The Cincinnati Bengals woke up and chose violence heading into the NFL Draft this week. After trading the tenth overall pick away for Dexter Lawrence, all bets for how things will play out this weekend for a notoriously predictable team are off.
There is a feeling in the air that this is truly, possibly a “New Dey” for the organization. With that comes a substantial energy boost throughout the team and the fanbase.
A potential unintended consequence of what the front office has done is that fans have gone from feeling the team won’t do the unthinkable to dreaming of what could be. And with that shift comes high expectations, leaving fans wondering what’s next.
Don’t rule out a Bengals first-round surprise
Some Bengals fans, especially those who live in time zones that make it difficult to watch the NFL draft live (Bounjour!), were looking forward to getting in a full night’s sleep.
Some fans in Cincy were also rejoicing in not having to stress about whom the team would take on Thursday night. While that still may be the case, after making one of the most unlikely moves in the NFL in some time, the front office could surprise everyone, again, in the first round.
If there is a player whom the Bengals coveted but had a mid to late first-round grade on, we can no longer summarily dismiss the idea that they won’t trade back up into the first round to acquire him.
Such a trade would have been impossible to envision 48 hours ago. And honestly, it still feels far-fetched. But now? Maybe they will sit back and cross their fingers, hoping a player they love falls to 41. Conversely, perhaps they don’t want to take the chance.
One of the things we learned from the trade for Dexter Lawrence is that the team appears ready to leave nothing to chance.
Short arms suddenly short-sighted
Suddenly, with a surprising move to trade away the 10 overall pick, perhaps the Bengals have changed their stripes to the point where measurements over substance is also a thing of the past.
Perhaps not selecting defensive ends with their usual requirements, measurements, and physical characteristics can now take a back seat to good football players on the defensive line.
One name in that category that immediately comes to mind is former Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry.
Curry was one of our late-round alternate options if the Bengals missed out on Miami Hurricanes pass rusher Ruben Bain with the 10th overall pick. That is because while everyone is worried about Bain’s 30 7/8 inch arms, Curry’s arms are similar, measuring at 30 1/8 inches.
Mockdraftable has Bain and Curry with very similar profiles, with a 85.8% comparison. But like Bain, Curry has excellent production as we saw last season when he recorded 66 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks.
While we have pushed for Curry to be on Cincinnati’s draft board, the reality is that he does not fit the mold the Bengals usually require from their edge-rushing prospects.
However, whether it is Curry or another player who does not have the physical measurements that the front office usually requires for a position, we should no longer put it past them to actually find a good player, like Curry, who can immediately help the defense, despite short arms, or whichever physical element hampers the prospect.
Bengals could strike again during the draft
While speaking on his appropriately named podcast, The Adam Schefter Podcast, Adam Schefter mentioned the possibility of the Giants taking a pass rusher with one of their Top-10 picks and moving Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Here's what Schefter said of the possibility of the Giants moving on from one of their own pass rushers:
“If the Cardinals go Jeremiyah Love, I think that one of these pass rushers, the one that the Jets don't take, is going to fall to number five. And if he falls to number five, I think the Giants are going to have a hard time passing up the pass rusher that the Jets don't take. And you would say, how could they take another pass rusher when they’ve invested so much in pass rushers, when they’ve signed Brian Burns, and drafted Kayvon Thibodeaux, and drafted Abdul Carter? Well, I think you draft the one here, and then there might be a trade market for Kayvon Thibodeaux if that happens.”
No, this isn’t to say the Bengals should explore trading for Thiobdeaux in the hypothetical situation. However, situations like this could materialize throughout the draft when teams find themselves with players they did not expect to be on the board and are suddenly receptive to moving on from a player on their roster.
We won’t know who those players will be until it happens, and if it does, the Bengals will not have to get ready if they stay ready for that eventuality. Something we might not have thought possible a few days ago.
While Cincinnati doesn’t have a first-round pick, events on Thursday night could affect how the Bengals construct their roster in 2026. The Bengals could also seek to trade one of their own. Suddenly, the defensive line room is crowded, particularly at the defensive tackle position.
There could also be a situation in which Cincinnati picks players on day two who affect who they are willing to move on from.
We do not know what this draft weekend holds for the Cincinnati Bengals, further increasing the enjoyment and excitement of the event. What we do know is that after the unprecedented move of trading away their top-10 draft pick for an established veteran, all bets are off on how the front office used to operate.
And we could see that unfold in several ways, beginning even on Thursday, an evening we normally wouldn't have to keep an eye on, wondering what the Bengals will do on Day 2 now that they don't have a first round.
Now, with an air of uncertainty permeating Bengaldom, everything is that much more exciting for those who follow the team.
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