3 most disappointing Bengals draft plot twists in otherwise stellar haul

The Cincinnati Bengals had one of their better drafts in recent years, but it wasn't without its missteps. Yes, graded on a curve, the Bengals brass hit a home run relative to, say, last year and the year before.

And we're talking about immediate-aftermath vibes, not years-down-the-road results. However, again, not every pick was awesome — and the strategy at certain points was questionable to say the least.

So for all the positivity that should be spreading around Who Dey Nation right now, here are three NFL Draft plot twists that weren't so great for Cincinnati.

Reaching on Tacario Davis rather than trading down in Round 3 (and still probably getting him)

It's at least defensible for the Bengals to have reached on Washington cornerback Tacario Davis since they needed a better boundary CB3. Plus, Davis' 6'4" frame gives him upside as a big nickel; he does have some experience in the slot from college.

But Davis was widely viewed as a fourth-round pick or later. Underdog had him 126th on their consensus big board. NFL Stock Exchange's Trevor Sikkema, who's one of the best in the business and built PFF's big board in recent years, had Davis ranked 196th overall.

There was a golden opportunity for Cincinnati to trade down from No. 72, pick up another asset, and still probably nab Davis from wherever the move-down spot was.

That leads nicely into this next section...

No linebackers drafted on Days 2 or 3 despite glaring need

An extra pick from a prospective Davis trade might've meant the Bengals drafted a linebacker. My belief is that ex-Cincinnati Bearcat/UDFA signing Jack Dingle will make the 53-man roster, but that's hardly a slam dunk.

Duke Tobin's scouting department and the Bengals' coaching staff are doubling down on Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter as starters. I'm fairly certain one of the Day 3 linebackers could've come in and challenged either of them for starting gigs. Heck, Jack Dingle might! Just kidding. The coaches would never let that happen reps-dividing-wise.

Anyway, this draft class didn't feel complete without a linebacker added to the mix. I had my eyes on Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez, who Cincinnati passed up in favor of Cashius Howell. Hope we don't regret that one, given Howell's historically short arms at the defensive end position!

Sure hope Knight and Carter have their heads on straight. Trust that they're hearing the criticism. And they should. They were terrible in 2025.

How the Bengals spent their extra asset from brilliant trade down

I praised the front office for moving off the 110th pick in Round 4 and swapping out the worse of their sixth-round picks to score Nos. 128 and 140. Auburn center Connor Lew was the first selection from that duo. Unfortunately, next up was Georgia wideout Colbie Young.

In addition to an assault case serving as a red flag, Young was rather unproductive in two seasons in Athens. He's also coming off a fractured leg from last year. There were many better wide receivers on the board in my humble opinion, namely local Cincinnati receivers Jeff Caldwell and Cyrus Allen.

Both Caldwell (as a UDFA) and Allen (drafted) went to the Kansas City Chiefs. Do Brett Veach and/or Andy Reid know anything about good offense? Just wondering aloud and then transcribing.

So yeah, if the Bengals wanted to score serious WR3 competition for Andrei Iosivas, another prospect would've been better than Young. Or, you know, they could've drafted a friggin' linebacker.

In a perfect world, Lew would've been on the board still at No. 140, or the Bengals could've drafted Duke o-lineman Brian Parker II there instead. Then, with the 128th pick, take Oregon's Bryce Boettcher, who wound up in Indy at No. 135.

Worth mentioning that Zac Taylor threw some shade at Jermaine Burton in the process of sticking up for Young, so that bodes well. I just hope that, you know, Young is actually a good NFL player. Nothing about his recent production profile suggests as much.

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