The Cincinnati Bengals have the 17th pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 24 in Green Bay. The Bengals own six total picks in the seven-round draft.
Bengals’ draft picks
| Round | Pick | Overall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | 17 | |
| 2 | 17 | 49 | |
| 3 | 17 | 81 | |
| 4 | 17 | 119 | |
| 5 | 15 | 153 | |
| 6 | 17 | 193 |
Full draft order
Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.
NFL Draft details
• Round 1: April 24, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 25, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 26, noon ET
About the Bengals
• Director of Player Personnel: Duke Tobin
• Head coach: Zac Taylor (seventh season with team)
• Last year’s record: 9-8
The Bengals are coming off a year where Joe Burrow and the offense proved they belonged among the elite of the NFL. Their defense was, well, the opposite of that. Head coach Zac Taylor fired longtime coordinator Lou Anarumo in hopes that former Notre Dame coordinator Al Golden can help rejuvenate a collection of recent draft picks that have underperformed on that side of the ball.
The pressure is mounting not to waste any more MVP-caliber seasons from Burrow and missing the playoffs for a third straight season would heat the seats of everyone involved. The offense should be elite again with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins signed for the long haul, but all eyes are on the trenches and the need for reinforcements for Golden.
Scouting the decision-makers
This is Duke Tobin’s show. Lately, it hasn’t been a particularly great one. His small scouting staff has come under fire for a series of misses on defense. They hope the issue was more with scheme and usage than the individual players. Time will tell if the results change under Golden. But Tobin and director of college scouting Mike Potts face a draft they must hit big on with multiple starting spots needing starters or improved play.
• The Bengals’ 2024 NFL Draft class
Bengals’ key free-agent signings
• WR Tee Higgins: Four-year, $115 million deal
• LB Oren Burks: Two-year, $5 million deal ($750,000 guaranteed)
• TE Mike Gesicki: Three-year, $25.5 million deal ($6.5 million guaranteed)
• DT B.J. Hill: Three-year, $33 million deal
• DT T.J. Slaton: Two-year, $14.1 million deal ($5 million guaranteed)
Bengals’ key positions of need
Guard: The Bengals cut veteran Alex Cappa and benched Cordell Volson last year. They need new starters at both and didn’t quite accomplish that task in free agency. They have solid backups and potential veteran starters in Cody Ford and Lucas Patrick (Saints) but they aren’t scaring anybody — except Bengals fans. The team ideally needs to find a Day 1 starting guard in this draft. Considering Cincy is unlikely to use the No. 17 pick at that spot, the pressure is on to take advantage of the Day 2 options, something that has been a major problem over the last 10 years.
Defensive line: Can anybody not named Trey Hendrickson rush the passer? Anyone? Nobody could last year. Myles Murphy, a first-round pick in 2023, will be given every opportunity to develop as the starter, but the Bengals need much more here. Hendrickson had 12.5 more sacks than any other player on the roster last year and over 50 more pressures. Free agency provided no answers at the spot, so the draft will have to deliver a difference-maker with pass-rush juice, whether edge or tackle.
Linebacker: Who is starting next to Logan Wilson? Germaine Pratt requested a trade and isn’t in the plans — barring the club ending up completely out of options. The draft needs to deliver a player capable of competing with free agent Oren Burks for the starting spot and probably taking it over before the end of the 2025 season. That’s also asking a lot of a position that’s not always easy to find immediate difference-makers with a team that’s unlikely to use the first-round pick at this spot.
Bengals’ draft analysis
Free agency shapes new path for Bengals with multiple glaring needs
Bengals positional priority draft big board: Pinpointing needs and targets
The Athletic’s latest mock drafts
March 24: Ben Standig’s mock draft
Bengals trade down and get Georgia S Malaki Starks
March 21: Beat writer mock draft 2.0
Bengals address edge with Marshall standout Mike Green
March 10: Nick Baumgardner rounds 1-3 mock draft
Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell leads three defensive picks for Cincinnati
March 8: Bengals mock draft 0.75
Positional priority starts to take shape after NFL combine
March 5: Dane Brugler mock draft
Could Michigan CB Will Johnson fortify Bengals’ secondary?
