons, plus a 13th as a reserve. He made eight Pro Bowl teams, six with the Bengals, for whom he played eight seasons (1970-1977). He didn't get to play in a Super Bowl, but he steered the franchise through its early years and enabled the expansion franchise to hold its own, with three playoff appearances during his tenure in Ohio.

1. Tim Krumrie, No. 276 in 1983

One of the greatest Bengals of all time, Krumrie holds a special place in the hearts of Cincinnati fans. He suffered a gruesome leg injury early in Super Bowl XXIII against the San Francisco 49ers. The Bengals' defense played amazingly well in his absence, limiting the high-powered 49ers to just 20 points, a testament to the respect Krumrie earned in the locker room for the 1988 AFC champions.

Krumrie became a superstar nose tackle, earning two Pro Bowl appearances before his leg injury. He played 12 seasons, all with the Bengals. Many great players have come and gone in the history of the franchise, but none more inspiring.