As the dust begins to settle on one of the most shocking (and, for Cincinnati Bengals fans, exciting) trades in recent NFL memory with longtime nemesis and freak of nature Myles Garrett being dealt to the Los Angeles Rams, let's shift our focus back to one of the more promising Cincinnati rookie classes of the 2020s. After trading away their first-round pick to acquire Dexter Lawrence, the Bengals added seven players from the 2026 draft.
While they were active in free agency, addressing several needs and inspiring a lot of hope for the upcoming season, Cincinnati needed to have a strong draft class to close out the most active period of the offseason, and it seems like they did.
Of course, you can never tell how good a draft pick is until you actually get to see them play, but the fact that the Bengals changed their process and didn't adhere entirely to needs, while only making one real head-scratching reach, is a win in itself.
Ideally, though, their draft picks will grow to be contributors, and some should even be able to make an impact in their first years. Taking the latter into mind, here are a few bold stat line predictions for three Bengals in their rookie seasons.
All stats courtesy of Sports Reference CFB.
Cashius Howell: 7+ Sacks
Selecting Cashius Howell at 31 was a polarizing pick among Bengals' fans. The production was there, and it was enough to win Howell the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award and All-American honors after he put up 11.5 sacks in his senior season. However, the measurables are concerning, with a historically short wingspan as well as being on the lower end in height and weight among NFL edges.
Nonetheless, Howell was projected by many to go on the first night of the draft, so the fact that the Bengals got him in the second round is good value.
While Boye Mafe and Myles Murphy will most likely be the starters come September, Howell will have a major role on this defense, not only for his draft pedigree, but also because Al Golden has shown himself to be far more open to giving the younger players on the defense some run compared to the previous regime.
Not to mention, we've talked about how the additions to the defensive line room will help the Bengals young EDGE group-- Howell included. Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, and even B.J. Hill will give Cincy's defensive ends a lot more freedom and opportunity to get to the quarterback.
Finally, Howell's skills and traits could lend themselves to him being used as a DPR (Designated Pass Rusher) in season one, on third down, or in other obvious passing situations. If that's the case, I'll piggyback off Stripe Hype's own Glenn Adams' parameters for a successful rookie season and predict seven sacks for the Texas A&M alum.
Tacario Davis: 3+ Interceptions
This prediction is especially bold for two reasons. One, he's almost guaranteed to be a backup behind veterans DJ Turner II, Daxton Hill, and Jalen Davis after that group was a bright spot on an ineffective defensive unit. Two, Davis recorded three interceptions in his entire four-year collegiate career spanning 37 games played. So, how could he grab three in his first year as a professional?
For starters, a lot of interceptions do come down to luck. For most players, the skill comes with capitalizing on that fortune. If QBs won't even look your way, then you're not going to get interceptions. If they do target your zone or man, then the throw still has to be just off enough to be in the position to get in front of the ball. We've seen interception leaders have that stat fall off a cliff the next season because it's something that's not entirely in the defensive back's control.
Good news for Davis, given he's a Day 2 rookie, quarterbacks will likely be throwing his way a lot, giving him ample opportunity to capitalize.
Furthermore, if he has the role of being assigned to bigger and faster tight ends, as many have suspected, then the Washington alum will be targeted even more and potentially catch offenses off guard.
The Bengals struggled mightily last season with covering tight ends, getting routinely torched, and with no changes to the linebacker core as of writing this article, early-season opponents might make their TEs a big part of their game plan.
Jack Endries: 200+ receiving yards and 2+ touchdowns
Even though the numbers aren't eye-popping, this is the boldest prediction of the lot because-- as a seventh-round pick-- Endries isn't guaranteed to make the team. If he does, then he'd still be most likely sitting around TE4 or maybe TE3.
The problem isn't that the Bengals' tight end room is loaded with talent (in fact, it might be the opposite), it's that it's loaded with veterans that are trusted by both the offensive coaches and Burrow himself, which leaves Endries to potentially be fighting an uphill battle to make the final 53.
The good thing is, Endries has the tools to do so. The former Longhorn isn't a traditional 7th-rounder; most outlets had him going early on Day 3 heading into the draft rather than the tail-end of it, where Endries actually fell.
Although he'll likely be further back on the depth chart to start the season, the Bengals' offense do rotate their tight ends regularly, to the point where depth tight ends Tanner Hudson and Cam Grandy played 15% and 9% of snaps respectively.
Plus, as the season goes on and wear and tear begins to affect the team, Endries' role could be expanded to take the load of the potentially tired or even injured (knock on wood) veterans ahead of him. We've seen rookies play a bigger part in the offense later in the season before, notably Chase Brown late in the 2023 season and Erick All Jr. in 2024 before his knee injury.
It's far from a sure thing, but it's possible that Endries makes a positive impact in his rookie campaign and puts up the stats mentioned above.
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