B
Cincinnati Bengals
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Bengals: B.
by LJH ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 2 reaches
The Bengals looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Jaydn Ott at the Round 7 slot regardless, 22 picks early. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped wide receiver, which is a strange place to end up. If one pick saves this weekend, it is Stowers. Cornerback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 10 they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece. A real need, handled.
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 41, where Peter Woods graded well above the range. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
The board had Eli Stowers higher than the 72nd overall pick, and the tight end fell to them anyway. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Jalon Kilgore in the 110th pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jalen Stroman. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They took VJ Payne at par in Round 6, Pick 18, which is nothing to complain about. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
A straight-up fair deal on Thaddeus Dixon at the 221st overall pick, value and slot in agreement. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Jaydn Ott at the Round 7 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.