Bengals 2026 Draft Haul Ranked Among NFL's 10 Worst Classes

The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranked all 32 2026 NFL Draft classes this week, and the Bengals got a low mark. "The Beast" author slotted the class 24th overall in his exercise.

Cincinnati made seven picks in the 2026 cycle as they try to inject new talent on both sides of the ball.

Draft picks in order: EDGE Cashius Howell, CB Tacario Davis, G/C Connor Lew, WR Colbie Young, G/C Brian Parker II, TE Jack Endries, DT Landon Robinson

A Low Ranking

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor talks about newly signed defense tackle Dexter Lawrence in a press conference at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Monday, April 20, 2026. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He explained his methodology to start the ranking.

"Last year, my three favorite classes included the eventual Super Bowl teams (Patriots at No. 1 and Seahawks at No. 3) plus the Browns, who had multiple Rookie of the Year contenders," Brugler noted. "This year, the Browns are back at the top of the stack. Naturally, teams that made multiple first-round picks or a larger volume of picks have a better chance of being higher on this list."

Howell was Brugler's favorite pick in the Bengals group.

"The Bengals drafted an Aggies pass rusher for the second year in a row, although Howell is very different than Shemar Stewart," Brugler wrote. "Howell can be overwhelmed at times at the point of attack, but he battles nonstop and will bring much needed juice to Cincinnati’s pass rush."

Robinson got the nod for his favorite Day 3 pick that could surprise.

"I love what the Bengals did on Day 3 — Connor Lew has down-the-road starting talent; Colbie Young was one of my favorite mid-round receivers; Brian Parker II is a versatile backup; Jack Endries is a dependable pass catcher. But I love to see Robinson get this chance. The Ohio native was a high school linebacker who might be undersized for the interior, but he wins with quickness and relentlessness," Brugler concluded.

Cincinnati did only make seven picks, including just three in the top-130 selections, so a lower ranking compared to the bigger classes isn't shocking.

All in all, Zac Taylor and his staff are taking this haul and running with it.

"I thought we did a heck of a job. I'm really pleased with the job our scouting staff did," Taylor said on Saturday. "They did a lot of work on these guys. I thought it was a great collaboration between them and the coaching staff. And so, we're really excited about this group that we added over these last three days. They are really going to help our football team. You don't always get to hit every single area, but that's just the way it is. We took a lot of great players that we have conviction in. The scouts did a lot of great work on these guys, and we're happy to make them all Bengals and get to work."

Check out the full ranking from Brugler here.

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