B-
Cincinnati Bengals
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Bengals.
by Boke ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 1 reaches
The weekend has a hole in the middle of it named cornerback, a need the Bengals walked right past.
That is an offensive lineman worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. The Elliott reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. The roster is better shaped than it was, with tight end chief among the fixes.
The weekend tilted hard toward the defense.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but cornerback.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 10 they get the heartbeat of the defense at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
Dillon Thieneman in the 41st overall pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Jake Slaughter in slot 72. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Ja'Kobi Lane at pick 110 is money in the bank, a wide receiver taken below his worth. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A quiet steal in the 189th pick: Aamil Wagner for less than the market said. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They reached a country mile for Keyshaun Elliott at the Round 6 slot, and the board is aghast. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Kaelon Black in Round 7, Pick 5 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
By-the-book stuff, Miles Kitselman at pick No. 226 squarely in line with his ranking. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.