B
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B.
by jlwalker43 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 1 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how A.J. Haulcy got past him. The Bengals do not have to explain a thing at No. 72. It nets out to a B, which feels about right.
Reaching for Fa'amoe left real value on the table behind him. The quarterback 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. Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 10th overall pick they get a green-dot type in the middle at fair value.
No edge and no loss on Caleb Banks in pick 41; it is a wash and a sensible one. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A.J. Haulcy in slot 72 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Treydan Stukes in pick 110 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jeff Caldwell. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Keagen Trost at No. 199 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A real head-scratcher, Fa'alili Fa'amoe in Round 7, Pick 5 is miles ahead of his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Fair-plus on Miles Kitselman, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.