B
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B.
by who dey ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
It is the swing that defines the weekend: Patrick Payton in the 189th overall pick, a good 69 spots before the room expected him. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B.
The phones were where this weekend was really won. Getting Ponds where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Adding Dexter Lawrence II by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
A reach for Jacob Rodriguez in pick No. 41; a little patience would have been rewarded. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
D'Angelo Ponds in slot 72 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Zakee Wheatley at the 110th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Patrick Payton in pick 189 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A minor itch, scratched.
They paid sticker price for Kobe Baynes in No. 199, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Barion Brown at Round 7, Pick 5 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Diego Pavia at Round 7, Pick 10 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The roster fit checks out.