The Cincinnati Bengals are once again a hit coming out of an NFL draft.
This time, it’s after the team’s performance in the 2023 NFL draft, where they surprised some onlookers by going defense-heavy over the first two days before opening things up later.
Duke Tobin and the Bengals front office remain on fire in the minds of outside observers, once again finding a stellar marriage between value and need.
In our draft grades, the Bengals don’t earn a “C” for a single pick, with it remarkable that one could see six or seven of the guys they picked actually getting snaps and helping next year, which is fantastic for a roster that has nearly made the Super Bowl two seasons in a row.
Experts who graded the draft class and offered analysis had similar thoughts, so here’s a roundup.
Our undrafted free agency tracker is here.
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: A-
Reuter loved the patience the Bengals showed in the first three rounds to find three likely starters over the first two days, then had this to say about their showing on Day 3:
A quick, reliable slot receiver and kick returner, Jones turned his transfer from Iowa to Purdue into a fourth-round draft slot. Iosivas has the potential to be a deep threat. Brown’s toughness inside and vision to bust through a crease met the team’s need for running back depth. They did not select a tight end but decided to pick the most consistent punter in the draft in Robbins.
Nate Davis, USA Today: B
The grade from Davis shows that typical can be a good thing, with the Bengals getting praise for finding someone like Brown on Day 3 who will play a rotational role early:
Seems like your typical Cincy draft – pretty much right down the fairway while addressing present needs and anticipating future ones. The first three selections were devoted to a 16th-ranked defense with a secondary currently in transition. But first-round DE Myles Murphy and third-round S Jordan Battle should get on the field early, while second-round slot CB DJ Turner II is a plus athlete – if a bit of a project who will get time to develop. Fifth-round RB Chase Brown, a second-team All-Big Ten pick last year after racking up nearly 1,900 yards from scrimmage, could push Joe Mixon at some point.
Pro Football Focus: A
PFF liked much of the Bengals draft, with one notable emphasis on that surprising pick of Jordan Battle at safety in the third round:
The Bengals lost both starting safeties in free agency, so Battle could be a long-term replacement for Vonn Bell. He was one of the most consistent defensive backs in college football, earning 80.0-plus PFF grades in each of the past three seasons while playing more than 800 snaps in each.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: A
Iyer loved the thinking ahead the Bengals did again with Tyler Boyd, similar to what they did last year with Dax Hill eventually replacing Jessie Bates:
The Bengals “let the draft come to them” for Duke Tobin and his scouting staff. It was only a mild surprise they want defense-first to help Lou Anarumo, but Murphy was a great first-round value to further their pass rush. Turner and Battle also can have key coverage roles right away, given some free-agent departures. Jones, a possession-based slot, as well as Iosivas, is thinking ahead to losing Tyler Boyd in 2024, while Brown gives them a nice option to pivot away from Joe Mixon soon.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: B+
Kiper’s only beef with an otherwise great class for the Bengals? No tight end, which is admittedly a risk and putting a lot of faith in Irv Smith Jr.:
The Bengals did a solid job filling their needs, though I’m not going to give them an A because they didn’t take a tight end in one of the deepest tight end classes over the past 20 years. That’s a miss. Overall, if Murphy develops into an every-down player, we could be looking at an A class in a few years.
Matt Verderame, Sports Illustrated: B
For Verderame, the praises starts right at the top by calling Myles Murphy a steal in the opening round:
The Bengals prioritized defense in the first two days of the draft. Cincinnati got a steal in Murphy, who will pair with Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson to give coordinator Lou Anarumo a terrific trio off the edge. In Day 2, the Bengals added high-upside depth in the secondary, with Battle having a chance to start as a rookie alongside last year’s first-round pick in Dax Hill. On Saturday, the Bengals took a chance on Jones, who broke out with Purdue after spending time with Buffalo and Iowa before transferring a second time. In 2022, he amassed 110 catches, 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: B+
Kelly calls the showing by the Bengals a quiet one, which for a team that has a contending roster already, certainly isn’t a bad thing:
The Bengals had a quietly solid draft after focusing heavily on defense in the early rounds. They nabbed a long, super-athletic edge rusher in the first round in Clemson’s Myles Murphy, who should factor into the team’s pass-rush rotation alongside Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubard, and Joseph Ossai right away. Cincy bolstered their secondary by grabbing a feisty and versatile cover corner in Michigan’s DJ Turner, and later picked a tone-setting safety in Alabama’s Jordan Battle—a duo that should augment a defensive backfield already headlined by Dax Hill, Cam Taylor-Britt, Mike Hilton, and Chidobe Awuzie. I think a couple of Cincinnati’s day-three picks could play roles early on, with Purdue receiver Charlie Jones bringing slot receiver skills and Illinois running back Chase Brown bringing a physical style on the ground.
Ryan Gosling, Pro Football Network: B
Gosling had the Bengals in the “C” range for the punter pick and seventh-round cornerback, but it’s not enough to harm the overall grade too much:
Solid. That’s the best way to describe the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2023 NFL Draft class. They added size and strength on the defensive front with Clemson’s Myles Murphy, speed at the CB position with DJ Turner, while bolstering the pass-catching options for Joe Burrow with the addition of Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas. Counterweighting the most positive selections with some reaches.
