B
Cincinnati Bengals
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Bengals a B.
by jlwalker43 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 1 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. A.J. Haulcy at the Round 3 slot is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. It does the job without flash, and the B reflects it.
Reaching for Fa'amoe left real value on the table behind him. Leaving quarterback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 10 they get a three-down second-level presence. A clean fit for the roster.
They paid sticker price for Caleb Banks in the 41st overall pick, and that is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They barely believed it either: A.J. Haulcy still on the board at the 72nd pick. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Treydan Stukes in the Round 4 slot. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jeff Caldwell at pick No. 189 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A offensive lineman of that caliber at Round 6, Pick 18 is the definition of value, full stop. A need, and now a little less of one.
They reached into another round for Fa'alili Fa'amoe, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Miles Kitselman at No. 226 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the tight end. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.