The 2026 NFL Draft came and went, and the Cincinnati Bengals, despite not having a first-round pick, had a solid three days to add quality talent and depth. This will be our first real look at what the 53-man roster could look like—any that came before obviously didn’t take the rookies into account.
If you’re interested, though, here are links to:
Version 1.0
Version 2.0
Version 3.0
The Bengals added a good smattering of talent on both sides of the ball, bolstering their offensive line depth and adding an exciting edge rusher. I didn’t love all their picks, but I’m happy overall. I think I’d give them an overall grade of B+.
Down to it!
Quarterback (2)
• Joe Burrow
• Joe Flacco
Notes: No changes. Burrow and Flacco will be QB1 and QB2. Nothing against Flacco, but hopefully he does nothing but hold a clipboard and take the occasional knee when the Bengals are up by too much to let Joe Cool on the field.
Running Back (3)
• Chase Brown
• Samaje Perine
• Tahj Brooks
Notes: I thought maybe the Bengals would address the position in the draft, possibly on Day 3. The fact they didn’t pretty much sets Brown as RB1 and Perine as the team’s third-down back. I do expect to see more Brooks in 2026 than we did in 2025, though.
Wide Receiver (6)
• Ja’Marr Chase
• Tee Higgins
• Andrei Iosivas
• Charlie Jones
• Mitchell Tinsley
• Colbie Young
Notes: I wasn’t a huge fan of the Young pick. It’s very reminiscent of the Jermaine Burton pick, which ended up being a waste of time for both he and the Bengals. There’s no doubting his talent, but there were other guys I’d rather have with a fourth-round pick than someone without his red flags.
Having said that, Chase and Higgins are still the best one-two punch at the wide receiver position in the league, and Iosivas, Jones or Tinsley are just icing on a very good cake. I’d like an upgrade at WR3, but hopefully someone separates themselves from the group this offseason.
Tight End (4)
• Mike Gesicki
• Drew Sample
• Tanner Hudson
• Jack Endries
Notes: Endries being available in the seventh round was a shock, and I was thrilled when the Bengals picked him 221st overall. The big question here is Erick All Jr. He had injury issues heading into the 2024 draft, which is why the Bengals landed him in the fourth round, but he hasn’t played a snap since his rookie season, when he was placed on IR, where he’s remained following two surgeries.
Again, the gap between Gesicki and Sample and Hudson is a little larger than I’d like, but it’s possible Endries develops quickly.
Offensive Line (10)
• Orlando Brown Jr.
• Dylan Fairchild
• Ted Karras
• Dalton Risner
• Amarius Mims
• Cody Ford
• Jalen Rivers
• Andrew Coker
• Conner Lew
• Brian Parker II
Notes: Again, the Bengals hit some home runs on players that fell to them on Saturday. Lew could have been a Day 1 or 2 pick has it not been for an injury, and Parker has the versatility to play across all five positions on the line. They’re still a little too dependent on Ford as their swing tackle, but there is a lot of talent along the offensive line, especially in the interior.
If everyone stays healthy, watch out.
Defensive Line (10)
• Boye Mafe
• Dexter Lawrence II
• BJ Hill
• Jonathan Allen
• Shemar Stewart
• Myles Murphy
• Kris Jenkins Jr.
• T.J. Slaton Jr.
• Cashius Howard
• Landon Robinson
Notes: The Bengals drastically changed this group by trading the No. 10 overall selection for Lawrence. They’ve built themselves a really solid rotation at defensive tackle, and now at edge as well. Their second-round pick, Howard, out of Texas A&M, was against type at the position for them. He’s not as tall and heavy as Myles Murphy or Shemar Stewart, but he makes up for it in speed.
Robinson is an undersized defensive tackle out of Navy, but he’s lightning quick and gave guys fits at the East-West Shrine Bowl. If he was a little bigger, or played for a power conference school, he likely isn’t available to the Bengals with their last pick of the draft.
This position group is so deep and talented, it will have a ripple effect down through the entire defense.
Linebackers (5)
• Demetrius Knight Jr.
• Barrett Carter
• Oren Burks
• Joe Giles-Harris
• Shaka Heyward
Notes: I saw somebody Tweeted this: “I want someone to believe in me the way the Bengals’ front office believes in Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter.”
Funny because it’s true.
Knight and Carter were the worst linebacker duo in the league in 2025, but the Bengals are planning on the reshaped defensive line, especially the addition of Lawrence, helping the young linebackers. Remember how good young Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt were when DJ Reader was soaking up blockers in front of them?
That’s the hope.
Cornerback (6)
• DJ Turner II
• Dax Hill
• Jalen Davis
• Josh Newton
• Ja’Sir Taylor
• Tacario Davis
Notes: Don’t get me wrong, I like Tacario Davis. I like the idea of a cornerback of his size and speed as kind of a tight end specialist. There are a enough talented tight ends the Bengals will face in 2026 and beyond that it’s totally worth having someone as somewhat of a specialist. The issue is I think he could have been available to the Bengals in the fourth round. I think I’d maybe rather have that third-round pick back, and then give me Davis instead of Young.
I still think this unit could use another veteran presence, and maybe the Bengals will bring someone in now that the draft is over, and neither Turner nor Hill are under contract after this season. Hopefully the Bengals at least add some depth.
Safety (4)
• Bryan Cook
• Jordan Battle
• Kyle Dugger
• PJ Jules
Notes: No change here. The addition of Cook was already a big deal, but adding a guy of Lawrence’s caliber up front will make his job of hopefully finally filling Jessie Bates’ shoes that much easier. I expect Battle and Dugger will fight for the starting spot next to Cook, or possibly rotate.
Special Teams (3)
• K – Evan McPherson
• P – Ryan Rehkow
• LS – William Wagner
Notes: No changes here.
I like this team. I really do. That’s how much Lawrence changes things. To be clear, I think he’ll have a greater impact on the defense than anyone that was available to them with the No. 10 pick, and I think his presence will have a ripple effect immediately. If everyone stays healthy, this is the best overall roster since 2021.
Relative Song Lyrics:
Runnin’ down the avenueSee how the sun shines brightly in the cityOn the streets where once was pityMr. Blue Sky is living here today, hey
