The Cincinnati Bengals have the 18th pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 27 in Detroit. The Bengals own 10 total picks in the seven-round draft.
Bengals’ draft picks
RoundPickOverallNotes
1
18
18
2
17
49
3
16
80
3
33
97
Compensatory
4
15
115
5
14
149
6
18
194
6
38
214
Compensatory
7
4
224
From Texans
7
17
237
Full draft order
Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.
NFL Draft details
• Round 1: April 25, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 26, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 27, noon ET
All rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
— The Beast is coming! Keep your eyes peeled for Dane Brugler’s annual guide to the NFL Draft, publishing Wednesday, April 10.
About the Bengals
• Head coach: Zac Taylor (sixth season with team)
• Last year’s record: 9-8
The Bengals have their eyes on the Super Bowl this year and are more than capable of getting there despite a 2023 season that unraveled with Joe Burrow’s calf and wrist injuries at the core of the issues. Even with a trade request from Tee Higgins, the Bengals appear committed to keeping him on the franchise tag this year, with the idea one more ride alongside Ja’Marr Chase could deliver the franchise’s first title. Yes, there’s still star power on offense, but the real chore has been revamping a defense that led the league in explosive plays allowed last season. Additions of Geno Stone, Vonn Bell and Sheldon Rankins fit that need, and the roster is still well positioned for 2024 despite the departure of five core pieces of the Bengals’ franchise renaissance (Joe Mixon, Jonah Williams, DJ Reader, Tyler Boyd and Chidobe Awuzie). After back-to-back middling draft classes, bills coming due at quarterback and receiver, plus 10 picks with the potential to add more, this becomes a foundational draft to determine the team’s long-term sustainability.
Scoop City Newsletter
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Sign up
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Sign up
Buy
Bengals’ key position needs
Defensive tackle: The Bengals were historically bad trying to stop the run last year, going 1-5 in the AFC North. Now they’ve lost top run stuffer Reader. Not only must they find someone capable of standing up to the trenches of the North, but they also could use a disruptive three-technique of the future. They must come away with two defensive tackles in the draft, which will be easier said than done with a class not particularly strong at the position.
Wide receiver: Tyler Boyd is gone, and although Cincinnati spent a fourth-round pick on Charlie Jones last year, the Bengals aren’t sold he will be the answer in the slot. The draft will need to provide the answer or, at the very least, stiff competition. Plus, Cincinnati must be thinking about a potential long-term replacement for Higgins in a draft overflowing with wideout talent.
Offensive line: Pairing a right tackle with free agent Trent Brown would be an ideal pick early in the draft. The Bengals have had a rotating cast of veteran Band-Aids there in recent years and would love to find a more permanent answer. One with extreme size and positional flexibility to kick inside wouldn’t hurt.
Bengals draft analysis
Trade Tee Higgins? Move up or down? High stakes for Bengals to ace draft positioning
Bengals’ free-agent approach aims for an explosive turnaround
Even with Sheldon Rankins, Bengals’ DT plan still evolving: ‘I can do it all’
What we learned about Bengals in free agency: Round 1, draft intentions come into focus
Dehner Jr.: With DJ Reader gone, risk on the rise for Bengals at defensive tackle
Bengals’ 53-man roster projection: Anticipating the free-agency, draft course
The Athletic’s latest mock drafts
April 4: Bruce Feldman’s mock draft
Feldman’s intel from coaches has him pairing Byron Murphy II with the Bengals.
March 25: Ben Standig mock draft
Standig sees Texas DT Byron Murphy II heading to Cincinnati to bolster the middle.
March 22: Bengals mock draft 1.0
Paul Dehner Jr.’s first seven-round mock addresses offensive tackle, wide receiver and defensive line.
March 21: Beat writer mock draft 2.0
Paul Dehner Jr. nabs what could be an O-line anchor with Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga.
March 6: NFL GMs, execs mock draft’s top 10
Not surprisingly, QBs top the first round.
March 5: Dane Brugler’s post-combine mock draft
Brugler has the Bengals addressing a defensive tackle need with Texas star Byron Murphy II.
Feb. 22: Beat writer mock draft 1.0
The Bengals address the offensive line with Georgia OT Amarius Mims.
Bengals’ last five top picks
2023: Edge Myles MurphyNo. 28 — Murphy was viewed as a slight project when picked as a 21-year-old last year, and that was the case, as he struggled for the first half of his rookie year. But the light started to come over the last two months, and his freakish physical traits flashed. The Bengals are expanding his role in 2024.
2022: S Dax HillNo. 31 — The confounding question of the offseason: What’s next for Hill? He struggled in his first full season at safety but still provides rare athleticism and versatility. A position change is likely in his future, but what that looks like “could evolve,” according to Taylor.
2021: WR Ja’Marr ChaseNo. 5 — Chase is the 2021 NFL offensive rookie of the year, one of the premier receivers in football, the focal point of the offense and, within the next 16 months, likely to sign an extension making him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. Yeah, this one went well.
2020: QB Joe BurrowNo. 1 — This one wasn’t so bad, either.
2019: OT Jonah WilliamsNo. 11 — Williams is a solid starter who played through his fifth-year option, even making an impressive switch from the left side to the right side last year. It earned him a two-year, $30 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals last month.
(Photo of Texas’ Byron Murphy II: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
2024-04-04 21:04:02
#Cincinnati #Bengals #NFL #Draft #guide #Picks #predictions #key
