ef'S MOCK DRAFT
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ef'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 22, 2026

benglas dpown

  • ef DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (CIN)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
A.J. Haulcy Head Shot
PICK: 72 RND: 3 (CIN)
A.J. Haulcy
S LSU
Antonio Williams Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (CIN)
Antonio Williams
WR Clemson
Kyle Louis Head Shot
PICK: 98 RND: 3 (CIN)
Kyle Louis
LB Pittsburgh
Sam Hecht Head Shot
PICK: 100 RND: 3 (CIN)
Sam Hecht
C Kansas State
Jalen Farmer Head Shot
PICK: 106 RND: 4 (CIN)
Jalen Farmer
OG Kentucky
Caden Curry Head Shot
PICK: 110 RND: 4 (CIN)
Caden Curry
DE-EDGE Ohio State
Billy Schrauth Head Shot
PICK: 113 RND: 4 (CIN)
Billy Schrauth
OG Notre Dame
Emmett Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (CIN)
Emmett Johnson
RB Nebraska
Michael Trigg Head Shot
PICK: 119 RND: 4 (CIN)
Michael Trigg
TE Baylor
Bishop Fitzgerald Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (CIN)
Bishop Fitzgerald
S USC
Joe Royer Head Shot
PICK: 130 RND: 4 (CIN)
Joe Royer
TE Cincinnati
Kaleb Proctor Head Shot
PICK: 131 RND: 4 (CIN)
Kaleb Proctor
DL SE Louisiana
Bryce Boettcher Head Shot
PICK: 151 RND: 5 (CIN)
Bryce Boettcher
LB Oregon
Aamil Wagner Head Shot
PICK: 189 RND: 6 (CIN)
Aamil Wagner
OT Notre Dame
DJ Campbell Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (CIN)
DJ Campbell
OG Texas
Kobe Baynes Head Shot
PICK: 199 RND: 6 (CIN)
Kobe Baynes
OG Kansas
Dominic Zvada Head Shot
PICK: 221 RND: 7 (CIN)
Dominic Zvada
PK Michigan
Jeff Caldwell Head Shot
PICK: 226 RND: 7 (CIN)
Jeff Caldwell
WR Cincinnati
Draft Picks Received
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (NE)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Antonio Williams Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Antonio Williams
WR Clemson
Kyle Louis Head Shot
PICK: 98 RND: 3 (PHI)
Kyle Louis
LB Pittsburgh
Sam Hecht Head Shot
PICK: 100 RND: 3 (JAX)
Sam Hecht
C Kansas State
Jalen Farmer Head Shot
PICK: 106 RND: 4 (HOU)
Jalen Farmer
OG Kentucky
Billy Schrauth Head Shot
PICK: 113 RND: 4 (IND)
Billy Schrauth
OG Notre Dame
Emmett Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (TB)
Emmett Johnson
RB Nebraska
Michael Trigg Head Shot
PICK: 119 RND: 4 (CAR)
Michael Trigg
TE Baylor
Bishop Fitzgerald Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (NE)
Bishop Fitzgerald
S USC
Joe Royer Head Shot
PICK: 130 RND: 4 (MIA)
Joe Royer
TE Cincinnati
Kaleb Proctor Head Shot
PICK: 131 RND: 4 (NE)
Kaleb Proctor
DL SE Louisiana
Bryce Boettcher Head Shot
PICK: 151 RND: 5 (MIA)
Bryce Boettcher
LB Oregon
DJ Campbell Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (TB)
DJ Campbell
OG Texas
Draft Picks Traded
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Head Shot
PICK: 41 RND: 2 (MIA)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
S Toledo
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall B
ValueB NeedB- TradesA+ FutureB-
Nobody dealt better than the Bengals this weekend: B.

Nobody else had Dominic Zvada anywhere near Round 7, Pick 5. The Bengals did, by 88 spots, and that gap is the whole story.

They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. On value alone, Caldwell makes the weekend a net positive.

For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Fitzgerald pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at quarterback.

Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.

Pick Analysis
Pick63 Rnd2 D'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds at No. 63 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick72 Rnd3 A.J. Haulcy
A.J. Haulcy in pick No. 72 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick97 Rnd3 Antonio Williams
A wide receiver of that caliber at pick 97 is the definition of value, full stop. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick98 Rnd3 Kyle Louis
The board had Kyle Louis higher than the Round 3 slot, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick100 Rnd3 Sam Hecht
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Sam Hecht at the 100th overall pick is the proof. It fills a real need, too.
Pick106 Rnd4 Jalen Farmer
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jalen Farmer. The roster fit checks out.
Pick110 Rnd4 Caden Curry
A real head-scratcher, Caden Curry in Round 4, Pick 10 is miles ahead of his ranking. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Pick113 Rnd4 Billy Schrauth
Billy Schrauth at No. 113 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick116 Rnd4 Emmett Johnson
Emmett Johnson slid further than he should have, and the Round 4 slot is lovely value for the running back. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick119 Rnd4 Michael Trigg
They took Michael Trigg at par in the 119th pick, which is nothing to complain about. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick125 Rnd4 Bishop Fitzgerald
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Bishop Fitzgerald at safety with quarterback open.
Pick130 Rnd4 Joe Royer
They paid sticker price for Joe Royer in slot 130, and that is fine. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick131 Rnd4 Kaleb Proctor
No edge and no loss on Kaleb Proctor in the 131st overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick151 Rnd5 Bryce Boettcher
Bryce Boettcher at pick No. 151 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick189 Rnd6 Aamil Wagner
Aamil Wagner at Round 6, Pick 8 is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick195 Rnd6 DJ Campbell
A clean, defensible pick in the Round 6 slot with a little surplus value in DJ Campbell. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick199 Rnd6 Kobe Baynes
Kobe Baynes at slot 199 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick221 Rnd7 Dominic Zvada
Dominic Zvada at pick 221 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Pick226 Rnd7 Jeff Caldwell
Jeff Caldwell in the 226th overall pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.