The Cincinnati Bengals earned some mixed overall reviews from outsiders for their six-pick trip to the 2025 NFL draft.
But that isn’t stopping some of Cincinnati’s picks from popping up on best of lists.
Case in point, ESPN’s Matt Miller just issued his top 100 picks of the draft and listed two for the Bengals: First-rounder Shemar Stewart and third-round guard Dylan Fairchild.
Miller’s writeup about Stewart:
“Stewart starred in the predraft process, acing the combine and showing his explosive ability in testing. The Bengals were intrigued enough to make a small reach in terms of value, but Stewart’s upside is as high as any player in the class. If he can turn his testing numbers into production on a Cincinnati defense that is seeking help, Stewart will look like a steal at No. 17.”
In real-time and right after, perhaps the Stewart pick wasn’t flashy. But as we wrote in instant analysis, the fact that he can set the edge and play a sort of Sam Hubbard role might’ve appealed to the team. So does the sheer developmental, physical upside that the coaches hope to unlock.
While it’s not universally popular, the Bengals’ draft haul this year at least has high points that analysts like Miller can point at to make sense of the picks.
