The Cincinnati Bengals made headlines when they decided not to follow through with a trade that would have landed them Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie.
After missing out on a compensatory pick in the most recent draft, the Bengals weren’t too likely to miss the chance at another one, especially a third-rounder. Especially after letting Trey Hendrickson walk for nothing in free agency.
Some believe that the front office’s handling of the botched trade is a fireable offense, while others know that nothing is guaranteed and the trade deadline doesn’t tell the whole story.
An NFL Draft Day 2 storyline to watch
No matter how you see the debacle that brought embarrassment to the franchise for apparently not knowing the rules, the 2027 NFL Draft now has another wrinkle of intrigue that will add to the suspense near the end of Day 2 and further possibilities of what could happen next with that specific pick.
The Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks are projected to have a third-round compensatory pick in next year’s college player acquisition ceremony.
Usually, late on Day 2, at the end of the third round, we’re already evaluating the first two rounds while looking forward to the best available on Day 3.
Next year, either the 97th, 98th, or 99th pick risks being the most discussed, non-QB, and hopefully, non-controversial third-round selection in quite some time.
Seven 3rd-round comp picks without much to write home about
Unfortunately, history suggests that whoever the Bengals take, he probably won’t be much of a contributor.
Since 2004, the Bengals have had 32 compensatory picks. Seven were selected in the third round of their respective drafts.
* Landon Johnson (LB),2004
* Andre Caldwell (WR), 2008
* Chase Coffman (TE), 2009
* Brandon Ghee (CB), 2010
* Brandon Thompson (DT), 2012
* Paul Dawson (LB), 2015
* McKinnley Jackson (DT), 2024
The most successful player among them is Andre Caldwell, who spent the first four seasons of his career in Cincinnati before finishing his eight-year career in Denver.
Unfortunately, the most recent, McKinnley Jackson, is just one of several recent misses along the defensive line that necessitated an overhaul this offseason.
Hopefully, whichever player the Bengals take at the 97th, 98th, or 99th overall pick will be worth the embarrassment most football fans will have forgotten by April. Still, the national media will promptly remind them of it because this is the Cincinnati Bengals we’re talking about here.
But before we get even further ahead of ourselves…
Speaking of trades…
With the recent, let’s call it, ‘oversight’ and history of underwhelming third-round comp picks, excuse us for the rueful tone.
A more favorable way to look at it is that if you wanted the Bengals to trade, or give up a third-round pick at the trade deadline, like the weather, if you don’t like what’s happening, just wait five minutes. Or in this case, five months.
The Bengals could end up trading the pick anyway.
The rule that teams couldn't trade compensatory picks ended in 2017. Since then, teams have had the discretion to do what they want with those extra selections.
The Bengals have been involved in four compensatory pick trades. They traded away comp picks in 2017 (2) and 2019. However, they traded for a third-round comp pick in 2018 to take linebacker Malik Jefferson.
Jefferson did not make the above list because the pick was not initially awarded to Cincinnati.
Last year, three of the four compensatory picks were traded. The Eagles, Steelers, and Lions each had an extra third-round pick, which they eventually moved.
Since the Bengals are willing to take big swings now, they could use their extra choice to move up or, heaven forbid, to acquire a proven veteran who could fill one of the 20 spots that currently belong to impending unrestricted free agents. Eight of whom are starters.
Or it could be another nondescript choice that will not have the impact we hope a Day 2 pick would bring, as history suggests.
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