B-
Cincinnati Bengals
Crownover should have been long gone. The Bengals pounced, and earned a B-.
by ChefPack34 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Bengals were there to profit. Dametrious Crownover, the No. 145 name on the board, should have been long gone before slot 189. Call it a sensible B-, earned the boring way.
They are betting Jones proves the room right and everyone else wrong. The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Cornerback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job. The weekend tilted hard toward the defense.
Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 10 they get a three-down second-level presence at fair value. A real need, handled.
Christen Miller at the Round 2 slot is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Logan Jones this early at Round 3, Pick 8. It fills a real need, too.
Tyreak Sapp at pick No. 110 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A top-tier offensive lineman at a bargain, Dametrious Crownover in the 189th pick, plain and simple. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Circle this one: Demond Claiborne at slot 199 is a fall that decides a draft. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They paid up for TJ Hall at pick 221 when waiting would have done the job. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A premium they did not need to pay, Isaiah Nwokobia a notch or two before his time. A minor need, but a need all the same.