B-
Cincinnati Bengals
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Bengals: B-.
by Cheeseman23 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 6 picks
· 3 steals
· 0 reaches
The one they had to fix is still broken. The Bengals left tight end untouched, and that omission hangs over an otherwise reasonable haul. A dependable weekend that grades out a B-.
Landing Simpson that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. Job largely done: cornerback settled and 4 of 8 of the wish list covered. The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 24 they get a quarterback's worst nightmare, and a steal at that. Need was not the driver here.
Good price on Kingsley Suamataia in Round 2, Pick 24, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Tommy Eichenberg in the 88th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Value with a capital V on Jalen McMillan in the Round 4 slot, a genuine coup. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid sticker price for Cam Hart in pick No. 161, and that is fine. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A slide stopped in the 173rd pick, with Jaylin Simpson worth more than the price. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.