The Bengals and the 2023 NFL Draft: A New Era Begins

The Bengals sat out of the Top Ten after trading away their pick to the New York Giants.

The Cincinnati Bengals sat out the first round of the NFL Draft for the first time since… (checks notes) 1989. That’s a whopping 37 years ago! Can you believe it? Only two players on the Bengals' active roster, quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Josh Johnson, were even alive back then. Talk about a long wait!

In ‘89, fresh off an appearance in the Super Bowl, the Bengals traded down, snagging a couple of extra picks to keep their Super Bowl window wide open. This year? It’s a different story. The Bengals are trying to re-open that window, and they did it by adding a man the size of a small house: former New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

So, without a first-round pick in hand, the Bengals watched the draft unfold from the sidelines last night.

The Dexter Lawrence trade was met with cheers from most Bengals fans. But last night was the first time we got to see what the Bengals left on the table by trading away pick No. 10. Here are my thoughts on the first ten picks of the draft, plus one more I couldn’t resist throwing in:

1. Fernando Mendoza, QB – Las Vegas Raiders

No surprises here. Mendoza was the pick from day one, and the Raiders didn’t waste much time announcing it. With Kirk Cousins in the fold, the pressure’s off Mendoza to start right away. And honestly, that might be a sneaky important factor.

Mendoza has the size, the intangibles, and he was a winner in college. He’s tough as nails. But what about the really important traits? Accuracy, athleticism, arm strength—when you hear draft experts talk about Mendoza, those hardly ever come up. Instead, they’ll wax poetic about the beating he took against Miami in the National Championship Game.

Don’t get me wrong: toughness is an underrated attribute for a QB. Just ask Joe Burrow. But Joe Burrow isn’t Joe Burrow just because he’s tough—he’s Joe Burrow because he’s one of the most accurate QBs in NFL history.

Does Mendoza have a trait like that? If he does, it’s not getting much attention right now. He’ll probably be a fine player in the league, but I’m skeptical he’ll ever be much more than an average starter. That’s not a bust by any means, but for the #1 pick, you can bet the Raiders are hoping for a lot more.

2. David Bailey, EDGE – New York Jets

Heading into draft week, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the Jets' decision to cancel Bailey’s Top 30 visit. Was it a smokescreen? Or was this a sign they were definitely taking Arvell Reese? Turns out, it was the former.

If Reese lives up to his impressive potential, the Jets might look back on this day with regret. But for now, they get the most pro-ready pass rusher in the draft class. Bailey has his struggles against the run, but getting to the QB is his specialty, and he’s downright elite.

This also shows that the Jets, as bad as they were in 2025, aren’t content with another lost season. By adding Bailey and a host of prominent free agents, plus top tight end prospect Kenyon Sadiq later in the draft at pick #15, the Jets are trying to be competitive. The pressure is now firmly on second-year head coach Aaron Glenn. If the Jets fall flat again after adding all this talent, he probably won’t get a third shot at this job.

3. Jeremiah Love, RB – Arizona Cardinals

Here comes the first real head-scratcher of the night. When are we going to learn?

The running game might be more prominent today than it was ten to fifteen years ago, but a single running back still isn’t a major mover in terms of wins and losses. Jeremiah Love might very well be the best player in the draft class, but what good is that when the Cardinals have Jacoby Brissett at QB and a below-average offensive line?

The Cardinals need help just about everywhere. They could have used one of the draft’s best linemen, a premier pass rusher, or the top receiver. Instead, they gave $50 million guaranteed to Love, making him the highest-paid RB in the sport—ever. And he hasn’t played a down yet. That’s not value. That’s not smart. That’s a poor process, and that’s what gets people fired.

4. Carnell Tate, WR – Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are all-in on second-year QB Cam Ward, and they showed their faith by adding the smoothest downfield receiver in the draft class, Tate. The Ohio State pedigree certainly works in Tate’s favor, but his smoothness and strong hands would have made him a coveted prospect regardless.

It’s a big help for Ward, who was throwing to guys named Chig Okonkwo, Elic Ayomanor, and Chimere Dike for much of last season. If those sound like names that would be more appropriate for some Silicon Valley venture capital fund than on an NFL roster…yeah, they do.

I have my doubts about Tate’s ceiling as a number one receiver in an NFL offense, but between him, Calvin Ridley, and the newly-signed Wan’Dale Robinson, the Titans' receiving corps suddenly has some real legs.

5. Arvell Reese, EDGE – New York Giants

The Giants turned around after trading away their best player and swung for the fences on a guy who might be the most talented player in the draft. Reese might be a little in-between positions right now, playing mostly linebacker at Ohio State while projecting best as an edge at the pro level. But his athleticism is nearly unmatched. The Giants are entering year one of the John Harbaugh era, and clearly, their mindset is on the future.

This is the luxury of grabbing an extra top-ten pick thanks to the Lawrence trade: the Giants were in a position to gamble. If Reese hits (and I tend to think he will), the Giants have a future face of their defense to pair with last year’s top-ten pick, Abdul Carter. If he doesn’t…well, at least the Giants have another top pick to make up for it.

6. Mansoor Delane, CB – Kansas City Chiefs (traded up from No. 9 with Cleveland)

Our first trade of the night came courtesy of the Chiefs, who are definitely not used to being in this position and are desperately trying not to make a habit of it. Coming off an offseason where they lost their top two corners and a starting safety, it was the worst-kept secret that the Chiefs would target their secondary in the first round. What was unexpected, though, was how aggressive they were about it.

