The Cincinnati Bengals made a valiant effort to sneak into the playoffs thanks to a five-game winning streak to finish 9-8. Unfortunately, the Chiefs’ backups were no match for Bo Nix and the Broncos, as Denver stormed to a 38-0 win to grab the final playoff spot — the Dolphins did lose to the Jets to end their season on a whimper.
As a result, it is officially the offseason in Cincinnati and a second straight season without a postseason appearance. The silver lining is the Bengals will pick near the middle of the draft as a result. The Bengals will pick one spot higher than they did in the last draft.
Cincinnati will hold the 17th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Last April, the Bengals took offensive tackle Amarius Mims with the 18th pick.
The Bengals have had the 17th pick four times in their history. Those picks include defensive end Jason Buck (1987), linebacker Jason Simmons (1998), linebacker David Pollack (2005) and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (2012).
Thanks to their loss to the Houston Texans and the win by the New England Patriots over the Buffalo Bills, the Tennessee Titans will hold the No. 1 pick. The Cleveland Browns will pick at No. 2, followed by the New York Giants, Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars.
2025 NFL Draft order (first 18 picks)
1. Tennessee Titans
2. Cleveland Browns
3. New York Giants
4. New England Patriots
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Las Vegas Raiders
7. New York Jets
8. Carolina Panthers
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Chicago Bears
11. San Francisco 49ers
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Atlanta Falcons
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Cincinnati Bengals
18. Seattle Seahawks
