The Cincinnati Bengals were not only active in the NFL Draft last week but also aggressive. A Day 3 trade with the New York Jets netted them an extra fourth-round pick and allowed them an opportunity to take a swing on Colbie Young, a receiver out of Georgia.
That pick carries some risk, but a few of their other selections caught the eye of ESPN draft expert Matt Miller, who released his top-100 favorite draft selections, and the Bengals had three players land on the list.
First up was second-round
defensive end Cashius Howell, who checked in at No. 54 on the list.
Howell will combine with free agent signing Boye Mafe to help replace the departed Trey Hendrickson. Edge rusher was among the Bengals’ top needs after last years’ first-rounder, Shemar Stewart, failed to impress. The Bengals have thrown picks and money at the position (they also drafted Myles Murphy in Round 1 in 2024) but haven’t quite figured it out. Howell gives Cincinnati a stand-up rusher on the outside of the defensive line and led the SEC with 11.5 sacks last season. Drafting him to help fill Hendrickson’s void was the right call, especially at a 16-pick value.
Miller seems to like what the Bengals did by pairing Howell and Boye Mafe together to try to replace Trey Hendrickson’s production.
Next up was Auber center Connor Lew, who the Bengals selected in the fourth round. Miller tabs him at No. 70 on his list.
Ted Karras projects as the Bengals’ starting center, but Lew is the future. A torn ACL in the middle of last season might delay the start to his career, but I had Lew ranked as my top center before that injury. Keeping Burrow happy, healthy and protected is the No. 1 priority in Cincinnati, and Lew could help do all three long term.
Karras is the right now, but Miller likes the prospect of Lew taking over when Karras decides to hang his cleats up.
The final Bengal on the list was Duke offensive lineman Brian Parker II, who comes in at No. 84 on Miller’s list.
The selections of Lew and Parker in the same draft highlighted the Bengals’ worry about their interior offensive line. Parker played left and right tackle at Duke, but teams loved his ability to slide inside, his versatility and skill set to play all five offensive line positions. He started 33 games in college, so getting a quality swing tackle or third round this late in the draft is the best thing about this pick.
Versatility — the Bengals love that in an offensive lineman, and Miller appears to see the value as well.
Who was your favorite pick from the Bengals’ draft? Let us know in the comments!
