DKDan'S MOCK DRAFT
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  • DKDan DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
Kenneth Grant Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (CIN)
Kenneth Grant
DT Michigan
JT Tuimoloau Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (CIN)
JT Tuimoloau
DE-EDGE Ohio State
Elic Ayomanor Head Shot
PICK: 51 RND: 2 (CIN)
Elic Ayomanor
WR Stanford
Dylan Sampson Head Shot
PICK: 81 RND: 3 (CIN)
Dylan Sampson
RB Tennessee
Shemar Turner Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (CIN)
Shemar Turner
DL Texas A&M
Jalen McLeod Head Shot
PICK: 154 RND: 5 (CIN)
Jalen McLeod
LB-EDGE Auburn
Davin Vann Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (CIN)
Davin Vann
DE-EDGE NC State
Draft Picks Received
Elic Ayomanor Head Shot
PICK: 51 RND: 2 (DEN)
Elic Ayomanor
WR Stanford
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Players traded away
Head Shot
Tee Higgins
WR
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall C-
ValueC+ NeedB TradesF FutureB
The Bengals bled value on every deal, hence the C-.

The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Bengals reached some 63 spots for Davin Vann, and value like that does not grow back. It washes out to a C-, no better and no worse.

Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. That Sampson pick is the receipt they will wave around later.

They covered a lot of ground and still skipped cornerback, which is a strange place to end up. The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.

So much rides on Kenneth Grant that the real verdict is a season or two away.

Pick Analysis
Pick17 Rnd1 Kenneth Grant
In slot 17 they get a run-stuffing presence up front. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick49 Rnd2 JT Tuimoloau
No drama and no debate, JT Tuimoloau went about where he belonged in the 49th overall pick. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick51 Rnd2 Elic Ayomanor
A straight-up fair deal on Elic Ayomanor at Round 2, Pick 19, value and slot in agreement. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick81 Rnd3 Dylan Sampson
Taking Dylan Sampson in the 81st pick is close to grand larceny; a running back that good had no business lasting this long. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick118 Rnd4 Shemar Turner
They took Shemar Turner at par in pick 118, which is nothing to complain about. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick154 Rnd5 Jalen McLeod
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Jalen McLeod well ahead of where he belonged. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Pick195 Rnd6 Davin Vann
Davin Vann in the Round 6 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.