Bengals draft grades: Grading Cincinnati's selections in the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft has come to an end, and the Cincinnati Bengals filled out their secondary and receiving corps with their selections. A late playoff run meant that they did not have much early-round leverage, but they may have grabbed some underrated steals in later rounds.

We break down the Bengals' draft class and assess the potential impact on fantasy football in the coming season.

Bengals picks

Round 1: No. 28 – Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
Round 2: No. 60 – DJ Turner, CB, Michigan
Round 3: No. 95 – Jordan Battle, S, Alabama
Round 4: No. 131 – Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue
Round 5: No. 163 – Chase Brown, RB, Illinois
Round 6: No. 206 – Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton
Round 7: No. 217 – Brad Robbins, P, Michigan
Round 7: No. 246 – DJ Ivey, DB, Miami

Grade: B

The Bengals prioritized their defense here, which is never a bad choice, but perhaps a somewhat confusing one given their offensive line struggles and their tight end vacancy. They added some offensive skill players in the later rounds, but the secondary and defensive line will mostly get a boost from the draft.

They filled out their defensive needs with departing free agents leaving vacancies at several positions. The cornerback and safety choices were solid, and Myles Murphy will provide an immediate impact on the line. However, they did not add a tight end – instead, they added two late-round WRs who bring up a lot of questions at the next level. Chase Brown was a good choice to toss into the backfield here. They did not pick up any offensive linemen, but Cincinnati has made that their focus over the past two years of drafts, so it's not a huge oversight.

Brown could make a quick impact despite his late-round selection if Joe Mixon does not pan out with the Bengals, and is a solid fantasy prospect for the next few seasons after his impressive season at Illinois. Iosivas and Strong are not likely to make a fantasy impact, given the strength of the current Bengals' receiving corps.

Myles Murphy is a great pick who will add immediate impact in the backfield, and the Bengals made a smart choice with that one. Getting Chase Brown in the fifth might be my favorite pick, though, and could turn out to have been a huge steal if he hits the ground running this year.

  
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