B-
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals let Hunter fall into their laps, and walked away with a B-.
by TBarin13 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 0 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Lee Hunter got past him. The Bengals do not have to explain a thing at the 72nd overall pick.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped linebacker, which is a strange place to end up. Job largely done: cornerback settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 10th pick they get a long-term starter on the line. A clean fit for the roster.
Zion Young in the Round 2 slot is fair value, right on his grade. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Lee Hunter in pick No. 72 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They barely believed it either: Ted Hurst still on the board at slot 110. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Ephesians Prysock at the 189th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
No edge and no loss on Jalen Stroman in No. 199; it is a wash and a sensible one. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Harrison Wallace III in Round 7, Pick 5 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A straight-up fair deal on John Michael Gyllenborg at pick 226, value and slot in agreement. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.