C+
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals land in the muddy middle: C+.
by lortega2321 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 6 reaches
Nobody else had Ben Sinnott anywhere near the 49th pick. The Bengals did, by 81 spots, and that gap is the whole story.
The Harden steal is the beam this whole class leans on. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through linebacker.
Hit on T'Vondre Sweat and the swing picks, and this ages a lot better than it grades today.
Pick-by-Pick
A wild overpay on T'Vondre Sweat in the 18th pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Ben Sinnott at pick 49 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid a round early for Dominick Puni in pick No. 80, more than the board wanted. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A slide stopped in No. 97, with Khyree Jackson worth more than the price. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Mason McCormick in Round 4, Pick 15 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They let Ainias Smith come to them and pounced at the Round 5 slot. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Javontae Jean-Baptiste in No. 194, miles early. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They liked Frank Gore Jr. enough to skip the value, taking him in the Round 6 slot. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Somehow Myles Harden was still sitting there in the 237th pick, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.