2 high Bengals draft picks, once-ridiculed, are mutating into playmakers

The Cincinnati Bengals have several recent underperforming high draft picks on the roster, and many fans wondered what their role would be while they're still on the team. 

Some were the subject of trade speculation this offseason. And while others were not, some of us thought that they should be. 

Nevertheless, a couple of their emergences raise hopes of a breakout season for a few players whom many believed already had one foot out the door. 

It just so happened that the two guys on this list each play on the defensive line, with another perhaps joining them later.

Jenkins’ X-gene manifesting

Kris Jenkins made an unexpected impact on Sunday. Against the Bucs, the former Wolverine recorded a sack, a tackle for loss, and a QB hit. 

We are not here to debate the league's official scoring. Nonetheless, half of Jenkins’ full sack should have gone to rookie Cashius Howell. 

Cincinnati made Jenkins a second-round pick, 49th overall, in the 2024 Draft. However, he had not yet played up to his premium draft status. 

While it may have taken him a bit longer than others at Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters for his X-gene to manifest, it appears that “The Mutant” is well on his way if Week 1 is any indication. 

Last year, in his second season, Jenkins had 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and three QB hits in 14 games. He’s already on the precipice of eclipsing a couple of those numbers in Week 2.

Some thought the Bengals should try to trade Jenkins after two relatively nondescript seasons. 

Now, after only playing eight snaps in Week 1, he could be in line for a bigger role behind the new additions at defensive tackle, Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen. 

Former 1st-rounder out to show and prove

While Jenkins was an underachieving second-round pick, things were looking even worse for 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy. 

The Bengals selected Murphy with the 28th overall pick in 2023. However, his first 2.5 years in the league were uninspiring.

Business started picking up for Murphy at the end of last season. However, it wasn’t enough to make the Bengals want to pick up his fifth-year option. 

With Trey Hendrickson off to Baltimore, Murphy ascended to starter this offseason, opposite free-agent pickup Boye Mafe. 

Murphy rewarded the Bengals’ confidence in him by recording a half-sack, one QB hit, and an extremely consequential forced fumble. 

Perhaps Murphy is not out to prove himself right, but Cincinnati’s front office wrong. 

The C-suite opted not to pick up Murphy's fifth-year extension, turning the 2026 season into a contract year. He was one of nine players whose options went unexercised. Now, he has a chance to make Cincinnati’s decision not to exercise his 5th-year option a costly one. 

Great start, now do it again

But before we get out over our skis, there was a reason that the Bengals had to overhaul their defensive line this offseason.

Cincinnati brought in two high-profile defensive tackles in Lawrence and Allen while drafting another in Landon Robinson, albeit in the seventh round. That did not scream confidence in Jenkins from the front office.  

At edge rusher, the Bengals brought in Mafe and drafted Howell with their first pick in the 2026 Draft. Before that, the team drafted Shemar Stewart in the first round two years after selecting Murphy. 

They made all of those moves, in part, due to what they had not yet seen from their prior Day 1 and 2 picks along the defensive line. 

After showing up and showing out against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, Murphy and Jenkins will be counted on against the Houston Texans as the Bengals look to get off to a 2-0 start. 

Every situation is different depending on the NFL franchise, the player, the coaching staff, and even personalities. In the case of Myles Murphy and Kris Jenkins, better late than never, as the French would say. 

Hopefully, their strong start will turn it into an even more overwhelming season, adding further stress and intrigue to contract talks next offseason. 

Also, we may need to add Shemar Stewart to this list in a week or two, when we next revisit this topic. 

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