2025 NFL Draft: Identifying Bengals Best And Worst Draft Pick
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The 2025 NFL Draft is now behind us, with the final round coming to a close on Saturday.
The Cincinnati Bengals had a nice hall, selecting six players that the team is definitely hoping can contribute right away. As was expected, the Bengals focused on the defense and offensive line over the weekend.
CINCINNATI, OHIO – OCTOBER 27: Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Paycor Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Taylor’s wife… CINCINNATI, OHIO – OCTOBER 27: Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Paycor Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Taylor’s wife has pleaded for fans to stop coming after her and her kids.
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
In the first round, the team landed Texas A&M edge-rusher Shemar Stewart. Stewart is an elite athlete who tested off the charts and has everything teams look for in an edge-rusher prospect.
Regardless of whether or not Trey Hendrickson is on the roster in 2025, Stewart should be a key piece of the defense.
The next pick the Bengals made was linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round. Knight is an off-ball linebacker who was a tackling machine in college and could be elite in run defense.
Elsewhere, the team added offensive linemen Dylan Fairchild and Jalen Rivers, linebacker Barrett Carter, and running back Tahj Brooks.
Now, let’s identify the best and worst pick the team made over the weekend.
The best pick for the Bengals has to be the selection of Dylan Fairchild in the third round.
Fairchild played 871 snaps at left guard for the Bulldogs in 2024 and earned a respectable 74.6 Pro Football Focus grade. The guard only allowed one sack against elite SEC competition and has the perfect frame and strength to be a solid NFL guard.
The Bengals desperately needed to get better on the interior of the offensive line, and Fairchild helps accomplish that goal. With Cordell Volson and Cody Ford penciled in as the starting guards, there’s a real shot Fairchild could start right away.
Worst: Round 5, Pick 153- Jalen Rivers, OL, Miami
The Bengals’ worst pick was another offensive lineman. Most evaluators had Jalen Rivers as a late-round pick who will need a ton of developing before he’s ready to play regularly in the NFL.
The Bengals added Fairchild in the third, so adding another lineman while there were more pressing needs is strange, especially a raw lineman like Rivers.
Entering the draft, the Bengals needed to add help in the secondary. The team chose not to draft a single corner or safety, which was strange to see. When the Bengals chose Rivers, talented defensive backs like Dante Trader Jr., Zah Frazier, and Denzel Burke were all still available and likely would’ve played larger roles during their rookie season than Rivers will.
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