Every Bengals first-round draft pick since 2000

2012 NFL Draft: Dre Kirkpatrick, DB (Alabama)

Drafted 17th overall in 2012, Dre Kirkpatrick played for the Bengals for eight seasons. He followed suit with the other former Bengals, spending a year in Arizona, and finished his career with the 49ers in 2021.

Bengals fans see a lot of resemblances between Kirkpatrick and recent Bengal Eli Apple for their trash-talking ways and getting burnt in coverage. Fans also feel that Kirkpatrick was overpaid during his time in Cincinnati. He's not someone fans miss these days but as far as first-round picks go, there have been much worse ones.

2012 NFL Draft: Kevin Zeitler, OG (Wisconsin)

With the 27th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Cincinnati bolstered their offensive line with the selection of Kevin Zeitler out of Wisconsin. Zeitler was a solid addition to the Bengals' o-line, as he allowed no more than four sacks during his five years spent in the Queen City.

Unfortunately, Zeitler wasn't retained and it's been something that fans have been angry about ever since. Just imagine how different things could have been in 2020 if Zeitler was still at right guard. Maybe the Bengals end up winning the Super Bowl in 2021 or 2022 (or both?) if Zeitler remained with the team.

After the Bengals didn't retain him, Zeitler signed with the Browns and played there in 2016 and 2017 before joining the Giants for the next two years. In the 2021 offseason, he signed a three-year deal with the Ravens. He needs one more team to complete the AFC North tour.