The Cincinnati Bengals wrapped up their Draft weekend with a crop of new, exciting players. After the addition of Dexter Lawrence II and a myriad of free agents, Cincinnati has positioned itself well for the 2026 season.
With new additions come new expectations and guys potentially on the hot seat. Here are the winners and losers from the Bengals’ additions in the Draft.
After a defensive-heavy free agency period and two picks on that side of the ball on Night 2, Cincinnati decided to address the offense to kick off Saturday’s festivities. The Bengals landed their center of the future in Connor Lew, as well as a huge, big-play wide receiver in Colbie Young.
And then there’s Brian Parker II, who could prove to be a valuable backup across the offensive line that ensures there’s not a massive drop-off if any starter goes down. Burrow should be pleased with all three offensive selections on Day 3.
Peters’ group saw the team’s first pick on Saturday go his way. The Bengals grabbed Lew, and the consensus is that they not only snagged an eventual starting center, but one with great value in the fourth round.
Then, in the sixth round, Peters had another addition to the unit in Brian Parker II. He brings versatility and depth to the interior of the offensive line.
Lew is not only a winner after being drafted while coming back from injury, but he also lands in a good mentorship spot. As a 20-year-old, Lew gets to learn behind a solid center and team leader in Ted Karras to kickstart his NFL career. This looks like as good of a spot as Lew was hoping for, as he now can get a year to develop and fully recover while hopefully being part of a Bengals team that contends for a Super Bowl ring.
Pitcher’s unit finally got some love on Saturday with three offensive selections. As mentioned, the offensive line received some developmental depth, and the already-stacked receiver group added an exciting size/weight/measurables guy in Colbie Young.
Speaking of Young, Walters has to be ecstatic at his Bengals arrival. Andrei Iosivas had a dip in production last year (more on that later), and Young provides deep ball potential for Burrow and Co. Young is someone who could end up being an upgrade over Iosivas before this is all said and done.
Cincinnati showed pre-draft interest in some tight ends, but the team didn’t make any emphatic moves on that front this weekend. Jack Endries is intriguing, but he’ll have to grind for a spot and playing time with a number of other pass-catchers in the group.
The lack of a premium pick at the position group not only speaks about the team’s confidence in who they have, but also to the potential comeback path for Erick All Jr.
One could consider Lawrence essentially the No. 10 pick, which had Montgomery ecstatic. But, aside from adding electric pass-rusher Cashius Howell in the second round, Cincinnati added Landon Robinson in the seventh round.
Many thought Robinson would have gone earlier than in the final round, and the Bengals had to have been excited that he was there at No. 226 overall. Cincinnati met with Robinson a couple of times in the pre-draft process, and they have another penetrator on their defensive line.
Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter
Cincinnati has spent a good portion of the offseason talking up its second-year linebackers to the chagrin of many Bengals fans. Cincinnati didn’t invest in the group in free agency thus far, and didn’t grab one of the top names at the position in this year’s class.
Samaje Perine and Tahj Brooks
Between Samaje Perine turning 31 in September and Tahj Brooks being unproven at this point, the Bengals had a real case for taking a running back this year, but that never came. Perine is now in line to retain his No. 2 RB spot, while Brooks’ roster spot is secure for the time being.
It’s a big year for “Yoshi”, who took a step back last year. He had nice moments in his first two seasons, but the Bengals drafted Young, who has a similar profile and skill set to Iosivas.
Myles Murphy should be taking another nice step this year, Howell will see time, and Boye Mafe will provide juice off the edge, as well. Stewart’s rookie season was torpedoed by a contract holdout and subsequent injuries, and while he is definitely in the team’s long-term plans, he may see some snaps taken away from him because of the sudden depth at edge.
Usually, the Bengals take a defensive back or linebacker late in the draft, not only for depth purposes, but to aid in special teams coverage. And, on rare occasions, Simmons gets a specialist with a late-round pick.
That wasn’t the case this year, and Simmons’ usual influence wasn’t seen as heavily in this class.
Who was your biggest winner? Sound off in the comments section!