Delane is a great prospect and undoubtedly the top corner in the draft. But for as great as he is as a technician, his size and athletic limitations could limit his ceiling as a high-end #2. Does he have the speed to stick with someone like Ja’Marr Chase or the strength to handle Puka Nakua? He’s great in zone, but if he has to match up against the elite number one receivers in the sport, things could get dicey.

That said, if there’s a cornerback factory in the NFL, it’s the Chiefs. There’s a reason they were confident enough to trade Trent McDuffie to the Rams and let Jaylen Watson walk. Then again, there’s a real possibility Delane could have been there at #9 anyway. And clearly, they weren’t overconfident in their ability to develop said corners, because otherwise, they might have been content taking whoever was available at No. 9 or even later. Giving up the 9th, 74th, and 148th picks in the draft is quite a bit to move up three spots.

7. Sonny Styles, LB – Washington Commanders

The Commanders went with the tried-and-true best player available mentality, and in their case, it could be a raging success. Styles is positionally sound and preposterously athletic for a man who stands 6-5 and weighs 244 lbs. A year after relying on old man Bobby Wagner in the middle of their defense, the Commanders are going the opposite route in 2026.

There’s still a lot of projection when it comes to Styles, but talent-wise, this pick makes sense. He could become the best LB in the league. His ceiling is Fred Warner—only bigger. His size and speed at the position are unprecedented, and he could be the next generation of tight-end erasers that’s becoming vogue in the NFL.

The Commanders resisted the temptation to take one of the flawed receiver or offensive line prospects in the draft and instead went with the tone-setter and potential game-changer on defense. It’s not a guarantee to be a success (and really, no draft pick is), but I can respect the Commanders for their vision.

8. Jordyn Tyson, WR – New Orleans Saints

Tyson was getting a lot of buzz as the draft neared, and it culminated with the Saints making him the 8th pick. This wasn’t a player many expected the Saints to take—but it’s probably one we should have seen coming.

The Saints have an offensive head coach (Kellen Moore), a second-year QB (Tyler Shough), and a serious need opposite breakout WR Chris Olave. Tyson, despite his injury history, might be the most talented receiver in this draft class. His quickness combined with Olave’s deep speed will be a treacherous combination for opposing defenses.

9. Spencer Fano, OT – Cleveland Browns (traded down from No. 6 with Kansas City)

The Browns made Fano the first lineman off the board on Thursday night, and it’s not hard to understand why. He’s the most versatile and technical of the bunch, and probably the most pro-ready outside of Olaivavega Ioane. What Fano has that Ioane doesn’t, though, is the ability to play tackle. For a Browns team that’s completely rebuilding its O-line, that positional flexibility is paramount.

That said, offensive tackles are usually some of the most prized prospects in every draft class. The fact that eight players went before Fano is probably a slight referendum on his ability. He might never be an elite player at his position, but for a Browns team that needs competency across the board, Fano makes a lot of sense.

10. Francis Mauigoa, OG – New York Giants (acquired from Cincinnati in Lawrence trade)

With their second top-ten pick, the Giants opted to reinforce the other side of the ball, adding another protector for second-year QB Jaxson Dart. The Giants have had one of the worst offensive lines in football for years, but after adding Mauigoa, they’re slowly moving back to respectability.

Jermaine Eluemunor was retained this offseason, so he’ll continue to man the right tackle spot while Mauigoa slides next to him at right guard. Likely, the Giants will have plans for him to take over for Eluemunor, who will be 33 and can be cut with little dead money after 2027. But even if they don’t, Mauigoa, the powerful mauler that he is, has All-Pro potential at guard.

Once again, the Giants are looking to the future with this pick. Dart spent way too much time in the medical tent last year. He showed plenty of promise, but far too much of that was by running the football, which kept landing him in the aforementioned medical tent.

With Mauigoa in place next to Eluemunor, who is opposite Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Thomas, the Giants are building a fortress around their QB, giving him the best chance to succeed with his arm instead of his legs. That’s smart drafting—and hopefully, it helps keep their exciting, young QB on the field and not seeking emergency treatment.

11. Caleb Downs – Dallas Cowboys (traded from No. 12 with Miami)

Downs might very well be the best defender in the draft class—if not the best player, period. The three-year starter across stints at Alabama and Ohio State was a consistent leader, tone-setter, and game-changer wherever he lined up. From deep safety to in the box, to the slot, to the boundary as a corner, Downs did it all. He’s the ultimate defensive chess piece.

The logic behind the Bengals trading for Lawrence was the very real possibility that none of the draft’s top defenders would be available at No. 10, and that turned out not to be the case. Still, my view hasn’t changed: I’d rather have a game-breaking defensive tackle for three years than a game-breaking safety for five (and that’s assuming Downs lives up to the hype). Great safeties are nice, but great defensive tackles change the calculus. You can game plan around a great safety—a great defensive tackle affects every single play.

For the Cowboys, this was a home run. Like the Bengals, their defense has been their Achilles’ heel for years. Downs doesn’t fix all of it on his own, but he adds a level of professionalism and consistency that’s incredibly rare for such a young player. They needed a culture-changer, and there was no better option for that job than Downs.

The Bengals, in hindsight, passed on that. Then again, they couldn’t have known how the draft would play out. Sure, the concerns about Downs’ size and top-tier athleticism were always there, but many draft experts thought he could go as high as No. 2. He was widely regarded as the top player in the class—the Bengals couldn’t bank on his availability. Instead, they pivoted to the sure thing—the bird in the hand that beats two in the bush.

And given how massive a human being Dexter Lawrence is, he counts as two birds.

So, what do you think? Did the Bengals make the right call? Or did they miss out on a golden opportunity? Let’s hear your thoughts!