2026 Bengals NFL Draft Recap

The Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2026 NFL Draft with the philosophy I feared – all starters are set – drafting for depth and upside. This allowed de facto GM, Duke "Reach" Tobin to do what he does best (worst) – take shots at prospects that have accomplished very little in their college career and/or are coming off injury. It is simply astounding that Reach is still employed in the NFL – good to be treated like a son – oh nepotism.

Originally, I planned on including the woeful draft history of Reach Tobin – instead I'll stick to this year.

On a successful pro football defense, all must work together – harmonious – in sync. If one part is off, for example backside responsibilities – all else can fail despite 90% of defenders doing their job. The same principles apply to an offseason strategy.

Tobin and crew did an excellent job in free agency and especially with the acquisition of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence via trade – then changed strategies for the draft.

As I stated in several episodes of The Brotherhood of the Bengal podcast – Tobin and crew believe they are set at linebacker and free safety. In an offseason that felt like they are truly going all-in, they did not address positions where the play was historically bad in 2025. Barrett Carter and Jordan Battle were among the worst at their positions in the entire NFL – yet they will be starters on a team that should legitimately compete for a championship. On top of that – nickel corner is a major question mark. The nickel corner position has become an important piece considering how modern offense is played. They will enter the season with journeyman 30-year-old Jalen Davis as the nickel. Making matters worse – this draft class set up perfectly to improve both the linebacker and nickel positions – Reach Tobin of course passed. Admitting mistakes – addressing them quickly has never been an attribute of the Cincinnati Bengals. Another glaring need is a backup OT (popular term - swing tackle). Evidently Tobin and crew still believe Cody Ford is a backup right tackle – just mindboggling.

Moving on – I'll grade each pick (based on the round) with my thoughts and include who I would have taken - you will find my draft class would have been much better – as it is every year when compared to Reach Tobin. We will leave Jermod McCoy off the board. I would have taken a shot at him. Furthermore, we will stick with the Bengals 4th round trade to keep the picks even.

Pick

2nd Round

Grade: B

Bengals Selection

Cashius Howell

Edge · Texas Tech

Howell is a junkyard dog – fierce competitor with bend and quick get off around the edge. His cons are short arms and length. Against NFL tackles it will be a challenge for him to be a consistent 3 down player. Not a knock on Howell – he will be solid as a RESERVE – but years from now, the story will be who they could have selected.

Dryden's Pick

Anthony Hill Jr.

LB · Texas

Hill Jr. in my projection, Hill is a perennial All-Pro level linebacker. Hill can tackle – is athletic – great feel for the game and is tremendous as a blitzing linebacker.

Also considered: Jacob Rodriguez (LB) – would have also been an upgrade over Carter. D'Angelo Ponds – an aggressive athletic corner who would have been a great fit and could have played a Mike Hilton role in the slot.

Pick

3rd Round

Grade: C+

Bengals Selection

Tacario Davis

DB · Washington

I liked Davis as a 5th round upside pick but at 72 – way too rich. In my Bengals Fit report published a few weeks ago – I liked Davis as a potential position change to safety. He is long and lengthy but call him what he is – a project. I liked 4th round safety Genesis Smith better. Odd pick for a team who should be trying to win NOW.

Dryden's Pick

Keionte Scott

Slot DB · Miami

Scott is 25 which is a concern, but he can play. Super athletic – fluid – mental processing is on point as is his play speed. Tackles everything he sees – quick to the ball – would have been a major improvement at slot corner.

Also considered: Slot receiver Zachariah Branch would have also been a nice addition as would long athletic WRs Chris Brazzell II or Ted Hurst.

Pick

4th Round

Lew: B · Young: F

Bengals Selection — 4th Round Pick 1

Connor Lew

C · Auburn

The Bengals traded down acquiring a 2nd fourth rounder. Lew was their first 4th round pick. The injury is certainly a concern, but Lew is young (20) with a chance of being a solid starting center. I had a 4th round grade on him.

Bengals Selection — 4th Round Pick 2

Colbie Young

WR · Georgia

4th round pick for a guy that should have been either a 7th round pick or an undrafted free agent. Jermaine Burton anyone? The shot of the Bengals war room - with everyone clapping of course – was comical. Just an insane pick.

Dryden's Picks

Kyle Louis + Tanner Koziol

LB · Pitt | TE · Houston

Kyle Louis, LB Pitt: Keionte Scott. Louis would have been a really good selection. He is an undersized backer but has great play speed and range. Tremendous instincts – will be a good pro.

Tanner Koziol, TE Houston: Koziol went later than expected with the NFL currently obsessed with blocking tight ends. Are we going back to the 80s? Regardless, I would take Koziol any day of the week over Young.

Also considered: Skyler Bell would also have been a nice selection had they stayed in their original draft slot. Also a much better pick than Young.

Pick

6th Round

Grade: B

Bengals Selection

Brian Parker II

G · Duke

A solid pick. He was the 7th rated guard on my list (I also had Trey Zuhn listed as a G). Local kid – good story – should compete for a roster spot as a backup.

Dryden's Pick

Dametrious Crownover

OT · Texas A&M

Long rangy tackle with upside. He would have been a perfect swing tackle prospect – major upgrade over Cody Ford.

Pick

7th Round

Grade: B

Bengals Selections

Jack Endries + Landon Robinson

TE · Texas | DT · Navy

Jack Endries, TE Texas: Nice player – higher production at Cal with Mendoza at QB. Will complete for a roster spot. If taking a tight end shot – I would have went with Michael Trigg.

Landon Robinson, DT Navy: Solid prospect, undersize player with strength. Here it's certainly ok to take a shot but I would have done so at a position of need.

Dryden's Picks

Aiden Fisher + Eli Heidenreich

LB · Indiana | Slot WR · Navy

Aiden Fisher, LB Indiana: Scrappy linebacker with big game experience. Special teams player at least – would have been a nice fit.

Eli Heidenreich, Slot WR Navy: Played RB for the Midshipmen - excelled in the passing game as well. Quick in and out of cuts – would have been a good upside pick.

Also considered: Deion Burks a slot WR from Oklahoma would also have been a nice selection/fit.

Bengals Draft Class

Dryden's Draft Class

Edge Cashius Howell

LB Anthony Hill Jr.

DB Tacario Davis

DB Keionte Scott

C Connor Lew

LB Kyle Louis

WR Colbie Young

TE Tanner Koziol

G Brian Parker II

OT Dametrious Crownover

TE Jack Endries

LB Aiden Fisher

DT Landon Robinson

WR Eli Heidenreich

Summary · The Verdict

The Bengals love draft picks – historically treated them as gold but often waste them on lottery picks instead of wise investments. This could have been a draft that solved several issues – instead they chose reaches and backups. Evaluating a draft class now or down the road should consist of the player – needs – and who was available. With respect to the players still on the board metric – really bad now and likely even worse three years from now.

Duke certainly owns the nickname. Thankfully, free agency and the Dexter Lawrence trade have improved the defense immensely – enough so that this should be a championship-level team. Burrow and Chase cover a ton of ills, but they can only take a team so far.

Some say it is a make-or-break year – with Burrow threatening to leave rumors – for Duke Tobin, Zac Taylor and staff. But that simply isn't the case. No matter what happens, Tobin will be back. That is just Mike Brown, folks. Sadly.

You decide.

Dryden · Rare Breed Scouting™

rarebreedscouting.com · Brotherhood of the Bengal

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