B+
Cincinnati Bengals
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Bengals and Golday: B+.
by Dnice ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 7 steals
· 0 reaches
When a board-topper like Jake Golday slides to slot 95, you do not overthink it, and the Bengals did not.
The interior defensive lineman hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The trades cost them a sliver of value they did not need to spend. Cornerback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 31 they get a moveable chess piece at tight end, and a steal at that. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Anthony Hill Jr. in the Round 2 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A.J. Haulcy in Round 3, Pick 8 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Jake Golday at slot 95 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A cornerback of that caliber at No. 110 is the definition of value, full stop. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Kevin Coleman Jr. in pick 169 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Nothing to complain about; Louis Moore went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
They barely believed it either: Ar'maj Reed-Adams still on the board at the 189th overall pick. It fills a real need, too.
Circle this one: Reggie Virgil at pick No. 199 is a fall that decides a draft. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Keyshaun Elliott at No. 221 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Thaddeus Dixon in Round 7, Pick 10. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.