1 week Ago
CINCINNATI — The Bengals added six players to their roster in the 2025 NFL Draft. Did they get it right? Will these guys make an instant impact? Did they plug enough holes on their roster to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender once again? There are plenty of questions that will be answered in the coming days, weeks and months, but here are three thoughts on the Bengals' 2025 Draft Class: Risk Averse There was plenty of talk about Shemar Stewart being a "boom-or-bust" selection after the Bengals took him with the 17th overall pick, but it's hard to see him being a bust . Stewart is a high-character, physical freak that works hard.
Even if he doesn't get close to his ceiling as a player, he's a 6-foot-5, 270+ pound defensive end with elite athleticism. He's versatile, strong, disruptive and should start in this league for a long time, even if he doesn't become a star. He has a high floor.
Knight should be a plug-and-play starter at linebacker. He's a former captain that will likely develop into a leader on a defense that needs more leadership. The Bengals felt like they needed to take him, given Germaine Pratt's inevitable release in the coming days.
Dylan Fairchild appears to be the favorite to start at left guard. He's a former state champion wrestler that specializes in pass protection. Is he a future Pro Bowler? Who knows .
.. But there's no reason why he won't be a solid guard in the NFL.
The same thin goes for their day three picks. Did the Bengals draft any stars? Time will tell. But they also didn't take any huge swings that could burn them.
All six players are high character, hard working guys that should be able to contribute right away. Double Dips The Bengals drafted two linebackers and two offensive linemen. They clearly thought the middle of Al Golden's defense needed some new faces behind Logan Wilson.
While Knight should start, fourth rounder Barrett Carter should make an instant impact. The duo of Knight and Carter feels a lot like Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither during the 2020 draft. The Bengals placed a high priority on linebacker.
They wanted Knight in round two. Carter also had a round two grade for them. When he was still there in the fourth round, they didn't hesitate to pick him.
The double dip wasn't over. After adding Fairchild on Friday night, the Bengals took Miami offensive lineman Jalen Rivers in the fifth round. Rivers is their best value pick of the draft.
He played guard and tackle at Miami. At 6-foot-6, 319 pounds he has the size to do both in the NFL. He also has 35-inch arms, which helps him tremendously in pass protection.
Both Fairchild and Rivers are high-end pass protectors. That's exactly what the doctor ordered for a Bengals offensive line that needs to protect Joe Burrow. "Oh, it's an honor.
It’s an honor," Fairchild said on Friday night . "And it's something that I'm going to live and die by every single day. It’s the biggest honor of my life.
And I'm just super excited to do it. Again, I'm gonna live by the sword and die by the sword and give my all every single day to do so." The Bengals are certainly hoping Fairchild and Rivers can help bring stability to their offensive line room.
Clear Needs The Bengals are certainly better in multiple areas, including linebacker and guard, but there are still some obvious weaknesses on their roster. Cincinnati didn't add a safety and they didn't add an interior pass rusher. They were in on Walter Nolen, but he was taken one pick ahead of them in the first round.
They also liked other defensive tackles throughout the draft, including Nebraska's Ty Robinson on day three, but it wasn't meant to be. He was picked by the Eagles in the fourth round (111th overall) eight picks before the Bengals selection (119). The same goes for safety.
The Bengals really liked Malaki Starks out of Georgia. There are worlds where he ends up being their first round pick. They liked Kevin Winston Jr.
out of Penn State and he was in the mix on day two, but they felt like they had to leave the second day with a guard, which is why they took Fairchild. By not getting a safety and not getting a defensive tackle, the Bengals are banking on guys like Geno Stone, Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson to be much better than they were last season.
Stone is a veteran. Meanwhile, Jenkins and Jackson are entering their second season. The Bengals' defense is going to look a lot different, but they're banking on that trio to perform much better this season.
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