3 winners, 3 losers for Bengals following 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and the Cincinnati Bengals added eight new players to their roster. The first three picks were spent on the defensive side of the ball, then the Bengals used their next three picks on offensive players before grabbing a punter and rounding out with another defensive prospect.

With the draft in the rearview mirror, let's check out some winners and losers for the Bengals. Who benefitted from moves that were or weren't made? Who likely is fighting for their job now in training camp? Let's check out the answers to those.

Winner: Joe Mixon

A few weeks before the draft, it was reported that the Bengals were going to ask Joe Mixon to either take a pay cut or get cut from the roster. It was easy to say that when they were armed with seven picks in the draft and able to use one of their early ones on a replacement for Mixon.

Well, as we now know, a replacement didn't come to town. The Bengals did spend a fifth-round pick on Chase Brown but he's not someone they should lean on to be the starter in Week 1. Brown has the potential to be a very good running back for the Bengals but it doesn't appear as though Mixon is going anywhere.

Loser: Chris Evans

Sticking with the running backs, the addition of Brown in the fifth round probably isn't a good sign for Chris Evans. The Bengals spent a sixth-round pick on Evans two years ago and fans were excited to see what the Michigan product could do but he hasn't been utilized much since joining the team.

Brown's presence means that Evans is going to have to fight like crazy for a roster spot. Considering his lack of usage and the fact that Cincinnati re-signed Trayveon Williams, he appears to be the odd man out here.