A grade for each of the six picks the Bengals made in this year's NFL Draft.
Edge Rusher Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected seventeenth overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
CINCINNATI - The 2025 draft for the Bengals was mostly about adding pieces to the defense and to the offensive line, but it was also about landing players with high character who are all about football. After making a handful of questionable character picks and adding some players in free agency that haven't embraced the love of the game over the last few seasons, the Bengals are going back to the plan they started in 2020 by loading up on guys who will build not only a solid team on the field, but also in the locker room. "Really excited about the six men that we drafted. I think they all really fit us really well from a standpoint of what their abilities are and how they're going to fit in the locker room. I'm really impressed with this class and I think we made the football team a lot better over the last three days and I'm really excited about it. I think the theme is they love football, all six of these guys. Some I know better than others, but that's what you took away - they just love talking football, they love being around football and they love their teammates. They made huge impacts on the programs that they were at, and by huge impact I mean not only on the field, but talked about them off the field and the impact that they made there. That means something to us." There was no doubt that the team made some picks that may have left fans' scratching their heads. For instance, they didn't add a defensive tackle who can rush the passer or a safety where the team is woefully thin at the moment from an experience standpoint behind projected starters Jordan Battle and Geno Stone. Defensive end Shemar Stewart, the first round pick, was certainly a polarizing selection because his lack of college production didn't match his outstanding physical traits. Stewart has the flexibility, however, to move inside to defensive tackle in pass rushing downs, which may have been a reason the team didn't draft a tackle. Taylor was non-committal about how the team will add to the safety room, and when asked if it may be addressed by adding a veteran free agent at the position said, "We'll see." It was interesting that the team doubled up at linebacker with second round pick Demetrius Knight and fourth round pick Barrett Carter, but it's pretty clear that new defensive coordinator Al Golden wants to overhaul that group. Veteran Logan Wilson is still slated to start, but the team will likely move on from Germaine Pratt and Akeem Davis-Gaither was lost in free agency. "Two really good players that we were really high on, Demetrius and Barrett," said Taylor. "Really felt like they could come in and affect us. Had high grades on them. They really fit needs for us, we felt. Excited to add both those guys to the mix." The offensive line needed depth and competition at guard and a depth piece at tackle, and the Bengals addressed that in the third round by taking guard Dylan Fairchild. He will compete for the left guard spot, while Jalen Rivers, selected in the fifth round, started at both left guard and left tackle in college at Miami . In the sixth round the team drafted a running back with outstanding college production in Tahj Brooks. He rushed for over 100 yards in 19 of his final 21 college games at Texas Tech. That gives the Bengals four running backs in Chase Brown, Samaje Perine and Zack Moss, although Moss has not been cleared to play year from the season-ending neck injury suffered in the eighth game of last season. "I think adding good people that have leadership qualities is never a bad thing for us," said Taylor. "I think these guys can walk in and they have to prove themselves first and foremost in the scheme. I believe that once they do that they will be able to take on whatever part of the career evolves for us." Taylor said this draft class has left him confident in the current roster and certainly more confident about the defense, which was among the worst units in the NFL last season. "We can go play football now," said Taylor. "Obviously, our players don’t know the scheme yet, we haven’t gotten that piece yet. But we can put a depth chart out there and feel really good about where we are at. That’s a big piece that helps us sleep well at night right now. Guys that we are really excited about. We already had guys currently on the roster then to add these three on defense we added, feel really good about, 'Let’s implement the scheme and go play football.'" Here is a grade for each of the six picks the Bengals made in this year's NFL Draft, a grade from CBSSports.com and an analysis of each pick, then an overall grade and analysis for the entire draft:Stewart is the classic boom-or-bust player who is long on traits and short on production - 4.5 total sacks over 37 games the last three seasons . Golden believes he can get more production out of him, and the fact he played inside at times at Texas A&M could be a plus on passing downs.), who has great instincts and is very good against the run with the athleticism to eventually evolve into a three-down player. This is a guy who is appreciative of the opportunity and will do anything he can to make the most of it as he comes from humble roots and once was a delivery driver for Door Dash while playing for Charlotte just to make ends meet for the young family he had started.While NFL.com graded him as a player who can be an "average backup," his makeup and successful career at Georgia suggest otherwise. He had the second-highest athleticism grade at the NFL Scouting Combine, and while he admittedly needs to improve as a run blocker, scouts consider him a polished pass protector. That's a good thing considering how often the Bengals drop back to throw.This was perhaps a bit of a surprise to double up at the position, but Carter is the prototypical three-down linebacker and one of the best open-field pursuit defenders in this draft class with genuine sideline-to-sideline range. He may push both Knight and veteran free agent signee Oren Burks for the starting spot next to Logan Wilson.This was perhaps the team's best value pick as he had a fourth-round grade with versatility to back up at both tackle spots and the potential to battle for a starting spot at guard.A highly productive player in college who gives the Bengals a complete running back room, and he may vie for immediate playing time depending on when Moss is cleared to play.Stewart could change that grade to an A if he turns the traits into production, and the only thing worth questioning other than that is the lack of addressing safety. Overall it's a solid haul to improve the linebacker room and add depth to the offensive line.
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