The Bengals added another talented performer to their loaded defensive line, selecting Southern Methodist defensive end Margus Hunt with the No. 53 overall pick on Friday night.

A native of Estonia, Hunt (6-8, 277) was a champion shot put and discus thrower and set the junior world record in the discus. He took up football at SMU in 2009, where he garnered notice for his unique skill set. Hunt, who notched eight sacks as a senior at SMU, blocked 17 kicks — an NCAA record — at SMU.

Hunt, who will be 26 in his rookie season, could project to left end in Cincinnati. The Bengals are already deep at end, with Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson, Robert Geathers and Wallace Gilberry among the veteran options. Hunt figures to work closely with Bengals DL coach Jay Hayes as he tries to learn the finer points of the pro game.

The Bengals have built a superior defensive line without using a single first-round pick to build the group. Time will tell if Hunt is another success story, but say this for the Bengals — they clearly understand the value of a deep defensive line, and they clearly have had a knack for evaluating and coaching linemen. Now they have the luxury of patience as they turn their attention to molding Hunt.

The Bengals today re-signed OT Andre Smith as an unrestricted free agent.

Smith (6-4, 335; Alabama) is a fifth-year NFL player in 2013. He has played his full career with the Bengals, after being drafted by Cincinnati as the sixth overall pick in round one in 2009. He has been the team’s starting ROT since October 2010. He played and started 14 games in 2011, and last season he started every game.

“We’re excited to have gotten this important deal done this afternoon,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “Andre is a fine player who has matured tremendously during his time with us, and completing this now enhances what we’ll be able to do to best improve our team these last two days of the draft.”

Smith’s power blocking last season helped HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis lead the NFL in third-down-and-one rushing conversions (14), with Green-Ellis failing to convert only once. Smith helped the Bengals average 168.2 rushing yards during Games 10-14, as they closed on a Wild Card playoff spot, and Green-Ellis topped 100 yards in four of those five contests.

“The last two years here have been tremendous, going to the playoffs both years, and it was time for me to make the decision to be back,” Smith said of today’s signing. “I think I’ve fully bought into what Coach Lewis wanted me to do, doing all the little things that make a great pro, and I’ve never enjoyed football more.”

The Bengals have been to the playoffs in three of Smith’s four seasons with the team.

For the second time in four years, the Cincinnati Bengals have taken a tight end with their first round selection. The Bengals became the first team to take a tight end in this year’s draft by selecting Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert with the 21st overall pick.

Eifert won the Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end last season over Stanford’s Zach Ertz and Washington’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Eifert is a more effective pass catcher than blocker.

The Bengals still have Jermaine Gresham under contract for two more seasons after taking him in the first round of the 2010 draft. The Bengals needed to add to their weapons on the offensive side of the ball. A.J. Green is one of the league’s best receivers but Cincinnati still was looking to find more options for quarterback Andy Dalton. While tight end may not have been the most pressing need, Eifert should help Cincinnati be more productive offensively next season.

Joe Reedy of the Enquirer is reporting that the Bengals have agreed to terms on a 2-year deal with former Steeler James Harrison.

The Bengals have 2 prime-time games against the Steelers this season.

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The Bengals today signed TE Alex Smith as an unrestricted free agent.

Smith (6-4, 258; Stanford) is a ninth-year NFL player in 2013. He spent the last three seasons with Cleveland. He played in 12 games for the Browns in 2012, with two starts, and had 13 receptions for 47 yards. He had three receptions for 30 yards against the Bengals on Sept. 16 at Paul Brown Stadium. He saw most of his action in the second half of the season as an H-back. Three of his four missed games with Cleveland last year were due to a concussion.

Smith began his NFL career with Tampa Bay in 2005, as a third-round draft choice. He played for the Bucs through 2008 and was with Philadelphia in 2009. He has 103 career NFL games, with 55 starts, and has career receiving totals of 160 catches for 1461 yards (9.1) with 12 TDs. He also has seen action in three postseason games, with two starts, and has had seven catches for 48 yards and one TD.