All teams aren't created equal when it comes to draft capital. Every year, some teams have more draft capital than others, due to trades, compensatory picks or other factors. Obviously the more draft capital a team has, the better.
Unfortunately, the Cincinnati Bengals aren't especially stacked when it comes to picks this year, especially compared to some other teams in the league. Sharp Football Analysis recently released a ranking of every team's capital heading into the upcoming 2025 draft, and the Bengals came in at No. 20 overall -- not the bottom of the barrel, but not too high either.
As it stands, Bengals have just six total selections in the 2025 NFL Draft
This isn't especially surprising. The Bengals only have six total picks in the draft, while some teams like the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers have as many as 11. Plus, the Bengals don'tg have a single pick inside the top 15 -- their top pick in the draft is No. 17 overall.
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So, with the relatively low amount of picks combined with the relatively low top selection, it's no wonder why the Bengals don't place especially high on the draft capital rankings this year.
Cincinnati would have had seven selections in the draft, but they traded their seventh-round pick to the Chicago Bears prior to the trade deadline for running back Khalil Herbert. They also weren't granted any compensatory picks this year.
For those unaware, compensatory picks are annually awarded by the league to teams that lost more or better compensatory free agents than they signed in the previous year. The picks are slotted between Rounds 3 to 7 based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost. The formula that determines compensatory free agents is based on salary, playing time and postseason honors, per the NFL.
While they won't have a pick in the seventh and final round of the draft, the Bengals will have a pick in each of the previous six rounds. Here's a look at those six selections, and where they will fall numerically in each round:
- Round 1, Pick 17
- Round 2, Pick 49
- Round 3, Pick 81
- Round 4, Pick 119
- Round 5, Pick 153
- Round 6, Pick 193
There's also always the possibility that the Bengals could acquire more picks via trade prior to the draft.