It's no secret the Cincinnati Bengals have struggled to get immediate return on their recent NFL Draft investments. That is a big reason why they haven't achieved more during the Joe Burrow era — and why he's sidelined yet again with another injury.
Through two weeks of the new season, the Bengals are 2-0, yet they've relegated 2024 third-round picks Jermaine Burton and McKinnley Jackson to street clothes as game-day inactives. Disappointing to say the least.
The jury is still out on Burton and McKinnley, and really, you can't make a sweeping judgment about any draft class until at least two or three full seasons out. That said, there's one rookie draft pick Cincinnati must be regretting right now.
Barrett Carter draft pick stems from years of Bengals offseason missteps
To be clear: This isn't an indictment of Barrett Carter's NFL potential as much as it is a critique of the Bengals' general roster building approach.
The more often an organization can create clarity regarding the salary cap and positional needs, the easier it is to proceed in upgrading their talent pool. Cincinnati's philosophy on making its best in-house players sweat amid dragged-out contract negotiations has cost the franchise more than just a perpetual unsavory reputation. It's led to confusion and unclear needs in the draft and free agency.
What do I mean by that? Well, the Bengals love to take half-measures and cut corners on player costs whenever possible. Yes, they shelled out top-market money for Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, but those are no-brainer moves — and they still took way too long to complete those transactions.
I'm talking more about how extending Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson much sooner would've saved Cincinnati money in its current Super Bowl window. More money to acquire outside free agents, who'd in turn be more inclined to play for the team if these incumbent player contracts were taken care of in swifter fashion.
Instead, here's what we get: A bargain-bin starting right guard in Lucas Patrick, who gets hurt in Week 1, and is replaced by Dalton Risner, who'd just signed on August 27. Risner is still getting up to speed on the playbook as we speak, and took responsibility for the hit that might've ended Burrow's 2025 season.
Dalton Risner steps up takes accountability for the sack on which Joe Burrow was hurt. pic.twitter.com/5CIJ95lYEO
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 15, 2025
I don't blame Risner as much as I blame the team for putting him in such a tough spot. Couldn't the Bengals have, you know, signed him sooner if they knew right guard was such a problem spot?
OK anyway. That's a lot of seemingly unrelated setup for Barrett Carter, isn't it? But bear with me. The Bengals did very well to sign linebacker Oren Burks on the open market to a two-year, $5 million deal. Quite a steal for the ex-Eagle who shined on Philly's run to the Super Bowl this past postseason.
So between Logan Wilson and Burks, my thinking was that those are two stellar starting linebackers. Duke Tobin and Co. evidently didn't think this way. They proceeded to spend a second-round pick on South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr.
To be fair to Knight, he's starting over Burks and has produced so far, but the latter has flourished as a run defender when called upon.
My question is, what was the need for drafting Barrett Carter? Not that you expect fourth-round picks to pop right away, or as a linebacker, contribute much beyond special teams. Nevertheless, when Carter was selected, it felt like a weird double-up at a non-premium position at the time. And it still does.
I believe the Bengals could've gotten by with Wilson and Burks as starters. They opted to use a top asset on Knight, which I wouldn't have done, but so be it. The 25-year-old rookie looks decent so far, albeit with a 50.4 PFF grade that ranks 52nd among 69 qualified linebackers.
The other piece to this Barrett Carter situation is as follows: Cincinnati waited until June to release veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt. He's now starting and thriving for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Do you see what I'm saying? Pratt's future in the Queen City was wishy-washy at best. Everyone assumed he was, in all likelihood, leaving the team. Why wait till June — over a month after the draft! — to cut him?
Not to assert that Pratt's situation impacted the Bengals' draft strategy, but why even have that as a lingering uncertainty? Makes the Barrett Carter selection all the more perplexing.
Who else could the Bengals have drafted with Barrett Carter pick?
Like I said, the jury is still out for this 2025 draft class, never mind the one or two that preceded it. However, just looking around the rest of the NFL landscape and who else was on the board when the Bengals chose Carter at No. 119 overall.
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (fifth round, Pick 143) is averaging more snaps per game and flashing more often than Cincinnati's new alleged run-stopping dynamo TJ Slaton, formerly of Green Bay. The AFC North rival Ravens are already starting ex-Cal linebacker Teddye Buchanan (fourth round, Pick 129).
Shall I keep going? Longtime Alabama college standout Malachi Moore has a big role for the New York Jets, aligning in the slot, box, and at deep safety. You know, the type of versatility Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden loves — and could really use right now with how beat up Cincinnati's secondary is.
Also, asking for a friend, do the Bengals have any reasonable depth at offensive tackle? Doesn't look like it! Perhaps Iowa State's Jordan Travis (fourth round, Pick 127) could've been a play! I realize Cincinnati drafted Jalen Rivers in Round 5, but he's more of a guard in the NFL. Heck, I'd use darn near every pick on the o-line at this point.
Oh, and to be kind, let's just say the Bengals' pass rush is suspect aside from Trey Hendrickson. Mayhaps doubling up at that spot with Shemar Stewart and someone else would've been prudent since, you know, it's such a critical position.
My choice would've been Central Arkansas' David Walker. The Bucs drafted him two picks after Carter. Is Tampa Bay any good at drafting? That's a rhetorical question. GM Jason Licht is consistently one of the best in the business. Walker is on injured reserve due to a torn ACL suffered in camp, so we won't know about him for a while.
But once again, this reiterates a flaw in the Bengals' process and big-picture thinking. Stewart was a big swing — a boom-or-bust type guy with historic athleticism and little collegiate production. Hendrickson's status with the team was in doubt.
Stewart was a Hendrickson hedge/contingency who also needed to make a quick impact. He's now hurt, and we're counting on the likes of Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy to carry the defensive end position until Stewart returns.
I hope Barrett Carter turns into an excellent NFL player. None of my grievances are about him as an individual. He was solid at Clemson. Looked fine in the preseason. I just can't help but question how the Bengals' league-smallest scouting department stacks their board — and I can't help but dwell on how hamstrung they are due to macro financial decisions on their most vital core players.